Data science is evolving all the time. As traditional data science and data analytical processes become more entrenched with big data and the ‘Internet of Everything’ opening up huge datasets, so the demand for more advanced and specialized data analysis grows.
With this burgeoning demand comes the need for more highly trained and specialized data scientists to help get the most out of these new technologies. In this article, we take a look at a few exciting directions we can expect data science employment to take over the next 12 months.
How Big is ‘Big’ Data?
One of the challenges for the data science employment sector is the sheer scale of the data that requires algorithmic analysis. The diversity of data use both in our daily personal lives and in the business world, is growing exponentially.
Everything from streaming entertainment media, through healthcare and education systems to the many connected devices we use to communicate with our friends, families and offices on a daily basis rely on data analytics to keep the associated industries expanding and improving. Of course, it’s not just a question of quantity of data as much as it is the quality of data that is being collated, analyzed and actioned.
Get Ready to Become a Specialist
Gone are the days of relying on a course in SQL queries to open up a myriad of employment opportunities in the data analysis sectors. These days, with every conceivable business vertical relying on data collection and data analysis to operate, data science roles are diversifying, evolving and fundamentally changing.
With real-time data fast becoming the staple, as opposed to old-school fixed datasets, we are seeing a wider variety of data types entering the market. Transport industries such as airlines, logistics firms and the ubiquitous Uber are increasingly relying on new types of ‘fast data’ for their day-to-day operations. With that comes the demand for data analysts that can analyze, manipulate and make sense of such dynamic swathes of information. Increasingly, employers will be looking for staff who have industry-specific data expertise as well as experience in specialized data types.
This specialization is going to be huge driver in the data science employment market in 2020. For this reason, if potential data science employees are looking for a competitive advantage when it comes to finding a suitable role, they should invest in the right kind of education. A master of science in data analytics would be ideal as this would offer them learning on the cutting edge of modern data science and analytics.
The Onward March of AI
It is not a question of if, but when, AI and smart algorithms become able to not only crunch the data, but also to make decisions in response to outcomes. At this point, there is a very real possibility that some traditional data science roles may become obsolete for humans that can’t pivot or transition to more specialized data disciplines.
According to Gartner, this year could see more than 40% of data science work being done by AI systems. It makes sense, therefore, that data scientists should align themselves to these systems and become more adept and expert in working alongside them to retain their value and increase their employment prospects.
