If big data has been making waves then data science is the most lucrative fields, which most millennials prefer and are opting for. And because it is one of the most profitable it is also one of those careers that need highly skilled and qualified professionals. Since as a data scientist, you would be handling data both structured and unstructured but highly confidential one, recruiters and employers are quite selective in hiring a fresher as a data scientist.

So then how do you go about being a data scientist? The path is through data analyst, enrolling for data science and big data analytics course and then certification in data science. Sounds easy? But it is not. Then again if you are aiming for highly rewarding profession then you must be prepared to pay the price it has to offer. So let’s understand the route to a career in data science.

Data Science And Big Data Analytics Course – To Put Your Career On Track

As stated earlier if you want to become a data scientist then you start with data analyst and then acquire the required skills, qualifications and experience required for becoming a successful data scientist. There are numerous institutes that are teaching skills for both data science and big data analytics.

If going for a data scientist, you need to have Master’s degree and Ph.D. in both Mathematics and Statistics that should be followed by an advanced degree in computer science and engineering. In addition, you need to have in-depth knowledge of at least one of analytical tools like SAS or R for the data scientist. Preferably R because most of the business houses use this tool for analyzing the data. Other tools like Python, Apache Hadoop or Apache Spark, SQL and coding.

Understand this – a data scientist is one who is better at statistics than any software engineer and better at software engineering than any statistician. Once you have understood this fact then you are ready to leap on to the next step that certifications in data science that would be your stairs to success.

Data Science Professional Certification – All You Need To Know

Once you have had successfully completed the big data analyst course along with data science course you need to gain some work experience in the fields to apply for professional certifications in data science and data analyst.

Before applying for any institute to learn about its credentials like is it recognized by the leading certification institutes? You need to be sure that the certification institutes you choose are reputed and recognized by the industry insiders. So do choose wisely.

Here are some of the certifications you can choose from.

1. Hortonworks: Hortonworks is one of the best certification institutes in big data industry and offers certifications both entry and senior levels for the big data professionals. Hortonworks offers six certifications based on your skills including HDPCD, HDPCD-Spark, HDPCD- Java, HDPCA and HCA. So you may take your pick and get ready to crack in the big data industry.
2. Cloudera: Cloudera offers two major Certifications like CCA-Spark and Hadoop Developer that are comprehensive in their course material and help you certify as data analyst.
3. DASCA: DASCA or Data Science Council of America is another reputed certification body offering two major big data science certifications like SDS and PDS which are Senior Data Scientist and Principal Data Scientist. You need to fulfill certain criteria before applying.
4. SAS Certifications: SAS Global Certification Program has various certifications in the Big Data field. Depending on what you want to pursue you may choose from the certifications like SAS Programming, Predictive Modeling, Data Management, Big Data, Advanced Analytics and Data Science.

Sahil Arora