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One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

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Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#2
I always liked data crunching, databases and data topics in general. Also, most of the software development knowledge I have I didn't learn in the official school curriculum, but rather from books, online courses and real-world experience.

Now, having that in mind, how realistic is for a guy in mid-30s, a very good software developer (enthusiastic about functional programming, if that matters) to pick up enough knowledge about data science to be able to actually take the data-scientist role in some company?

Edit: Rephrase the question.

Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#3

I always liked data crunching, databases and data topics in general. Also, most of the software development knowledge I have I didn't learn in the official school curriculum, but rather from books, online courses and real-world experience. Now, having that in mind, how realistic is for a guy in mid-30s, a very good software developer (enthusiastic about functional programming, if that matters) to pick up enough knowl…

Depends on the stage the company is at... I've a similar background, but took up a Data Scientist role. However and here's the rub. The company has very little data-pipeline setup and functioning , that much of the work is laying out the plumbing, ensuring it works without getting blocked etc.. I've tried my hand at a few predictive models and cross-validation accuracy looks good, but can't test them on real-life scenario, as some of the data-source it depends on is not coming in. What's worse is they don't have a capable and dedicated devops, so it's the CTO who had started this data puller project and hasn't delegated/handed-over either. So I'm reduced sitting on my ass, warming the seat/chair.

Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#4

I always liked data crunching, databases and data topics in general. Also, most of the software development knowledge I have I didn't learn in the official school curriculum, but rather from books, online courses and real-world experience. Now, having that in mind, how realistic is for a guy in mid-30s, a very good software developer (enthusiastic about functional programming, if that matters) to pick up enough knowl…

You could absolutely learn all the skills and knowledge to be a good data scientist, the real question is if you could get hired. I have been looking into data science and I think the demand for data scientists is not as large as it seems, but it is growing. There are very few junior data science positions. Especially without a PhD or an inside contact it could be challenging to get your foot in the door. My advice would be to check out Kaggle, try out a problem and see if you enjoy it.

Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#5

I always liked data crunching, databases and data topics in general. Also, most of the software development knowledge I have I didn't learn in the official school curriculum, but rather from books, online courses and real-world experience. Now, having that in mind, how realistic is for a guy in mid-30s, a very good software developer (enthusiastic about functional programming, if that matters) to pick up enough knowl…

There are multiple Data Science boot camps. The fact that these places exist and claim to be able to get people jobs after three months learning suggests you could do it. Look at Signal Data Science.

Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#8
> For example, if you visit mostly Python and Javascript questions on Stack Overflow, you’ll end up getting Python web development jobs as advertisements

But what if you are an excellent C++ developer, who needs some assistance with Python and Javascript?

Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#9

I always liked data crunching, databases and data topics in general. Also, most of the software development knowledge I have I didn't learn in the official school curriculum, but rather from books, online courses and real-world experience. Now, having that in mind, how realistic is for a guy in mid-30s, a very good software developer (enthusiastic about functional programming, if that matters) to pick up enough knowl…

I agree with the previous messages. There are basically two paths: A) Learn from others. There are some good programs like Data Science Retreat. B) Self-learn and use Kaggle competitions to prove it.

Re: One Year as a Data Scientist at Stack Overflow

#10

Ah man, I wanted that job. I guess I didn't waste enough time on the Internet answering questions during my PhD.

The article is a very nice write-up, but in the end he is still optimizing advertisement click-through rates (a zero-sum game).

While interesting from a technical point of view, why not make yourself 1000x more useful to society by working, for example, on "cognitive health" problems? These are problems that lean heavily on statistics, and are interesting and imho more rewarding at the same time.

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