So, you’re interested in becoming a data specialist. Maybe it’s time for a career change? Perhaps you’ve discovered you have a talent for data organization. Whatever the reason, there’s no better time to enter the world of data analysis.

Here are the 3 steps between you and a data specialist career:

1. Complete your education in data analysis.
2. Develop your data analysis style through work experience.
3. Continually improve your data skills.

Data specialist careers are full of potential, rich in opportunities for growth and flexibility.

Unlike more rigid career paths, data analysis has a career for virtually everyone, no matter your job goals. Here’s how to get started, in four easy steps.

What is the career path of a data specialist?

Aspiring data specialists should sign up for formal education, develop their data analysis style and pursue continuing education as data analysis trends change and evolve.

As an essential part of any organization, data specialists help businesses:

• Apply data science and data management best practices
• Use data to make sound strategic decisions
• Organize data into usable formats for all employees
• Write algorithm scripts using Python and other programming languages

Not every data specialist follows the same career path, but most follow similar steps.

First comes the education — aspiring data specialists will need education in statistics, problem solving, data visualization and other skills. There are a variety of ways to learn these skills; whether you pursue a traditional degree, an apprenticeship, a bootcamp or a combination of learning methods, education is an important step before your career in data analysis can begin.

After you’ve mastered foundational data analysis skills, you’re ready to apply those strategies in a real-world environment. You’ll develop your professional style as you grow into your role as a full-time data specialist.

Ongoing education is important in all data roles — particularly for specialists who will need to continually use new data collection, data warehouse and data reporting programs. Even after you obtain a meaningful data specialist position, continual learning is important to keep you prepared for new challenges.

Let’s explore the steps between you and the data specialist position you deserve.

1. Sign up for data specialist education

The first step in becoming a data specialist is signing up for the right education. You’ll need to find a data specialist course from a trusted and reputable organization to learn the skills necessary to be successful. Lucky for you, there are plenty of options.

Organizations like Pace offer a top-tier Data Science program, one that connects learners with the skills they’ll need to pursue the data career they want. Students have the ability to learn and earn at the same time, which is why 85% of Pace course graduates find full-time employment within 60 days of completing coursework.

Like many other technical careers, data analysis is a marriage of hard skills and fluid, creative interpretation. You’ll need to master the following skills to find success in a data specialist position:

• Mathematics
• Programming languages, like Python and C++
• Data visualization
• Building, maintaining and optimizing machine learning structures

If you’re interested in learning more about these skills, your first step should be finding a data educator you trust.

2. Develop your specialist style

After completing the first stages of your education in data analysis, you’ll have every opportunity to develop your professional style.

First, it’s time to find a career in data analysis. Optimize your resume, consult your network and apply for open positions. With the right combination of skill and experience, you’ll find an opportunity to put newfound skills in data analysis to work.

It’s time to put your own personal flair on the work you do — in a professional data analysis role. Your specialist style will impact everything, from the hours you work to your word choice to your preferred data presentation methods and programs.

Don’t underestimate the power of your professional style. Many managers and companies hire and retain employees based entirely on their style, so finding one that highlights your work is absolutely essential. Keep a log of feedback you received during your education and practice projects. What did instructors and peers say they liked about your work? What did you enjoy about your assignments? What concepts did you struggle with? Questions like these will help you define your style and make you an effective team member for any employer.

3. Keep working at your data skills

Ongoing education is important for all working professionals, and particularly for data specialists. Specialists will need to adapt to changes in data programs, strategies, terminology and best practices — all of which require some form of ongoing training.

Even if you secured a data position right after completing your course, it’s important to not skip this step. Although the official education portion of your training is important, education in the data analytics field is never over. That’s why the best data science bootcamps help students continually refresh skills and knowledge in tandem with any developments in the data science field. These programs offer accelerated training, without the time requirement or the cost of a traditional college degree.

Help fill a growing demand for data specialists

Fulfilling these three steps can help put your data specialist career aspirations on the fast track — and the timing couldn’t be better. An estimated 10,300 job openings for data specialist positions should become available each year until 2031, a positional growth rate of 23%. 

Talented, motivated data specialists are already shaping the global data landscape. If you’re ready to join the ranks of the world’s data specialists, we’re ready to help. Connect with our Admissions department today to learn more about the ways our Data Science Bootcamp can connect you with the career you deserve.