Are Data Science Online Courses Best For Learners From Non-Technical Background?

Introduction 

There is no perfect definition of a profile that must fit into the role of a Data Scientist. While coming from a non-technical background, you might be worried about pursuing Data Science. Don’t worry; even then, you can establish yourself as a capable Data Scientist. Online courses provided by platforms like UNext Jigsaw can help you develop the required skills to become a proficient Data Scientist. 

Who is a Data Scientist? What Does Their Job Entail?

A Data Scientist interprets, manipulates, and analyzes the gathered data. They then use this data to obtain results and prepare models for the company’s proper functioning. This data can help the company to study market behavior and help the company to develop products according to consumer needs.  

The role of a Data Scientist includes answering questions that are looked upon as a challenge to the company through the results obtained after analyzing the gathered data.  

A Data Scientist plays a crucial role in planning and developing product models and strategies based on the data gathered. They need to research efficiently to produce results that prove beneficial to the company. They need to improve their data gathering techniques to work more efficiently constantly. Thus techniques can help the business tackle the different problems that might arise during product development. They act as a bridge to fill the gap between a company’s product management and IT department. 

What Are the Skills Required to Become a Data Scientist? 

Data Scientists need to have a few skills which help them to sustain themselves better and excel in this field. Well, they not only need to have technical skills but also need to have good communication and business skills as well.  

Technical Skills: 

• Programming Skills 

A Scientist should be comfortable working in various programming languages which are required for manipulating and analyzing data like Python, SQL, R, etc. 

• Mathematics and Statistics 

A Data scientist should know mathematics and statistics to provide better-estimated results to the company. These are one of the fundamental skills which help a Data Scientist to develop data models with better accuracy and efficiency. 

• Machine Learning 

Skills like machine learning and AI come in handy when you become a Data Scientist. These skills will help you to manage Big Data more efficiently and boost your work power. 

Business Skills:  

• Business Awareness 

When you work as a data scientist in a company, you work as an employer for a company. So you need to have some basic business management skills as well. Since you are working for a company, you need to work according to their goals and needs.  

• Providing Solutions to the Business 

While working for a company as a data scientist, you need to constantly solve the company’s problems and provide efficient solutions to them to help them achieve their goals. Understanding the problem from a business-minded approach will help you out here. 

• Staying Updated 

With the ever-growing market of data, you always need to stay updated with the latest technology and business techniques in the field of Data Science, which will help you and your company to better sustain. This will also help you to perform your job more efficiently. 

Non-technical/Soft Skills: 

Don’t underestimate these skills as they command a lot of importance during the recruitment process.

• Communication  

All your technical skills might go in vain if you don’t know how to present yourself and your company in the market. Without having proper communication skills, you can’t analyze the data in such a manner that it is understandable to everyone.  

• Sound Thought Process 

When you work in the role of a Data Scientist, you sometimes need to tackle problems by analyzing huge chunks of data. This is where your presence of mind and thought process kicks in. With the help of structured thinking, you can overcome any challenge in this field. 

• Will to Learn Something New  

After working for several years, you might easily get bored and think there’s nothing left to learn in this field. Well, there’s always something to learn in any field. A hunger to gain knowledge will help to improve throughout the years. This will also affect your work performance and will help you to excel in this field. 

I know a question might come to your mind, ‘Does this all apply to a student from a non-technical background as well?’. Well, such questions are obvious but don’t worry, there’s nothing impossible. You can excel in Data Science even if you are from a non-technical background. Let’s see how. 

How to Get into Data Science From a Non-technical Background? 

Becoming a Data Scientist from a non-technical background is not an impossible feat. You can acquire the necessary skills to become a Data Scientist through online certification programs by UNext Jigsaw. These online programs not only provide you with quality education but hey also help you to develop skills that are required for one to establish themselves in this field. Choosing the right course can help you get the right start, and as you know, a job well begun is half done. 

Here are some pointers on which you need to focus on: 

• Learn About Your Interests 

Data Science being a specialized field is still very vast. There are many opportunities available in this field. Identifying your zone of interest can help you do wonders in this field. This will help you to find your ideal job in this field. Instead of trying and testing and testing different jobs, learning about your interests at the very start will help you avoid such circumstances.  

This will also help you identify the necessary skills required for your dream job in the beginning itself so that you can work on them through the upcoming years of your training. Another thing you need to ask yourself is whether your current knowledge is applicable anywhere in this field or not. This will help you prepare your strategy accordingly. 

• Choose the Right Data Science Course 

In this online era, since everything is online, including education. When you look up an online course in Data Science, your major concerns should be about what the program offers, the cost, and its placement feature. You should look for the skills to help you secure your dream job. Finding your zone of interest can help you choose the right course from the plethora of courses available online. 

Online programs encourage project-based training, which helps the students to get hands-on with real-world challenges and scenarios and improve their skills accordingly. Through these courses, you can master various programming languages and learn about applications of Data Science in business right from scratch. Along with technical skills, these programs also focus on incorporating soft skills in a student.  

• Project-based Training 

Being a beginner, learning new skills within a short period can be challenging. You can prepare yourself for such conditions through project-based training. Getting hands on a real-life project is the best way to identify and overcome your weak spots. Working on a real-life project can help you gain knowledge and quickly improve your skills.  

While working on a project, you learn about the challenges you might have to face while you are employed as a Data Scientist; they can also become a strong pointer in your employment portfolio. You get to gain experience without having to do a job through such projects.  

• Mentorship Matters 

It is always tough to get into a new field. Here having proper guidance and mentorship can help you overcome many problems. Finding a mentor can not only help you to excel in academics but also help you with the placement situation. Mentors provide you with important career tips when needed. Having the right mentor can also help you identify your strengths and weaknesses in a structured manner. Mentors not only help you find your weak spots but also provide you with strategies and methods to overcome them.   

• Never Stop Learning 

Things in the tech world change faster than the speed of light. You need to keep yourself updated constantly. Learning about the new techniques and advancements made in Data Science can help you improve your skills and make your work more efficient. Staying updated with the market will help you understand your company’s goals and requirements better and allow you to streamline yourself towards it properly. 

Conclusion  

Data Science is a vast field to explore, and it doesn’t differentiate among students whether they are from a technical or a non-technical background. All you need to have are the required skills and believe in yourself. Professionals who wish to become skilled Data Scientists can develop these skills through online certification programs by UNext Jigsaw. Nothing can stop you if you decide and work hard to achieve your goals! Through the Data Science training program, you get a hands-on experience with the challenges as there are many projects to work on.