by Angela Guess
Bernard Marr recently wrote in Forbes, “It’s official – data scientist is the best job in America, according to users of online employment analysts Glassdoor. Glassdoor’s service allows employees to anonymously rate their jobs and their employers, awarding scores for how well they are paid, treated, and helped to advance in their careers. Data Scientist came out with the overall best score in the 2016 report, and this is great for several reasons. The big data and analytics revolution is only just getting started, and companies are crying out for talent that can help them unlock the insights hidden in their data. Recognition of the benefits will encourage more people to consider a career in a field where new blood is desperately needed.”
Marr goes on, “To many, it might seem surprising to pick data scientist as the ‘best job’. Sure, it is well paid and you get to tell people that your job is predicting the future – but is it really better than being an astronaut, professional athlete, or lead singer in a rock band? Well, as none of those jobs appear anywhere in Glassdoor’s ratings, I think we can assume that there wasn’t enough data on those professions to make a worthwhile evaluation. But while the job of data scientist may on the face of it seem to be lacking in glamor compared to some, the idea that you will be confined to an office crunching numbers for your entire career is outdated. The day to day life of a data scientist can be remarkably varied as several people well established in the field were keen to tell me when I spoke to them about the Glassdoor ranking.”
photo credit: Flickr/ EvelynGiggles