Curated by the Knowledge Team of ICS Career GPS
Career
11 Data Science careers shaping our future
Excerpts from article by Kelsey Miller, published in northeastern.edu
For four years in a row, data scientist has been named the number one job in the U.S. by Glassdoor. What’s more, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the demand for data science skills will drive a 27.9 percent rise in employment in the field through 2026.
Not only is there a huge demand, but there is also a noticeable shortage of qualified data scientists. So, if you have a passion for computers, math, and discovering answers through data analysis, then earning an advanced degree in data science or data analytics might be your next step.
What is Data Science?
Martin Schedlbauer, PhD and data science professor at Northeastern University, says that data science is used by “computing professionals who have the skills for collecting, shaping, storing, managing and analyzing data [as an] important resource for organizations to allow for data-driven decision making.”
Almost every interaction with technology includes data—your Amazon purchases, Facebook feed, Netflix recommendations, and even the facial recognition required to sign into your phone.
Amazon is a prime example of just how helpful data collection can be for the average shopper. Amazon’s data sets remember what you’ve purchased, what you’ve paid, and what you’ve searched. This allows Amazon to customize its subsequent homepage views to fit your needs.
Data science benefits both companies and consumers alike. McKinsey Global Institute found that big data can increase a retailer’s profit margin by 60 percent, and also allow consumers to purchase a good or service for less than they were expecting.
Data Science is helping the future
Data science enables retailers to influence our purchasing habits, but the importance of gathering data extends much further. Data science can improve public health through wearable trackers that motivate individuals to adopt healthier habits and can alert people to potentially critical health issues. Data can also improve diagnostic accuracy, accelerate finding cures for specific diseases, or even stop the spread of a virus.
Data Science careers
Data science experts are needed in virtually every job sector—not just in technology. In fact, the five biggest tech companies—Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Facebook—only employ one half of one percent of U.S. employees. However—in order to break into these high-paying, in-demand roles—an advanced education is generally required.
1. Data Scientist
They find, clean and organize data for companies. Data scientists will need to be able to analyze large amounts of complex raw and processed information to find patterns that will benefit an organization and help drive strategic business decisions. Compared to data analysts, data scientists are much more technical.
2. Machine Learning Engineer
They create data funnels and deliver software solutions. They typically need strong statistics and programming skills, as well as a knowledge of software engineering. In addition to designing and building machine learning systems, they are also responsible for running tests and experiments to monitor the performance and functionality of such systems.
3. Machine Learning Scientist
They research new data approaches and algorithms to be used in adaptive systems including supervised, unsupervised, and deep learning techniques. Machine learning scientists often go by titles like Research Scientist or Research Engineer.
4. Applications Architect
They track the behavior of applications used within a business and how they interact with each other and with users. Applications architects are focused on designing the architecture of applications as well, including building components like user interface and infrastructure.
5. Enterprise Architect
They are responsible for aligning an organization’s strategy with the technology needed to execute its objectives. To do so, they must have a complete understanding of the business and its technology needs in order to design the systems architecture required to meet those needs.
6. Data Architect
They ensure data solutions are built for performance and design analytics applications for multiple platforms. In addition to creating new database systems, data architects often find ways to improve the performance and functionality of existing systems, as well as working to provide access to database administrators and analysts.
7. Infrastructure Architect
They oversee that all business systems are working optimally and can support the development of new technologies and system requirements. A similar job title is Cloud Infrastructure Architect, which oversees a company’s cloud computing strategy.
8. Data Engineer
They perform batch processing or real-time processing on gathered and stored data. Data engineers are also responsible for building and maintaining data pipelines which create a robust and interconnected data ecosystem within an organization, making information accessible for data scientists.
9. Business Intelligence (BI) Developer
BI developers design and develop strategies to assist business users in quickly finding the information they need to make better business decisions. Extremely data-savvy, they use BI tools or develop custom BI analytic applications to facilitate the end-users’ understanding of their systems.
10. Statistician
Statisticians work to collect, analyze, and interpret data in order to identify trends and relationships which can be used to inform organizational decision-making. Additionally, the daily responsibilities of statisticians often include design data collection processes, communicating findings to stakeholders, and advising on organizational strategy.
11. Data Analyst
They transform and manipulate large data sets to suit the desired analysis for companies. For many companies, this role can also include tracking web analytics and analyzing A/B testing. Data analysts also aid in the decision-making process by preparing reports for organizational leaders which effectively communicate trends.
Education
Happiness as a key performance indicator
Excerpts from article by Dr. Alexander N. Jablovski, Forbes Councils Member, published in The Forbes
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” At some point in every young child’s life, a parent or teacher lays down that deeply existential question. I still have the journal where I scribbled my answer: “I want to be happy!”
I wanted to seek out a path that would bring me the most joy and walk it as far as I could. I’ve carried this mindset through my entire entrepreneurial journey. Here’s how you can do it, too:
Listen to your inner child
You can’t quantify happiness. Although you can’t put a valuation on it, there is great value in discovering what makes you happy and allowing it to chart your journey through life and business. I learned this early on in life.
As a teenager, I knew I wanted to pursue engineering — not because my parents wanted me to or I thought it’d land me a well-paying job — but because it excited me. If I was a fish, the work of engineering was my water!
I entered the U.S. as a young exchange student and found I was unhappy. I sought out a better-suited situation through self-advocacy and the journey of taking chances. This continued to be a driving force behind my earliest entrepreneurial endeavors. Flipping adversity on its head with a happiness-first mentality led to genuine excitement about the startup world, my first job at Daimler and world travel for Metalsa.
Benchmark your happiness
Start by plotting your life on a timeline. No, you don’t have to be a Picasso — just scribble out a horizontal line and jot down dates and major milestones along the way (college, first job, marriage, etc.). Now, look at the timeline and ask yourself, “When was I at my happiest?” Mark those moments and ask:
• What was I doing?
• Who was there?
• Why did it make me so happy?
• How did I get to that point?
• Where did I go from there?
Explore and understand the context behind your happiest moments. What about those happy moments affected your overall story? If the happiness didn’t last, what caused it to diminish? How could you have preserved the context you were happy in?
Transfer these moments to a journal. Capture them in detail and return to them quarterly. As life unfolds, whether you’re happy or unhappy, revisit these happiness benchmarks and ask how they’ve shaped your journey.
Happiness and performance
In recent years, employers across the globe have fretted about employee engagement. According to Gallup, disengagement costs the global economy and discrete employers billions of dollars every year.
This isn’t surprising. Unhappy workers are unproductive workers, which makes what I’ve said about happiness good advice not only for your personal wellness but for your professional competence as well. Think what would it take for you to incorporate happiness as a key performance indicator in your operation?
Happiness begets happiness
At a pivotal moment in my career, a mentor asked, “Do you want to be rich, or do you want to be famous?” This translated to me differently. Rather than wealth or reputation, I took this as being comfortable or courageous.
I chose the latter: to be famous. This meant taking the plunge, entering the startup world and trying to cut my own innovative path forward. It’d allow me to find joy in creating something of global significance and impacting the world’s future.
That path led me to what I believe is my life’s purpose: acting as mentor for the next generations, a sparring partner for other game-changers, a leader and, today, founding partner of a marketplace platform.
I’m happier than I’ve ever been.
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in the article mentioned above are those of the author(s). They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of ICS Career GPS or its staff.)
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