The Long Road Towards a Successful Career in Data Science

In the last few years, data science has become one of the most sought-after skills in the world. The space has been growing rapidly and there is no shortage of people looking to make the switch for a career boost. Even professionals with a background in analytics who wish to enhance or add to their skill-set are busy equipping themselves with additional skills. Take Viral Mehta for instance, a Jigsaw alum who graduated in July last year after completing our Executive Program in Business Analytics (EPBA). While he was already working in the analytics space, the EPBA helped him take his career to a whole new level.

“I was working in Cartesian Consulting and my work involved using various functions like retention models and logistic regression,” says Viral. “But since my background is in engineering, it ended up becoming a very mechanical process. I was told what to do and how to do it but I didn’t fully understand the mechanisms behind a lot of the algorithms I was using. Once I started the course, I found that a lot of assignments were closely related to the work I was doing. As a result, I was able to connect the dots and gain a deeper understanding of all the techniques I had been using. The sessions with the industry experts were very useful too, as we were able to get a better idea of how analytics is applied in different areas such as banking and supply chain.”

One of the biggest advantages for Viral was that the course didn’t disrupt his work in any way. The sessions were held over weekends in Mumbai, where he is based. So he didn’t have to miss any of his regular work days to accommodate the course. However, as Viral himself admits, it’s not simply a matter of attending the sessions and completing the assignments. Becoming adept at analytics requires a fair amount of committed practice over a period of time.

“There is a lot to absorb in a very short span of time, as the course material is exhaustive,” he says. “You have to be prepared to invest about 3-4 hours each day in order to fully get used to all the new things you are learning. However, you will see that this is very beneficial. I was able to get an interview with Future Group as a direct result of the course. And Sarita (Jigsaw Academy’s co-founder) was very helpful and gave me plenty of guidance when it came to planning the next step in my career. I’m very glad to say that it paid off and I’m happy with the way things are going right now.”

At the end of the day, studying analytics is a continuous process. As technology keeps evolving, there will be new techniques and software applications to learn. However, Viral is of the firm opinion, as are we, that the effort will pay rich dividends in the future.

“The course covers a lot, but it will definitely benefit you as long as you work hard. If you put in the required effort, you will be guaranteed a great future, and the job you’ve always wanted.”