Undoubtedly, Data Science is one of the most demanding and rewarding career domains in the tech world. Various IT giants are paying really well to the Data Science Professionals in comparison to other profiles. However, when an individual opts to make a career in Data Science, he comes up with various questions in his mind such as What tools are required?, What are the job opportunities? and many more. And to resolve all these queries regarding the Sexiest Job of the 21st Century, we’ve one of the renowned personalities in the Data Science domain – Mr. Bhavesh Bhatt with us to help you out with all your doubts and share some crucial insights of the Data Science field as well!!
Bhavesh started his career in the IT world as an EDG Engineer and is currently working as a Data Science Professional. He had the honor of becoming a Google Developer Expert (GDE) in Machine Learning & was also being recognized as a 40 Under 40 Data Scientist. Also, he is managing his YouTube channel where he teaches Data Science & Machine Learning concepts to the students. He has done his Bachelor of Engineering (BE) from the University of Mumbai and then completed his Master of Engineering (ME) from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.
Now, let’s start the discussion with the expert:
Question-1: Having worked as an SDE, how did data science strike as the perfect career choice for you?
Answer: I completed my Master’s degree from BITS Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus in Embedded Systems & I started my career in the Engineering Development Group at MathWorks. I remember being asked about Eigen values & Eigen vectors during the MathWorks interview & I went a step forward and explained the physical interpretation of the concept. Mathematics has always fascinated me and it was this fascination that motivated me to pivot my career towards Data Science & Machine Learning.
Question-2: You got featured in the 40 Under 40 Data Scientists list! How did you feel about that?
Answer: I have not yet reached the 30-year mark but it was truly an honor to be recognized as India’s Top 40 Under 40 Data Scientists for 2020 at Machine Learning Developers Summit 2020 in Bengaluru. Words will only fall short to describe the feeling but I will cherish it forever. The feeling of being recognized for the effort one puts in day in and day out is always special!
Question-3: Which tools and/or languages do you deem necessary to master the art of Data Science? Also, what role does Mathematics play in order to be adept at Data Science?
Answer: Python Vs R has been the eternal question for all Data Scientists. The important part of the Data Science role is to deliver real business value through data using any tool. Pick any language that you like and hustle with it. Mathematics and statistics are the key pillars of data science. Once you understand the algorithms mathematically, you can choose one over the other basis the data you have. Generating a hypothesis, validating the solutions using small tests all of these require a sound knowledge of mathematics. Also, imagine a situation where you are expected to implement an algorithm from scratch, it is here that knowing the mathematics behind algorithms will help.
Question-4: We’ve seen Data Science now being regarded as one of the most lucrative career options out there. What tips would you like to give to our budding data scientists?
Answer: Focus on the basics:
- Before you start building the fancy machine learning/deep learning models. It’s a good idea to have clarity on the building blocks like Central Limit Theorem, Linear Regression assumptions, P-Value, Confidence intervals, T-tests, Linear Algebra, Probability.
- Understand the mathematics behind popular machine learning algorithms like Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, SVM, Random Forest, etc.
Don’t fall prey to the famous Imposter Syndrome of Data Science:
- Data Science & Machine Learning are ever-evolving fields. No one knows everything. Everyone is constantly learning. Focus on concepts and start participating in hackathons & competitions to learn more about different applications of machine learning.
Question-5: Owing to the pandemic, the students have been facing difficult times with respect to their placements and revokement of job offers. Is there any piece of advice you’d like to offer to our neveropen in order to cope with the stress?
Answer: The organizations which made an offer had very little idea of such unprecedented times. That is the reason why a lot of companies have revoked their job offers. All the Geeks reading this should remember that there is Light at the end of the tunnel. This pandemic too will pass but not what you learn during the pandemic so make the most of this time and learn as much as you can and I’m pretty sure all of you will find your dream job soon.
So, this is all from the Expert, Bhavesh Bhatt himself. Thank You for Reading!!
