Dernière mise à jour: 20 mai 2023
Big Data: it's the buzzword at the moment. A word that is both vague and exciting, stressful and futuristic but above all which generates new professions, including that of Data scientist.
What is Data Scientist?
Today, the Big Data, this gigantic mass of digital data can no longer be ignored and forgotten. It is a virtual gold mine which helps to increase income. But to use it well, someone needs to know how to process and analyze this data. This is where the Data scientist intervenes. Il analyzes, uses and gives meaning to this data more and more gigantic.
Data sientists are both mathematician and computer scientist. And, since they straddle the business world as well, they are highly sought after and well paid.
What is the role of a Data Scientist?
As a Data Scientist, your role is data management and analysis. More precisely, the Data Scientist has the role of make the data speak and put it at the service of the management of a company.
For example, you will make recommendation engines, predictions to improve your company's sales, or even artificial intelligence for mobile applications.
What are the missions of a Data Scientist
There is no specific mission when it comes to a role of Data Scientist. But here are some functions it probably needs to do:
- Collect large amounts of data and turn it into a more usable format.
- Understand the issues of marketing, market, sales, customer loyalty, HR, etc.
- Solve business problems using data-driven techniques.
- Construction of algorithms to improve search and targeting results.
- Work with a variety of programming languages including SAS, R, and Python.
- Have a solid understanding of statistics.
- Communicate and collaborate with the various managers of the company.
How to become a Data Scientist?
Le Data Scientist job is exciting. However, it is also a position of high responsibility, which requires natural predispositions and high level education.
The Data Scientist is emerging from a higher education in engineering school (bac + 5), or even a doctorate (bac + 8) in statistical analysis and computer programming. He also has 4 to 5 years of experience in data analysis or in a data center environment.
Of course, you have to be passionate about numbers and statistics and respect confidentiality rules because the data handled by the data scientist is inherently sensitive and strategic.
Here are the essential skills to hope for a career in this field.
- Computer and math skills.
- Expertise in data analysis.
- Intellectual curiosity.
- Mastery of SAS, R, Python programming languages.
- Proficiency in MySQL Postgres databases.
- Mastery of Big Data technologies (Hadoop, MapReduce…).
- Have a good sense of communication.
For more details on how to become a data scientist, watch this video: