The next step in my journey is to get a job to apply all that I have learned so far and while doing the work, keep on learning.

Getting a job in data science as a novice is far easier said than done.

One of the problems is that the definition of a data analyst/scientist’s job changes from company to company. A more significant issue is that it is very challenging for prospective employers to know whether candidates have the skills they need.

Companies have limited resources to interview and screen candidates, so many employers look for experience as a proxy for competency. It is a reasonable (although relatively inefficient and imperfect) approach.

How then can one demonstrate experience when looking for your first job? In trying to solve this problem, I stumbled upon SharpestMinds. By the way, I recommend Russell Pollari’s (SharpestMinds’ CEO) post on this very problem.

SharpestMinds help you demonstrate your skills by pairing you with an experienced mentor who will guide you through a real-world, end-to-end data science project you can add to your portfolio. I joined and was very fortunate in matching with Nate Sutton.

We will work together for 12 weeks on a project, and he will also help me in my job search. I am excited to start this process with him as a mentor.

I am also pleased to announce I finished the Data Analyst with Python Career Track.