The Complete Guide To Becoming A Skillful Data Scientist After 12th Grade

Why Is Data Science The Best Career Option After 12th?

Building a career and earning. Money is the basic rule of society that every student has to follow to live a livelihood and engage in any activity that contributes towards the smooth functioning of society. Especially when a student enters his school life because it is the beginning phase of the career-building process. 

One by one he will clarify all the classes and finally, after 12-15 years, a student qualifies the 12th standard and takes a step on the platform where there are thousands of runways. Each runway brings the student towards a distinct career or profession. The student is required to choose something in which he is interested or capable to perform adequately and is a demanding one. 

There are thousands of career options after the 12th like a doctor, engineer, lawyer, researcher, etc. Before choosing any career a student needs to make sure whether the profession has demand in society or not. High demand will lead to more revenue and prosperity. One of the most demanding careers after 12th is becoming a Data Scientist. Now, Who is a Data Scientist, and How to become a data scientist after 12th? We will cover all such questions in this article. 

Who is a Data Scientist? 

A data scientist is more like a researcher who will analyse the data for actionable insights. A data scientist is hired by different organisations and corporations where he will analyse things that will offer great opportunities and help in positive growth. They will also validate the data to ensure the precision and smooth functioning of the organisation. 

Almost every multinational has a team of data scientists Google has a team of data scientists who will research and study the behaviour of the users or their problems and try to find out the most adequate solution for all their problems. All over a data scientist is a must for an organisation to grow without any hurdles. 

There are a few skills that are required to become a data scientist, this includes you must have prior knowledge of mathematics, data research, and analysis. A creative mind and natural curiosity is another most important factor required to become a professional data scientist. 

In simple language, a data scientist is a person who will implement scientific methods, techniques, and other processes to analyse data and make decisions based on outcomes and parameters obtained after research. A data scientist will allow the organisation to make reasonable decisions based on the research conducted by him. 

What does a data Scientist do?

There are a lot of things a data scientist needs to handle in the organisation. The main task is to figure out the questions and their reasonable answers only by using the data obtained. Some of the daily tasks that are performed by a data scientist are mentioned below, let’s have a look: 

• Discuss the growth recommendations with the senior staff and help them as well. 
• Uncover the insights using data patterns and major similarities in the sets of data. 
• Look for innovative plans and their reliable execution. 
• Integrate the machinery to improve the quality of products offered by the organisation. 
• Develop the possible outcomes using data models and algorithms. 
• Not only ordinary data research but also they need to prepare tools using Python, R, SAS, or SQL to briefly analyse the data. 

Hope so, that it is clear to you what are the major functions and operations needed to be accomplished as a data scientist. Now, there is a similar profession: Data analysis. Many students face difficulty in determining who is a Data Scientist and who is a Data analyst. To make it easy for you to understand them we have prepared the major differences between the Data Scientist and Data Analyst. 

What Is The Difference Between A Data Scientist And Data Analyst?

Both the data scientist and data analyst have similar operations to find out the trends in the data that will allow the organisation to take decisions to support positive growth. But when it comes to responsibility, a data scientist is more responsible and senior than a data analyst. A team of data analysts works under the data scientist. 

In simple language, the major work of data analysts is to analyze the data and submit the report to the data scientist. Now the major research and further analysis are performed by the data scientist. Data scientists need to form their questions while researching whereas data analysis has a predetermined mindset while working. 

Salary of data scientist 

The demand for Data scientists is very high in the industry. Almost every big organisation and multinationals require a team of data scientists and data researchers to make decisions. There are various factors that will determine the salary of a data scientist. This includes the demand and availability of data scientists in the market, qualifications, skills, experience, and many more. 

On average the beginning package of a data scientist starts from 5-50 LPA. This can be less or more depending upon the organisation. Some organisations offer more to their team of data scientists while others offer even less. Now, lets us move towards our main question, i.e. How to become a data scientist after 12th? 

How To Become A Data Scientist After 12th? 

After 12th some students want to start their professional career as a data scientist and are unaware of, “how to become a data scientist after 12th. Usually, a data scientist is required to go through a procedure of formal training. Below mentioned are some of the steps to consider: 

Data Science degree 

Primarily after completing your 12th class, you need to qualify for a degree in data science because most organisations or employers are looking for someone who has academic credentials. A degree in data science is proof that you are well aware of the ways to tackle the job of a data scientist. Also, a degree will help you to build your profile more strongly which will increase your chances of selection as a data scientist. 

For the students who already have a bachelor’s degree and are looking for how to become a data scientist after 12th then you can try for a master’s degree in data science. The master’s degree will help you tk better understand statistics, analysis, machine learning, algorithms, modelling, and forecasting as well. You can also conduct your own research on a required topic. 

Also Read This : 12 Best Job Oriented Courses After 12th

Sharpen relevant skills 

As we have discussed before, there is some daily work you need to perform as a data scientist, these works require skills. There are some skills that need to be mastered by a data scientist. Some of these skills are mentioned below: 

• Communication: After becoming a data scientist you have a team of other data scientists or analysts who will work together. There are several meetings and discussions conducted almost every week. More importantly after finding a relevant trend you need to recommend it to the senior authorities that will help them in decision-making. If you are looking for the answer to how to become a data scientist after 12th, then you are primarily recommended to improve your communication skills. 

