I had recently listened to a podcast with Lex Fridman and Elon Musk. One question that was asked to Elon was ‘How do we know what career to pursue?’. His answer was something to the effect of ‘do something that can help those around you’. After listening to this I thought for several days, I was already questioning my future since I knew that I did not want to teach indefintely no matter how enjoyable it might be.
Well, fast forward a few months and after a lot of research on things I would be good at, I stumbled upon Python. I enjoyed using this language and a lot of experts in computer science had recommended this language as a great starting point because of its readability and relatively fast learning curve. I thought about software engineering but did not find the idea of developing softwares to be of much interest or a field that I could find myself being excited to work in. I happened to stumble upon Andrew Ng who has a wonderful course on Machine Learning and its applications on EdX.
It was challenging enough to be engaging, innovative enough to keep me interested and more importantly it was a field I could see myself devoting my time too. I have always been fascinated by this topic but thought that I would have to apply for a university to stand a chance.
Lucky for me, these days there are several services that aim to help those in my position. Currently, I am studying on the Data Scientist track with Datacamp, Machine Learning Specialization with Coursera, Introduction to Python and Pre-University Calculus with edX.
Well, needless to say I have a full plate and a tight study routine. But, I study all of these to make up for my lack of knowledge and familiarity compared to those who may have graduated with a computer science, engineering or maths degree.
I am still relatively close to where I started but each day I get a few steps closer to my end goal; becoming a data scientist.
Maybe you should do the same, here are a few stats that make the field interesting:
By 2019, postings for data scientists on Indeed had risen by 256%, and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts data science will see more growth than almost any other field between now and 2029
And if job security doesn’t tickle your fancy then there is always the bottom line.
The national average salary for a Data Scientist is £46,953 in United Kingdom
Alongside this, Data has a real impact on our day to day lives. Whether you realise it or not, companies around the world use data to make sure you have the most pleasant experience using their service. How do you think Spotify, Netflix and YouTube are able to pinpoint, with relative accuracy, media that might interest you? Data is at the forefront of everything we do and being able to make this vast sea of information more relevant and useful to the world is something I believe everyone can find interest in.
