I'd like to move into data science by taking a ~3 month bootcamp. Which bootcamps are most respected by employers? I have a PhD in Computer Science.
Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
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Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#2I have not attended any bootcamps myself but r/datascience and other similar forums seem to indicate that bootcamps are useless.
Especially with your PhD, I think an overview course like the one offered by Andrew Ng will get you upto speed. You can add others like AWS certification, Tableau etc.. based on your needs/jobs you're applying to.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#3Depends what your goal is. Name, Learning, Job?
The value add from the name of a respected bootcamp isn't as high as you think.
Getting a job will come from your effort and creativity in the search process post-bootcamp.
Which program you choose depends on your time, money, and energy constraints. The good news is that there are plenty of options out there.
I wrote a post [1] outlining the constraint tradeoffs based off my experience in a bootcamp and subsequent career movement through the data world.
[1] https://www.dataindependent.com/blog/joining-data-bootcamp/
Edit: Emphasis on the 'name' of the bootcamp (vs the other value adds you earn)
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#4Insight is good for PhDs.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#5Based on your background and some word of mouth, I'd recommend I'd recommend the Insight Data Science Fellowship. It's important to filter out bootcamps targeting no background whatsoever, so at the very least this should be a solid starting point: https://insightfellows.com/data-science
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#6Obvious bias, but myself and a number of people I know have obtained great value from the Insight Fellows Program [1]. From what I can tell, nothing else really comes close.
For their Data Science program, I believe a PhD is still a requirement, but it seems you have one. The bigger caveat is that it's not really a "bootcamp" per se, in that there are no real lessons or assignments. Applicants to the program are expected to be nearly ready for entry into the job market already. The program is rather for developing soft skills and networking. Although the program centers around a project, the project is really more of a conversation piece for interviews.
Pre-COVID, this program was free, which was one of the best things about it. Now I believe there is an ISA instead.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#7AFAIK Insight is the only one laser focused on your persona (PhD in a math-y field)
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#8You don't need a bootcamp if you have a PhD in Computer Science, just apply to all major tech companies you'll get atleast a few hits.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#9Obvious bias, but myself and a number of people I know have obtained great value from the Insight Fellows Program [1]. From what I can tell, nothing else really comes close. For their Data Science program, I believe a PhD is still a requirement, but it seems you have one. The bigger caveat is that it's not really a "bootcamp" per se, in that there are no real lessons or assignments. Applicants to the program are expe…
As a former DS hiring manager who phone screened over 200 candidates, Insight is the only DS bootcamp that I've found to be positively correlated with capability.The other programs had candidates that were weaker than the generic new grad pipeline. Eventually we just made a PhD a hard requirement to filter down the ridiculous application volume.
Re: Ask HN: What are the best data science bootcamps?
#10I have not attended any bootcamps myself but r/datascience and other similar forums seem to indicate that bootcamps are useless. Especially with your PhD, I think an overview course like the one offered by Andrew Ng will get you upto speed. You can add others like AWS certification, Tableau etc.. based on your needs/jobs you're applying to.
Bootcamps seem most useful for taking people who are already qualified, prepping them for interviews, and introducing them to companies. Someone with a PhD in Computer Science might actually benefit.