Data has truly become the name of the game in the 21st century, as companies seek to make the most out of their data. Let’s explore how an online data science course can provide a pathway to successful careers in this rapidly growing landscape - and how businesses all over the world are using transform business operations worldwide.

Data Science - Changing the Business Landscape

Data is rapidly emerging as the new frontier in business operations. While there have been many businesses that have been the victim of data breaches in recent years, such as Optus and Latitude, there has also been a recognition from data stakeholders within businesses that data is more valuable than simply a target for hackers and fraudsters alike.

As a result, businesses are looking to rapidly uplift their data literacy and capability. By encouraging employees to upskill in data fields, as well as hiring proficient, data-literate graduates, companies can start to drill down and learn more about the data that they’re collecting from customers on a daily basis.

What sort of work does a Data Scientist do?

A data scientist may be engaged in a variety of different activities - fundamentally, they use data in all of its forms, to discover insights, find patterns, and make recommendations that may be able to benefit a business’s operations. The work that a data scientist may do can vary, depending on the organisation - for example, in an organisation with a strong data culture, a data scientist may act as a user of data - working with structured and clean data sources to find insights. There are many examples of the work that data scientists undertake in industries.

Some examples of this data science work include:

• In entertainment, utilising media data such as consumption patterns and preferred behaviours, to develop algorithms improve customised recommendations. Netflix is a great purveyor of this, using data scientists to understand what customers are thinking.
• In transport, utilising a mix of structured and unstructured logistics and weather data to identify the most efficient travel routes for products that may need to be preserved in sensitive environments. One such example of this is FedEx and their DataWorks teams - using data from a range of sources, data scientists are able to provide models that help their vehicles deliver on schedule, even with the disruptions of today’s world.

In telecommunications, using a mix of internal sensors and crowdsourced data to identify issues as they arise on the network. For example, the National Broadband Network uses a range of technologies to identify the scale of faults and communicate with impacted stakeholders.

Why Become a Data Scientist?

Becoming a data science specialist can be a rewarding career, particularly if you have an interest in understanding systems and problem-solving. A role as a data scientist is one that is in high demand - businesses have challenges that can only be addressed by experienced data professionals.

As a result, roles in data can be not only professionally rewarding but attract significantly higher salaries than entry-level work. According to the national jobseeker website Seek, the average salary of a data scientist is approximately $115,000 - $135,000 annually, up to twice as much as the national median wage. Depending on your skills and expertise, experienced data scientists may be able to demand a much higher salary - or additional benefits.

Career Opportunities for Data Professionals

There is a wide range of opportunities available for the avid data professional. A casual glance at many job listing sites reveals a broad spectrum of opportunities. Here are just some examples of the data roles that are currently hiring:

• Opportunities in the medical research sector, using your knowledge of research and data to work towards curing illnesses that affect the lives of millions of children worldwide.
• Data scientist roles in the logistics sector, where you could work on strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of parcel delivery and maximise the efficiency of parcel trucks.

Depending on your interests, there’s no doubt that there’ll be a role out there in data for you if you’re interested. Even if you don’t want to pursue a role as a data scientist, there are a range of other qualifications that are enabled with a qualification in data science - whether that be a business analyst or program optimisation specialist.

Data can be an incredibly rewarding field - so, if you’re interested in teaching, there is simply no better time than now to dive in and give data science a go. Chat with a career advisor today and discover the possibilities - you never know what you might find.