Data science seems to be so popular nowadays – not just in business, but also among individuals in tech.
Career-wise, it’s good to get into the data science bandwagon while it’s still growing. And if you’re currently a software developer who’d like to be a data scientist, you want to transition as smooth as possible. It’s quite tricky to do a career shift. For one thing, it may not be as great as you think and might get stuck along the way. Nevertheless, there isn’t a single person who is dedicated enough who wasn’t able to achieve success, no matter how small the goal is.
So, how do you transition from being a software developer to a data scientist? Might be tricky, but it’s doable.
Watch And Learn
You can’t just jump from one career to another, especially in tech, without testing the waters first. “I should’ve known this. I should’ve known that” is often what people say when they push through with any decision that did not go as planned. Humans as we are, mistakes are inevitable but that doesn’t mean that we leave everything up to luck. It is your duty to make your life better, which is why you have to be careful when making big decisions. As with switching careers, you may start with looking at job ads first. Make a list based on the qualifications big companies are looking for then start learning those. Do not lose hope right away once you see those skill requirements because you can always learn it, as others also did before they were data scientists.
Generally, there are certain skills that are required from applicants who want to pursue data science. As a software developer, you won’t have a hard time with these but you have to give extra focus to machine learning and statistics if you want to get ahead.
- Statistics
- Strong Math knowledge
- Business skills
- Machine learning
- Programming
Create Projects
There are various ways where you can gain hands-on experience as a data scientist. How you do it is totally up to you.
- Asking to be transferred to the data science department
- Asking for an extra project from the data science department
- Doing freelance project
- Creating your own passion project for portfolio purposes
- Lending out your newly learned expertise to a family or friend
Do Interviews
If you have already started having some hands-on experience in data science, perhaps it’s time to get yourself out there. You may not always pass the first or second interview, but you will learn something. Carefully observe what questions the interviewers ask and what do they require from applicants like you. And if you get hired, that’s an even greater news! On the other hand, you have to keep in mind that it’s better to land the job when you’ve already mastered the craft. Additionally, don’t lie on your application!
Give yourself 6 to 12 months before you fully jump into a career. It may sound quite long, but it’s worth it.
At LegalMatch Philippines (LMPH) we value people. Our team is comprised of dedicated software engineers, QA analysts, digital marketing specialists, and data scientists who work together to innovate technologies that bring clients to top lawyers in the US. In addition, individuals can also find the right attorney to resolve their case. One thing is for sure, we want others to lead a quality life.
You could be our next data scientist. Join LegalMatch Philippines (LMPH) today.