Tips to Secure Your First Data Science Internship with Your Dream Company

Data Science has been considered one of the most lucrative areas in the technology industry in recent years. Harvard Business Review had gone one step ahead in 2012 and called ‘data scientist’ as one of “the sexiest jobs in the 21st century.” Looking ahead at the future of data science, one can applaud the foresight of that tagline. The first step towards becoming a data scientist is to pursue a data science internship with a reputed firm, where you can work on real-life projects and sharpen your skills further.

Here is how you can secure your first data science internship –

Make a Firm Career Decision Before Seeking A Data Science Internship

Data science is no play, and you must be very persistent to be successful in this field. Bear in mind that you can’t solve all the data-related issues with just a magic wand. Data science is a deep and vast domain and requires extensive knowledge and a specific skill set to excel. Understand different job roles in the field. A data analyst is different from a data architect, while a data scientist’s role is different from that of a data engineer.

To know more about the job profile of a Data Scientist, read – What is Data Scientist?

Get Your Hands Dirty – Build New Projects & Portfolio

Before you seek a data science internship, you should start developing your own data science projects that involve all the new data science tools you know. You should have around five projects that are relevant to the job role of a data scientist, such as data cleaning projects that include data preparation, data munging, data storytelling, and visualization project, group projects, etc. Start displaying the value your projects added to your workplace. 

Showcase your projects and their impact on a personal blog, GitHub, a video on YouTube, Twitter, or any other digital medium that helps you to make your skills go viral. Show your seniors and acquaintances what you have learned and strikingly communicate your results through graphs and data visualizations.

You May Like – Interesting Data Science Project Ideas for Aspiring Data Scientists

Create Your Personal Online Branding 

Update your LinkedIn profile, share your projects, and engage with similar profiles to maintain an excellent online presence or upload tutorials to YouTube. Consider using the right blend of keywords, such as your skills, expertise, projects you have worked on, on your professional profiles as this will help to hire managers to spot you easily. You can also write blogs sharing your experiences and give your opinion on current issues in the field of data science (for example, new technologies, new algorithms, etc.).

 Become a Data Scientist >>

Master the Skills

You need to acquire the right knowledge of data analytics tools, technologies, and programming languages to practice data science skillfully. A 2018 Kaggle study reveals that Python, SQL, and R are the most popular programming languages that a skilled data scientist must learn. Apart from these, you must have an impeccable command over –

• SQL and NoSQL databases
• Relational algebra
• Parallel databases
• Parallel query processing
• Scala
• Java
• SQL (Structured Query Language)
• Data Visualization
• Machine learning
• Statistical modeling
• Experimental design
• Bayesian inference
• Decision trees
• Data optimization
• Storytelling
• High-quality visual representation
• R packages domain like ggplot2
• Ability to modulate the data into actionable decisions
• Graphical display tools

Update Your Knowledge, Pick Up A Relevant Data Science Course

Never stop learning. Even if you grab your data science internship, never stop upskilling yourself. Read blogs and academic articles to improve your technical skills and your innovative capacity. Don’t forget to always keep a balance in your professional skills. Here are some skill-based courses that can help you in sharpening your existing skills.

Check Out Our Data Science Courses

 Basic Data Science 

• The Data Scientist’s Toolbox by Johns Hopkins University on Coursera
• Data Science: Linear Regression by Harvard University on edX
• Linear Regression and Modeling by Duke University on Coursera
• Data Science Professional Certificate by IBM on Coursera

Python

• Programming for Data Science with Python by Udacity
• Python Data Structures by the University of Michigan on Coursera
• Applied Data Science with Python Specialization by University of Michigan
• Programming for Everybody (Getting Started with Python) by the University of Michigan on Coursera
• Statistics with Python Specialization by the University of Michigan on Coursera

Machine Learning

• Machine Learning by Stanford University on Coursera
• Machine Learning for Data Science and Analytics by Columbia University on edx
• Mastering Data Science and Machine Learning Fundamentals by Udemy
• Machine Learning Specialization by The University of Washington on Coursera

Must Read – What is Machine Learning?

Artificial Intelligence

• AI For Everyone by IBM on Coursera
• Welcome to Artificial Intelligence by Udemy
• Expand Your Knowledge of Artificial Intelligence by Udacity
• Intro to Artificial Intelligence by Georgia Tech Masters on Udacity

Must Read – What is Artificial Intelligence?

How Will A Data Science Certification Help You Grab a Data Science Internship?

A majority of data scientists are from science, math, or statistics backgrounds, having a master’s degree or a Ph.D. However, to think that a master’s degree or a Ph.D. is mandatory is a misconception. One can become a data scientist without having a master’s degree or a Ph.D.

Professional training always helps and you can enjoy many benefits from it. It is great to have the above-mentioned skills. If you are someone who has no experience or just started your career in data science, a certification can surely help you. It will help you to get better job prospects and improve your salary.

Some additional tips before you land on to your data science internship

• Build your connections with the experts, mentors, and industry leaders of the field, reach out to them with a well-crafted request
• List down the types of jobs you want to or don’t want to do. This will save you time.
• Try to work with start-ups. They are very aggressive in meeting their goals and you may learn more in such an atmosphere

Conclusion

Internships provide you with the opportunity to get acquainted with the industry or company you are willing to work in. A data science internship gives you a chance to learn the methodologies used in the data science industry and the latest trends while building on your skills. Top data science companies keep on posting their job opportunities from time to time, just follow the latest industry updates and keep yourself prepared to grab the data science job you aspire for.

If you have recently completed a professional course/certification, click here to submit a review.