What to look for when hiring an entry-level data scientist? — from datasciencecentral.com

Excerpt:

What I look for the most is some signal that the junior data scientist:

  1. Has the drive and determination to be a self-directed learner
  2. They understand the fundamentals of “enough” programming,
  3. They understand how to analyze data when the goals and metrics are not explicit or time boxed.

Let’s put aside the need for some level of formal training, that is a non-negotiable baseline. You have to have enough understanding of mathematics and statistics to know when you are getting yourself into trouble, you have to understand data management practice enough to understand how to access data, and you have to understand enough about machine learning to make the appropriate series of tradeoffs in model development and validation. That is table stakes, however what makes one candidate stand out above the others is everything else surrounding these core concepts.

 

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Image from Ronald van Loon