It's raining jobs for big data analytics, Do you have the skills to apply?

A certification assures a potential employer that a candidate has the required skills, says Dr Mahendra Mehta of SP Jain School of Global Management

It’s raining jobs for big data analytics. Don’t believe it? Check out the job listings of companies like McKinsey, Amazon, Flipkart, Accenture, Genpact, Wipro, IBM, Vodafone, Citibank, KPMG, Google and TCS. All of them are looking for quality data analytics to grow their businesses.

According to The McKinsey Global Institute, by 2018, the US alone could face a shortage of between 140,000 to 190,000 people with deep analytical skills, and a shortage of 1.5 million managers and analysts who can leverage data analysis to make effective decisions for their organisations. So if you are thinking of getting into the business, this is the time when you should board the bus.

Big data is playing a crucial role in driving decisions, innovations and production in top multinationals nonprofits and government. It is being used to analyse retail data, formulate election strategies and evaluate social media trends. To enhance your skill sets with respect to big data and to make the prospect candidates employable, there are quite a few courses available out there as well.

In an exclusive conversation with TechGig.com, Dr Mahendra Mehta, programme director, big data and analytics programme, SP Jain School of Global Management, shared the growth opportunities for big data professionals and how certifications can help them improve their skill sets. Excerpts:

What sectors are offering jobs to big data professionals?

Big data professionals are finding employment in online retailers, consumer firms, business consulting firms, BFSI firms, as well as IT services providers and specialised analytics service providers in India.

How are certifications in big data helpful in getting a job?

A certification assures a potential employer that a candidate has the required skills. There is a dearth of formal degree programmes in big data and analytics in India, and anyway, formal degree programmes find it difficult to keep up with the rapid changes in the industry. Certificate programmes have flexibility and agility to constantly evolve and tailor content to what suits the market.

Additionally, if a programme offers placement assistance, on completion, students get a complete set of skills as well as a foothold in the data sciences and analytics profession.

What should one look at while choosing a big data certification?

Firstly, the curriculum. One should check whether it actually address the skills needs of the industry, does it offer a mix of fundamental concepts, technologies and actual hands-on experience or not. Secondly, the faculty. Analytics being a practical discipline, the instructors have to be a mix of academicians and industry practitioners. Industry practitioners bring with them an inside perspective that theoreticians are unable to provide. Thirdly, the mode of delivery. The actual classroom contact hours are crucial. A lot of certificate programmes offer a hybrid mix of online and offline teaching. While online lessons do have their benefits, there is no quicker way to learn than in a classroom with actual face-to-face interaction with the instructors. Fourth and the most important is placement.

Professionals from which streams can become big data analysts?

Anyone with an undergraduate or master’s degree with a substantive quantitative component is good for a career in big data. It includes all engineering and all pure and applied sciences disciplines, as well as other quantitative disciplines like economics. The field is open to experienced professionals who want to transition into a big data role as well as fresh graduates pursuing an entry into a big data. However, from an employment suitability perspective, candidates with a background in a quantitative field, with some programming experience and work experience of 0 to 10 years, are the most desirable for analyst-level positions.

Candidates with experience of more than 10 years would suit specific roles that are commensurate with their experience. They would be best advised to seek horizontal transitions within their own companies in a data and analytics-related vertical.

Besides certification, what else can one do to bag a big data job?

The most important thing is one should keep oneself abreast with industry trends both in skills and technologies by reading regularly. Enter hackathons and kaggle competitions to test and improve your coding skills. Also, networking with other analytics professionals and enthusiasts is important.

What qualities do companies look at while choosing big data professionals?

A sound background in statistics and skills in languages like R, Python, Scala etc, is a must. Also, knowledge of Hadoop, NoSQL, Spark as well as traditional relational databases can help. Besides, ability to work with unstructured data and intellectual curiosity and basic problem-solving skills are essential. The ability to look at a problem from a business perspective can help the professional grow. For some positions in consulting firms, experience in a particular industry domain is desirable.

Source: Diksha Gupta, Techgig.com