Can a Non-IT Person go for Data Science?

Data Science has become one of the most talked about fields in the 21st century. According to Harvard Business Review, being a Data Scientist is the “sexiest job of the 21st century”. With the ever-increasing demand for Data Scientists and the immense popularity of the field of Data Science, the question emerges; Can a Non-Technical person go for Data Science? And if the answer is yes, how can one get into Data Science from a non-technical background?

Coming straight to the answer. People from all backgrounds can opt for the field of Data Science. Hence, a Non-IT person can go for Data Science following some simple steps that are discussed in the article below. 

How to go for Data Science from a Non-Tech Background?

The broad field of Data Science offers several lucrative career options. However, despite the increasing demand for Data Science professionals, there is a huge gap between the demand and supply for the same. Therefore, people have a chance to switch from non-technical backgrounds to technical ones and opt for various Data Science Jobs as per their interest and passion.

Going for the field of Data Science from a Non-IT professional will require a few steps that a candidate must undergo. Five crucial steps for a Non-IT person to go for the field of Data Science are mentioned below.

• Step 1: Learn relevant skills
• Step 2: Explore the broad field of Data Science
• Step 3: Find the correct course and/or mentor
• Step 4: Build a Portfolio
• Step 5: Look for Jobs

Learn Relevant and Technical Skills

Begin from the scratch and start by learning the fundamentals and some relevant skills. As someone from the non-technical side, a candidate must start by learning Excel from scratch. Along with that candidates must learn skills such as Python, R, SQL, Statistics, etc as they are some of the important tools that are used in Data Science. Candidates can also learn introductory-level Machine Learning to get an edge in their Data Science journey. 

Explore the Field of Data Science

Data Science is a broad field that combines several fields such as Linear Regression, Big Data, Statistics, Artificial Intelligence, Data Mining, etc. Candidates can explore and find their dream job and focus on their interests and choose one field.

Find the Correct Courses and Mentors

Candidates can pursue several Data Science Certification Courses that will help them learn and deploy their technical skills. Candidates can either enrol for Online Data Science courses or offline ones from top universities such as IITs, IIITs, and more. Short-term Data Science courses will help non-technical background candidates learn the fundamentals of Data Science in a fast and easy way. Finding the correct courses and mentor will ease your way to start your journey as a Data Science professional despite being from a non-technical background such as Commerce or Arts.

Build a Portfolio

After acquiring the necessary skills and to get jobs in the field of Data Science, candidates must have a portfolio, along with their resumes. A portfolio is used to showcase the deployment of your practical knowledge and skills. To build a portfolio, candidates must enrol in various capstone projects that serve as a testimony of their skills and knowledge. Build a portfolio that contains your projects and thesis along with their objectives, key findings, and tools used. 

Look for a Data Science Job

After learning technical skills such as computer languages, their applications, Data Structures, and more, candidates can now look for stable job opportunities according to their interests and passion. Some of the various job profiles in the field of Data Science include data scientist, Statistician, Machine Learning Engineer, Mathematician, etc. The average annual pay for Data Science professionals ranges between INR 3 - 24 LPA depending upon various factors such as experience, expertise, location, company, and more.

The steps that are given above, along with consistent learning and practice can help Non-IT people kick start their journey and go for the field of Data Science.