Data science has been gaining significant traction over the past few years. Myriads of people working in several areas including, business and IT look to shift to this emerging career option. Moreover, individuals with immense expertise (over 10 years) want to switch to data science.
Going for a data science course begins with numerous queries such as “Does data science require coding?”, or “What are the requisites to learn data science?” It is not necessary to be an expert coder to become a data scientist. Insufficient coding skills should not preclude people from pursuing a data science career. There has been a notion recently that people need excellent coder to become a data scientist.
Undoubtedly, coding is essential in data science but that does not imply that you need to be a hardcore coder to go for a career in the field. Industry executives reckon that anyone who knows the fundamentals of coding – functions, loops, and programming logic - can flourish as a data scientist. Having coding skills already is a plus point in a data scientist job but not compulsory. Then, what about those who have never learned to code earlier? Is there any other way they can become data scientists?
Tips for Non-Coders Learning Data Science
Become an Excellent Storyteller
If you think that vital business decisions rely on data and other quantitative parameters, you are wrong. Even after a machine learning (ML) model is developed and assessment is done by people expert in coding, somebody has to present the outcomes to the shareholders who are well oblivious to programming languages or statistical models. This accents for the need of a story woven around the insights to convince shareholders quickly. You can become that individual with exceptional storytelling abilities in spite of having mediocre programming skills.
Get a Grip on GUI-based Tools
If you are not much of a coding person, then the first thing you can do is to learn the application of GUI-based tools. There are many graphical user interfaces (GUI) supported data science tools that exclude the coding aspect and offer a user-centric interface that aids everyone with the fundamentals of algorithms.
The tools are quite easy to use to develop top-notch ML models sans coding. The majority of these GUI-based tools can be accessed for free and allow you to assess and elucidate data via charts, graphs, and other special graphics. You do not have to display exceptional coding skills to efficiently leverage these tools but instead having a knack of visualization does help.
Enhance your Credibility with Business Intelligence
If you an expert in insurance or have comprehensive experience working in the retail sector, it is good news for you. You certainly are aware of the nitty-gritty and intricacies of businesses compared to expert coders. If you are highly skilled in areas such as healthcare, and e-commerce, you will be an asset to any company. No certification of expert coding skills can beat business intelligence in a particular area for a long period. Capitalize on your domain expertise and abilities and become the data science wizard.
Final Words
At present, the success mantra to grab a data scientist job in any company is, “The More You Know, The Better It Is.” Although companies prefer professionals with specialized coding knowledge, they are increasingly channelizing their attention towards candidates exhibiting a diverse skill set.
To wrap up, you need not be a die-hard coder or programmer to become a great data scientist.
