Mathematics, statistical analysis with software development, computer science with artificial intelligence and data storage with data visualization and manipulation: This is voted the best job across all industries.

Data Scientist was named the sexiest profession in the 21st century by the Harvard Business Review.

In Glassdoor's "50 Best Jobs in America" report, data scientist is ranked as the best job across all industries, based on job opportunities, payroll and overall job satisfaction rates.

Data Scientist might be one of those job titles you hear and think "Okay, but what does a Data Scientist really do?". We had a chat with a college teacher in Applied data science at Noroff, Mariya Chirchenkova, to hear more.

Mariya Chirchenkova. 

This is what a data scientist does

- Data science is the combination of mathematics, statistical analysis with software development, computer science with artificial intelligence and data storage with data visualization and manipulation.

Simply put, a data scientist's job is to analyze data. Mariya Chirchenkova

- Simply put, a data scientist's job is to analyze data, for actionable insight, says Mariya, and elaborates that specific tasks can be:

▫️Identifying data analytics problems that provide the greatest opportunity for organizations

▫️Determine the correct datasets and variables

▫️Collect large sets of structured and unstructured data from various sources

▫️Validation of the data to ensure accuracy, completeness and consistency

▫️Analysis of the data to identify patterns and trends

▫️ Interpret the data to find solutions and opportunities

▫️Communicate findings to stakeholders using visualization and other means

These skills are required

So, what skills will a data scientist have in 2020?

This is a subjective question. However, there are certain skills employers look for in almost all data scientists. For example, data scientists need strong statistical, analytical and reporting skills, Mariya believes.

Perhaps the most important skill for a data scientist is to be able to analyze information. Mariya Chirchenkova

- Perhaps the most important skill for a data scientist is to be able to analyze information. One must look at, and extract the most important, large amounts of data. A data scientist must also look at patterns and trends and have an idea of what these patterns mean. This requires analytical skills, she says enthusiastically.

In addition, one must be open-minded and good at communicating the results and new solutions to others, preferably people with different skill sets than yourself, she elaborates.

- A data scientist needs solid knowledge of mathematics, especially in multivariable calculations and linear algebra.

Data scientists also need programming skills.

- Being able to code is crucial to almost any computer science position. Knowledge of programming languages such as Python, R, Java or SQL is therefore also important.

How to Become a Data Scientist?

Mariya suggests asking yourself some simple questions, to find out if the field is for you, such as:

Am I fascinated by statistics and programming? Am I willing to constantly separate? Do I enjoy solving problems? If computer science was not an extremely popular and luxurious alternative, would I still choose it?

Through the bachelor's program in Applied data science you acquire the theoretical foundation required to work as a data scientist and good practical skills in the application of tools and techniques in the field. This includes data processing, analysis and visualization, software development and deployment, mathematical and statistical analysis, and artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Salary rates

The average salary for beginners in this field is $ 115,785, according to Glassdoor.com. The average salary for senior data scientists is $ 141,257.

Requested resource

There are currently many uses of data and the list will be expanded indefinitely. Mariya Chirchenkova

- There are currently many uses of data and the list will be expanded indefinitely, says Mariya.

Internet searches, health care, targeted advertising, image and speech recognition, airline planning, gaming, self-driving cars and robots are some examples.

More and more employers are looking for qualified data scientists who can handle this data.

- Harward is right about data scientists. It's an extremely important role and high demand, which can have a significant impact on a company's ability to achieve its goals, be they financial, operational, strategic, and so on, she concludes.

     
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