Unravel the quintessential traits that set successful data scientists apart. Discover how a blend of technical prowess, curiosity, business acumen, communication skills, and a knack for problem-solving can propel one's career in the data science realm.
5 characteristics of a successful data scientist
Data scientist: Concerned primarily with the data, the insights which can be extracted from it, and the stories that it can tell
- Predictive analytics is a defining feature of the data scientist profession, but other data professionals might not do any of this
- There are also soft skills that data scientists employ
- Characteristics that separate data scientists
- Technical skills
- Language
- Systems
- Tools
Systems Thinking
Everything is connected in some way, well beyond the obvious, which leads to layer upon layer of real world complexity.
- It is the data scientist’s job to know as much about their relevant systems as possible, and leverage their curiosity and analytical mindset to account for as much of these systems’ operations and interactions as feasible.
Creativity
Data scientists must inherently be creative.
- With a unique set of skills and a particular type of mindset, you can approach problems from outside of the box in which domain experts reside. You can be the fresh set of eyes that looks at a problem in a new light.
Predictive Analytics Mindset
The predictive analytics mindset is one of the major defining features of the data scientist, perhaps more so than any other.
- But it’s not just the application of predictive analytics in particular situations; it’s a mindset.
- Always thinking about how we might be able to leverage what we already know to find out what we don’t yet know.
Storytelling Sensibilities
A data scientist must be able to narrate someone from point A to point B, even if that someone has little idea of what, exactly, either of those points are.
- Tell a realistic narrative from some data and your analytical process: how we got from this to this.
Curiosity
Curiosity is the flipside of the predictive analytics mindset: while predictive analytics looks to solve for X with Y, curiosity will be determining what Y is in the first place.
- A natural curiosity is required to be a useful data scientist. If you are the type of person to wake up in the morning and go through your day without giving much thought to the wonders of the universe, data science is not for you.
