Data science is one field where you would come across numerous varieties of job titles and roles. Each is different from the other, and yet these are so intertwined with each other that data science professionals often find themselves getting sucked into the title wars and pay grade challenges. Data engineer course is a sure shot way to get around all the noise and pushing that has become a kind of benchmark for the “sexiest job market” in the technology industry.
In this article, I have pointed out the career trajectory of a data engineer and how a data science course would train you to make the right kind of moves in an overtly dominating marketplace.
Data engineering is the specialized stream within the data science industry that involves the use of Computer Science, IT, Mathematics, and Statistics. A few years back, it would have been extremely difficult to think of a data engineer course without programming and coding platforms. But, thanks to the rise of Low Code and No Code, the coding part is out of the equation. Data engineers have made it possible to develop advanced algorithms that can acquire data sets and pool in all kinds of relevant information and analytics to deliver as per the company’s objectives. These could align with respective team functions and goals, such as those of Marketing, Sales, IT and Operations, Finance, and HR.
Data engineering professionals are highly skilled executives who are trained to handle a large volume and variety of data in an enterprise setup, where these engineers are assisted by a group of other data related job titles such as analysts, data managers, IT engineers, and AI engineers. The ultimate goal of the data engineer is to make data available to the right teams and analysts who can evaluate and optimize the performance by converting raw information into actionable insights.
So, where should a data engineer start in the career?
There’s a starting point to every career. In data engineer course, that starting point lies with formal education in any of these subjects:
- Computer Science
- Mathematics
- Statistics
- Economics
- Programming languages
For most data engineer roles, a degree in the above specializations goes a long way in opening all kinds of opportunities in data-oriented projects. Let me tell you that data projects are heavily funded, and no organization would like to hire professionals who are not trained well enough to justify their title of “Data engineer.” Yet, many executives from non-science professionals actually succeed in making a good career out of data engineering courses, solely basis their behavior and hunger to crack the code for the biggest problem staring at the team. That problem could be an IT issue or lack of manpower, or a conflict between manager and trainee. Great data engineers solve problems on and off the books, sans guilt and sorrow.
How to Enter the Data Engineering Job Market?
If you work with data for a living and have familiar experience in handling the core workflows used to collect, organize, collect and analyze data – you are already knocking at the right doors. This experience could be earned from the data engineer course that you enrolled with, or an internship that you signed up for when you joined as a business analyst. Managers hiring for data engineering skills just want to see skills in data management and database modeling. Rest is all about statistical analyses, mathematical experience and approach to data visualization.
What does a Data Engineer do in 24 Hours?
A lot… Data engineers are drowned in a deluge of data that keeps them so busy that it becomes extremely hard for these professionals to think out of the box sometimes. These guys are like boxers in the ring, constantly punching through data using BI tools such as Looker, Tableau, SAS or Power BI. Without hands down knowledge in these tools, it would be a knockout for you in Round 1.
So, buck up on your data analysis skills.
Would a Doctorate Help Further Data Engineer Career?
Of course! Depending on the seniority level you are eyeing in the organization, a Master’s Degree or Ph.D. in data science could boost your chances of toppling the ranks and joining a great company that hires doctors to lead data engineer projects for some of the biggest customers. These customers could be as big as AWS, Google, or Microsoft.
As long as organizations are using data, data engineers would remain in demand.
