Building a career in Data Science. An Interview with a Data Scientist

July 29, 2021

Data Science is still a very popular career choice for many youngsters. It is a reputable field that pays well and also gives you an opportunity to work on interesting projects, hence it’s the ideal career path. But to become a data scientist, you must know how to talk to data and make it talk to you. It is a great career for those who are ready to put in their 100 % and are passionate about this field.

We talked to a Data scientist to understand what this role is all about and what it takes to be successful in the field of Data Science. Read it till the end to know more about this interesting career and if it’s the right path for you.

Building a career in Data Science

About our Data Scientist

Akarsh Agnivesh is a Manager III, Analytics and Sciences in Amazon.com. He has worked with Amazon for over 2 years now and has received several accolades including the recent Invent & Simplify award while working in Amazon Transportation Logistics Network & Topology Design. He has over 8.5 years of work experience in the field of Data Science working with many well-known companies like Samsung and Nielsen.

We decided to pick on his brain and extract some insights on How to have a prolific career in Data Science and what it takes to be a good and successful Data Scientist.

Let’s hear what he has to say.

1. When did you decide you want to become a Data Scientist?

“I was working in an Indian Service company, a popular IT firm after college but hated every minute of it. Soon I started developing an interest in Business Intelligence after I joined a sub-team EAsports where I worked on SQL and found it really interesting.

Then I started studying data analytics on my own in my free time and became quite good at it. I loved solving problems and practiced day and night out of sheer passion. It was when I added SQL and Tableau to my resume and got a job opportunity with a mid-sized company where I learned a lot. That's when I knew I had chosen the right field for myself.”

2. What do you love about Data Science?

“At first what attracted me towards Data Science was its rising popularity and the fact that it was considered the sexiest career of today’s time. But after working for several years I can say I love this field because I get to solve real-world business problems through maths, stats, and ML, all my favorite subjects, and see its impact on a company's decisions and its people. I love creating tools and models that my company uses for its day-to-day management. It’s the ability to create something useful and work every day to improve it, that’s what I love about Data Science”

3. How did you prepare for the role of a Data Scientist?

"I never prepared for any specific role, I worked consistently towards improving my skills as a data analyst. I learned several languages and mastered a few.

I studied on my own using websites like Datacamp, Coursera, and W3school. I never took a course but I solved every problem that was on these sites, took part in Hackathons, basically read and practiced a lot. I worked with many companies which helped me gain more expertise in handling all kinds of data and solve plenty of business problems."

4. How did you start your career in Data Science?

"My love for Data started when I joined an FMCG company where I worked as a Data Analyst. I learned the majority of what I know over there by working on actual data. It was a great experience that helped me land a much better role in Nielsen as a Manager. I polished my analytical skills, worked on multiple languages, and managed a team of data analysts. Finally, I got a chance to work in Harman, a company owned by Samsung, where over a year later I got promoted to Data Scientist. It was an interesting journey."

5. Which languages should one learn to become a Data Scientist?

"I would suggest getting started with Python and R as these are the most versatile languages and extremely popular. Learn Java, C++, MaTLAB, and Octave as additional languages, the more you learn the better. You must have in-depth knowledge of SQL. Master a couple of languages for sure, I love Python and R."

6. What does a typical day at work look like for you?

"My day roughly starts at 10 am. Since we are working from home due to the pandemic, I get to sleep longer than I am used to. I start with a brainstorming session with my team. We have daily standups where we discuss our progress and struggles. Then I check my emails and solve any tech/model contingencies from the previous day. After everything is working fine, I work with my team on new model developments. In between, I grab my lunch and several coffees, even watch a few episodes of my favorite Netflix shows."

7. Does a Data Science Career pay well?

"Yes, it pays very well. The average salary of a Data Scientist is somewhere around $90000 per annum. Again it depends on your work experience and skill set.

But it’s true for any career field out there."

8. What are the growth prospects of a Data Science Career?

"Data Science has huge growth prospects not just for now or a decade from now but for the long term. Data science is just getting started, there is an immense amount of data produced, companies still don’t know how to manage data and there is a lot of scope. Also, Data Scientists are not a lot in number, if you are passionate about Data Science, the sky's the limit for you. Once you become a data scientist, only better opportunities come your way at an accelerated speed. You'll see."

9. What are the challenges of Working in Data Science?

"Data Science is not all fun, it can be monotonous at times as most of your job can be preparing data which is quite tedious. Also finding the right data is tough.

Also communicating your ideas to the non-technical stakeholders is challenging as well. Sometimes Data Scientists are considered the jack of all trades which is not the case."

10. What tips do you want Data Science aspirants to know?

"Firstly you must know why you want to pursue a career in data science. For me, it was my keen interest in this field that led me to have a career in it. It’s extremely important that you really enjoy what you do, even if you have to work 12 hours at a stretch. If you hate it even a tiny bit, you will never be successful.

Start with learning from scratch, have a clear understanding of everything, and practice every day. Solve practical problems and take part in hackathons. Just keep learning. There’s something new every day, be prepared for anything. Good Luck!"

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