What is a data scientist? The job has been around for hundreds of years, though as you may suspect things have changed significantly, especially over the last century. In the 1740s Bayes’ Theorem posited that when new data was added to an existing belief, the result was a new and improved belief. This is the basis for the scientific method, by which scientists discover better and better explanations for things. When applied to data, the scientific method creates data science, in which data scientists can use the piles of data people are generating to discover new and better predictions about the future.
In 2013, IBM revealed that 90% of the world’s data had been generated in the last two years, and this figure still holds mostly true today. As people generate user data from devices and apps, online activities such as ordering, and more, that data is being captured by data scientists for further analysis. By 2025 we will generate 175 billion terabytes of data every day worldwide.
This year there will be 2.7 million job openings for data scientists. These people will need to know things like Python, PyTorch, R programming language, Hadoop, Apache Spark, and more. Job openings will include Data Engineers, Software Engineers, AI Hardware Specialists, and more. These people will be responsible for capturing data in a way that is able to be processed, building and maintaining the systems that capture and store the data, and programming the algorithms that will analyze the data and produce actionable results.
Data scientists will have a greater impact on businesses in coming years than any CEO. They will be responsible for building new tech, creating new software, and optimizing systems to prevent waste and promote sustainability.
Learn more about the growing field of data science below. Are you ready to make a career change?