The demand for data scientists has risen over the past few years, and there are plentiful openings for the position that are advertised. Unfortunately, there are not enough data science professionals to match the demand.
Result: Mushrooming of various online courses/programs that promise young enthusiasts to turn them into data scientists pretty soon.
Well, it may be true but then again it may not be true. Being a data science professional is not an easy job. It might seem glamorous but it can be daunting, boring, as well as lonely all at the same time.
Did we scare you?
Worry not, if you are passionate about data, are eager to learn more about the data science tools then you are at the right place. Keep reading to know how you can strengthen your data science career with online data science certification courses.
No doubt online programs available in the present day will help an aspiring data science professional to become a better professional, however, they will not be enough for anyone aspiring to become a better data science professional.
In order to become a Data Scientist, an aspiring professional will need a combination of qualifications like –
- A degree in Mathematics, statistics, or computer science. While it is not mandatory, it still helps.
- You need to have some practical knowledge of Data Science tools and technologies, especially the trending ones in the industry. You can join boot camps to gain that knowledge.
- An experience with real-time data and relevant projects. One of the most important parts to become a data scientist and one of the hardest experiences to gain. Internships are the best way to gain these type of experiences, you can also find a problem on your own, find a solution and post the solution along with all the steps you followed on your website or blog.
- Networking is the key here and thus try to surround yourself with intelligent people who are always talking about data and data science.
- Last but definitely not least you need to have an excellent understanding of how Data Science works, including theoretical know-how of the way data structures, algorithms, and systems work under the hood.
Remember: the last point is one of the most important for an aspiring data scientist to remember. Online programs and online data science certifications courses/programs are meant to present the candidate with the much-needed theoretical knowledge – that is essential – in the real world.
The programs whether online courses or data certifications programs available have these things in common, so if you are an aspiring data science professional then you need to keep these pointers in mind before you choose a program that is best suited to your needs.
- The programs are not your typical small-time programs, which you can complete in an hour while you commute from your office to home. These are well-thought, and well-laid programs where you need to invest your time.
- The programs have been curated by experts from the industry and some of the top universities
- These programs whether online courses or certifications in data science are industry recognized and will put an applicant in the must-have candidate with these programs on your portfolio
So without wasting any more time let’s have a look at some of the online programs that are available in the market for aspiring data science professionals.
1. Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python: One of the basic courses that an aspiring data scientist should have knowledge about. The program focuses on concepts like
- Data Structures
- Computational Complexity
- Object-Oriented Programming
- Algorithms
- Recursion
2. Machine Learning: One of the most important courses for an aspiring data scientist. This is one of the most popular courses as well and perhaps one of the biggest contributors to the hype of ML as well. The course is taught by none other than Andrew Ng from Stanford University and focuses on ML algorithms along with their foundations.
3. Data Science Certifications from the Data Science Council of America like Senior Big Data Analyst (SBDA) and Senior Data Scientist (SDS) are some of the prominent certifications in data science.
Let’s have a look in detail these certifications:
Senior Big Data Analyst: For those working in any Big Data space or are market research professional with at least an undergraduate degree in either of this Business, Management, Marketing, Statistics, Mathematics, Economics, or Applied Mathematics from an accredited institution, the SBDA™ undoubtedly is the most important credential to earn at this stage. With SBDA you can prove your proficiency, potential, and promise to your prospective recruiter that you can manage any challenging assignments in Big Data analytics. For more information on the certification program, you can visit the website.
Senior Data Scientist: Curated for the bright professionals who have experience of five-plus years in the industry with exposure to research and analytics. The SDS program designed by the Data Science Council of America (DASCA) gives wings to your journey of turning you into a high in-demand data science professional. The program is the world’s most impactful 3rd-party, vendor-neutral certification for accomplished data scientists like you. If you are seeking out more challenging and bigger-impact roles in data science, then this certification is for you. Apart from proving your proficiency, potential, and a promise for handling any responsibilities of a certified data scientist, SDS will also pave way for the most precious PDS – the top-most qualification for the data scientists in 2021. For more information on the certification program, you can visit the website.
