There’s never been a better time to launch that career in the data related field and enter the new workforce. The job prospects are promising, and opportunities are plenty for professionals looking to embrace a career in the data related field.

Plus, several reports boast salary compensation that is high even at the entry level.

With digitization and technology on the rise, the majority of the population is seen spending their time on the internet. It is no denying that expert professionals such as data analyst, data scientists, and data engineer have become the buzzword in recent years. By 2020, data related jobs in the U.S. will increase to 2,720,000 says IBM.



The moment you type and send a text message or post an update on Facebook, you’re already generating data. And for the record, there are above 3 billion users on the internet worldwide, the amount tripled in the past 12 years. Now you can imagine data generated by 4.3 million cellphone users. Isn’t that a huge amount of data?

With data generated at this speed, the ability to analyze data has also accelerated. Now data storage has become affordable that power to process data can be accessible with recent tools and technologies available in the IT industry.

Currently, the demand for knowledgeable data professionals seems to outweigh the supply, reason why employers and organizations are willing to pay premium wages to fill in the vacant job positions.

However, individuals still have misconceptions regarding data related jobs and often misinterpret their roles. Most importantly, it is essential that one needs to first understand the job roles before taking a plunge before making a career choice.

Data Analyst

Most data scientists have started their career as a data analyst, most precisely they can be called as a junior data scientist as well. Candidates with data analyst skills can take up data science as their dream job role today. Data analyst do not have the skillset in mathematics neither the skills to create an algorithm. Despite this, they have expertise using a different kind of tools for solving different kinds of problem.

It is without a doubt that the world needs more professionals skilled in the data field. To get started in this job role, it is highly recommended to take up a data analyst certification. This will help boost the candidate’s skills and expertise, preparing the candidate to become job ready.

Data Scientist

Several organizations often treat job titles such as data analyst and data scientist to be similar to each other. However, there’s a difference in terms of skill and expertise.

Although data analyst and data scientist proceed towards the same mission in an organization – to bring in real insights from a vast pool of unstructured or structured data, there’s a difference between both the job roles. Most data scientists require robust and sophisticated skills to tackle with vast amounts of data. Embracing data science as a career is an added advantage for most companies as the demand is high in the IT job market. Data scientist possess a higher degree of qualifications in quantitative fields such as statistics, physics, mathematics, computer science, and have the skillset in creating algorithms using machine learning technologies to solve problems.

Experts in data science are being hunted throughout every sector in the market – to break the silos of this in-demand job role, in-depth knowledge, and advanced education is essential. A certified data science professional will be of high preference since employers are skeptic about hiring the right candidate.

Data Engineer

The role of a data engineer is to create a database system, write complex queries, scale multiple machines, and helps keep the recovery system in place. In simple terms, they’re the architects who are responsible for building a platform which further helps data scientists perform their tasks efficiently.

Pursuing a career in any of the above-mentioned job roles is a smart move; however, for someone looking to start their career can take up a data analyst role. However, for someone looking to scale in their professional career, becoming a data scientist or a data engineer is an ideal choice.

Data professionals with data engineer certification are high in demand demonstrating skills in performing big data analysis etc.

The jobs related to data science has only grown more with a dramatic upswing since 2013. To be precise, having the right and relevant skillset will only take your closer to a secure future. Ensure you upgrade your skills and stay job ready keeping pace with the industry’s demand.

Note: This is a guest post, and opinion in this article is of the guest writer. If you have any issues with any of the articles posted at www.marktechpost.com please contact at [email protected]