Having the title of Data Scientist can come with a lot of assumptions and expectations. Different companies have their definitions for what it means to be a data scientist there. And each company comes with its expectations and assumptions about what they want you to do for them. With that, I picked out three of the most tiring assumptions and expectations I often face while working or interviewing as a data scientist.

We can do EVERYTHING.

Often, data scientists are expected to look at the data and make an analysis work for the person requesting it. Some companies will hire and assume that the…

It can be hard to find time to keep skills relevant, especially those skills we are not actively using at work. As people, we have other obligations and commitments outside of work that demand our attention. I got a comment recently on another post I wrote from Carrie stating, “Agree, I feel the envy and often ask how and when they make time to keep their skills “fresh” and relevant within their industry.” She referred to the line I wrote about envying individuals who are much later in their careers, wanting to understand how they got there. …

Some days are too quiet for their own good, so instead, I went to find something to listen to while I worked. On Twitter, a Space was being held on “Handling Stress on Social Media,” with lead speakers being Santiago, Danny Thompson, Samantha Postman, and Francesco Ciulla. The talk didn’t just focus on social media, though, and at times got into some exciting STEM discussions. I put that on in the background as I worked, occasionally taking notes on something I found insightful. With that, I wanted to share with you some of the insights I gleaned from this talk.

Continual Learning

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Context, context, context. Context is everything when working in data science. The biggest mistake I see data scientists making is not understanding their work’s context and business objectives. Instead, they focus heavily on knowing the AI/ML techniques. Complex algorithms are great when they are used in the right place. Understanding when and where that place should be is hard.

Start with understanding your business objectives. Starting with my objectives is something I have been focusing on more closely the past two months. As I am working on a problem, I don’t want to jump right into developing solutions. Instead, I…

At the start of my last job, I began taking notes on almost everything. If I had a random thought pop into my head, I wrote it down. If I attended a meeting, I would take the meeting minutes along with action items. Or if I had a review coming up, I would document my work week by week and then summarize it ahead of the meeting. At the end of two years, I had a sizeable digital notebook of words — a variety of information that was a mix of complete sentences that made perfect sense or a few…

Office Hours

I spent almost two years at the same job until April, when I “walked” into my remote office and quit my job. The expression on my manager’s face was shock. His eyes bulged a bit, and he didn’t know what to say. The words I do clearly were, “I thought we had more time.” And to be honest, so did I. For almost a year, I was planning my career out with him, determining my next move, and learning how to impact the business. So what happened?

The Interviews

Mid-April, I met my soon-to-be manager for the first time. We had an…

Life is full of disappointments, but all we ever see online is people celebrating their new jobs, wins, and the positives. Honestly, I do it myself as well. When I post on LinkedIn, I am sharing the positive experiences I have had with my team. I post the wins we have had, my leadership experiences through the year, and the events I attend. Rarely, if ever, do I share the disappointments and hardships. Recently, I have seen others begin to share their struggles with the job hunt, and it inspired me to share mine on my search to become a…

When I was in college, I participated in Toastmasters. I spent two years working on my presentation skills, learning how to speak in front of people, and getting feedback on my work. At the time, I did not anticipate the impact it would have on my current position. Learning to communicate effectively is a valid and critical skill in data science and engineering. Recently, I signed up again to Toastmasters. I wanted to share why I decided to sign up and how public speaking can benefit your career.

If you don’t already know, Toastmasters is a public speaking club. This…