Best way to get a data job as a beginner or graduate
You’ve decided that a career switch to data science is right for you. You know you need to get certified, become skilled in data analytics, and can see your future career and salary in the distance, but how do you actually get a big data job as a beginner or graduate?
1. How do I know if I am a big data beginner?
| I have a background in: IT, Accounting, Finance, Engineering, Consulting, Business, Science | yes / no |
| I have no prior knowledge of data science, maths, or statistics | yes / no |
| I am seeking to become educated in data science & analytics | yes / no |
| I am currently gaining my certification in data science & analytics | yes / no |
| I am eager to gain experience and start using my data science skills | yes / no |
| I have gained my certification in data science/I’m applying for big data jobs | yes / no |
If you answered YES to any of the above, then you are a big data beginner.
2. Best way to get a job in big data without a degree and/or without experience
The best way to get an entry level data scientist job is through education and certification.
However, if you are without a degree or data science industry experience right now, you still have options to learn, gain experience and demonstrate your worth to a future employer:
- You can teach yourself to code (Python, R, SQL) using free online resources and build simple projects to include in your portfolio. This will demonstrate your skill level and willingness to learn to a potential employer.
- You can apply for big data internships to gain hands on work experience in the data science and AI industry. This will showcase your initiative to learn on the job and ability to work in a data-driven environment to future employers.
- You can attend networking events to meet fellow data science freshers and established data science professionals. This will give you the opportunity to build your contacts, increase your future job prospects, and give you insight on what is expected of data science professionals on an industry level.
- You can research and identify businesses that are in need of a data-driven solution – you could design a proposal on how you could solve their problem and request a meeting to present your ideas. This will not only demonstrate your value-adding potential to an employer, but this will demonstrate your desire to work for a particular business and solve their particular data related issues. By doing this, you will stand out from the crowd.
3. Best way to get a data science job with an overseas qualification and without experience
Due to a data science and AI skills shortage in the Asia-Pacific region, there is a high-demand for professionals, local or international, with skills that relate to a career in big data.
This means, if you’ve earned a qualification from an overseas educational institution in any of the following:
- IT / Database Management
- AI / Machine Learning
- Mathematics / Statistics
- Finance
- Accounting
- Business Analytics / Business Intelligence / Information Systems
- Software Engineering
- Mechanical Engineering
- Data Science & Analytics
- Data Mining
- Computer Science
You are already half way to a career in big data!
In regards to industry experience, if you do not have local experience but you do have international experience, you can add any previous projects to your professional portfolio, which you can then link to in your cover letter when you apply for big data jobs in Australia.
If you have no industry experience at all but want to learn big data and get a job, you can either upskill your qualifications, and complete a data science course that provides you with an updated skillset. Alternatively, you can apply for big data internships, build your skills though independent learning, research businesses and propose solutions to their data related pain points, attend industry networking events. You could even seek out opportunities to use your data science skills in non-data related jobs to build your resume.
Taking the initiative to apply for big data jobs with an overseas qualification and a demonstrated skill set, without experience, will provide you with the opportunity to get the job, practice your interview skills and test the market using your resume. Do not take it personally if you are rejected, rather consider it an experiment, and then think strategically about your next move to land a big data position.
4. Fastest way and top requirements for freshers to get an entry level data science job in Australia and Singapore
If you are serious about launching your big data career, you should start researching the requirements for entry level positions and see if your skills match up, and identify which areas you need to level up your skills to get a big data job.
The requirements for freshers and for beginners in Australia and Singapore to get a big data job are quite similar.
To get a beginner data analyst job in Australia and Singapore you need:
- A background in a related field – analytics, IT, maths, engineering, business
- The ability to code or willingness to learn
- Portfolio with self-initiated projects
- Attend local networking events to meet fellow data science professionals
- Apply to internships at smaller companies to build your experience
- Reach out to big data recruitment and education companies online and seek advice/apply for local job opportunities
The fastest way to get a beginner data analyst job in Australia and Singapore is:
1. A background in a related field – analytics, IT, maths, engineering, business
2. The ability to code or willingness to learn
3. Education and certification in data science
4. Portfolio with self-initiated projects
5. Attend local networking events to meet potential employers
6. Apply and interview for contract and employment positions at companies
7. Accept your first role to start gaining experience
5. Position descriptions and salaries for an entry level data science job in Australia
Here is a position description of an entry level big data job in Australia, using the keywords you will find listed in entry level job descriptions on big data job boards, such as IOD Jobs, Indeed and Glassdoor.
- Find relevant data insights by analysing, managing, filtering and preparing large data sets sets for presentation
- Analyse historical business data using predictive data analytics to find patterns and data trends
- Apply automation and machine learning technologies to process data for observation
- Research, test and extract insights from structured and unstructured data sets
- Communicate research results clearly and accurately to stakeholders
- Present administrative, qualitative, quantitative and experimental data using digital visualisation and modelling techniques
- Solve business challenges with data-driven solutions by understanding client needs data insights
- Improve business operations / functionality by constantly learning and evolving the analytics road map to make strategic business decisions
For beginners in 2018, the entry level salary packages on offer in Australia range from AUD$60k – AUD$90k.
6. Asia Pacific opportunities for beginners to apply for big data entry level jobs
According to the Asia Pacific Economic Corporation, the demand for data science and analytics professionals will continue to increase world-wide, as more and more career opportunities across health, finance, research, IT, manufacturing, marketing and retail, are being advertised every year.
APEC also reported, that in Singapore, the Ministry of Health has named Healthcare, IT, and Data Analytics as a key pillar of training within the healthcare industry. This goes to show, that the career options available to data science and analytics professionals across Asia Pacific are endless, exciting, and constantly evolving.
Beginners looking to apply for big data entry level jobs in Asia Pacific, can find new job opportunities here:
The best way to get a big data job as a beginner and/or graduate is to just get started. Start researching, start learning, start testing out your data science skills, and start applying for internships and big data entry level jobs.
Find out more about how you can get a big data job as a beginner by upskilling your qualifications with the Institute of Data. Part-time and Full-time programs are available now.