Career

Data scientists are a new breed of analytical data experts who have the technical skills to solve complex problems and the curiosity to explore what problems need to be solved. They are part mathematician, part computer scientist and part trend-spotter. And, because they straddle both the business and IT worlds, there highly sought-after and well-paid. Who wouldn't want to be one? There also a sign of the times. Data scientists were't on many radars a decade ago, but their sudden popularity reflects how businesses now think aboutbig data. That unwieldy mass of unstructured information can no longer be ignored and forgotten. It's a virtual gold mine that helps boost revenue as long as there's someone who digs in and unearths business insights that no one thought to look for before. Enter the data scientist. Where did they come from? Many data scientists began their careers as statisticians or data analysts. But as big data (and big data storage and processing technologies such as Hadoop) began to grow and evolve, those roles evolved as well. Data is no longer just an afterthought for IT to handle. Its key information that requires analysis, creative curiosity and a knack for translating high-tech ideas into new ways to turn a profit. The data scientist role also has academic origins. A few years ago, universities began to recognize that employers wanted people who were programmers and team players. Professors tweaked their classes to accommodate this and some programs, such as the Institute for Advanced Analytics at North Carolina State University, prepared to churn out the next generation of data scientists. There are now more than 60 similar programs in universities around the country.