• Machine learning: Integrating machine learning and working as a data scientist is a major skill you must have. If you try to perform the complex calculation on your own, it will take hours. Whereas the machines will do the same within a fraction of a second. You are also required to improve the quality of data collected and find out the possible outcomes. 

• Programming languages: All the tasks and analysis of data are done using computers and specialised software. Also, sometimes they need to develop their own unique tools based on their needs and requirements. These tools require complex programming skills. Here are some of the major programming languages: 

• Python
• R
• SQL
• SAS 

• Big data: Sometimes a situation occurs while analysing data, the data gets too big and can not be handled manually or in ordinary software. In such situations, some software is used like Hadoop and Apache Spark. You must be familiar with the grappling of data using the above-mentioned software.
• Data visualisation: Visual representation of data is one of the most important aspects you must consider as a data scientist. As the data needed to be represented in a visual form like graphs and charts. To do so, you have had prior skills in some tools, these are:
  • Tableau
  • PowerBI
  • Excel

All these skills can be learned and mastered with various online and offline courses going on. These are certificate courses that will improve your profile and strengthen your CV. Make sure to adopt all these skills to improve your chances of you getting selected. 

Work as data analytics first 

No organisation or corporate will hire you as a data scientist if you have no working experience. You need to climb the stairs step by step. And the step at the very beginning is the data analyst job. It is the best possible first step where you will work heavily with data and get crucial experience. There are a few more jobs and designations that you may consider before becoming a data scientist. These include data analysis, business intelligence analyst, statistician, or data engineering.

Prepare for the interviews 

An interview is a next step to the stairs of becoming a data scientist. After getting an experience of 4-5 years, you can now apply for data science. But here, you need to go through an interview that consists of all the questions or practical skills required in data science. It is obvious that data scientist jobs include technical and mathematical aspects, so be ready for the questions accordingly. 

You can also practise for the interview by sitting in front of the mirror and speaking loud. This will not only boost your confidence level but also develop your communication skills, which is an important aspect of being a data scientist. Some of the questions you might encounter while the interview is mentioned below: 

• Your prior experience with machine learning. 
• Pros and cons of any of the data analytic factors. 
• What is a random forest, linear model, and many more.?
• They will also give you a situation and you are required to find out the best possible solution. 

Getting started 

Hopefully, after going through all the above-mentioned steps and procedures you are now ready for the data scientist. Some organisations may send you their basic training program of 6 months or more before joining. All the above-mentioned steps will assist you with the question, how to become a data scientist after 12th. 

Top Data Science Courses After 12th 

After completing your 12th you need to get a degree in the field of data science. Some of the most popular data science courses are mentioned below: 

• BCA Data Science: 4 years 
• BSc Data Science: 3 years 
• B.Tech Big data analytics: 4 years 
• MSc Data Science: 2 years 
• Diploma in data science: 8 months 
• BS Degree in Data Science & Applications: It is an online course of 3-6 years. 
• Certificate program in machine learning and data science: 6 months 
• Advanced Certification in Data Science and Decision Science: 12 months 
• Advanced Programme in Data Science: 12 months
• Executive Post Graduate Programme in Data Science: 12 months 
• Advanced Certificate Programme in Data Science: 8 – 8.5 months 

All the above-mentioned courses will make you well aware of data science and you can now join the career as a data analyst, scientist, researcher, engineer, statistician, etc. The tenure of each of the courses is mentioned alongside. 

Eligibility For Data Science Courses After 12th 

Everything has eligibility criteria that one needs to fulfil to get enrolled. The same with the data science courses. If you want to get enrolled in these courses make sure to meet the eligibility criteria before applying. This will save you time and effort. Here are the eligibility criteria for each of the courses in Data Science. 

Ph.D. in Data Science 

Ph.D. will be the most technical and qualification course in the field of data science. Here are the eligibility criteria: 

• Applicants with higher GDP and scores in post-graduation are preferred for the Ph.D 
• The minimum requirement for the marks in the post-graduation program is 55%. 

Science Certifications 

The certificate courses in data science include minor qualifications like expertise in a specific aspect of data science. Here are the eligibility requirements. 

• The applicant should be passed high school from any of the recognized board 
• He/she must have a basic understanding of subjects like Mathematics, statics, and Computer science. 
• More importantly, a few top colleges and Universities may ask the applicant for a minimum of 50% marks obtained in the equivalent class of the high school. 

BSc/BTech/BCA Data Science 

After the 12th most candidates apply for the BSc, Btech, and BCA courses in the field of data science, here are the eligibility requirements to take enrol in these courses: 

• PCM (Physica, Chemistry, and Maths) are compulsory for the candidates. 
• He/she must have passed high school from a recognized board with the above-mentioned subjects. 
• Computer science in high school is also a crucial requirement. 

Diploma in Data Science 

A diploma is higher than a certificate course and of lower value than a degree. Here are the eligibility for enrolling in a diploma course: 

• The applicant must have a BE/BTech/MCA/MSc degree. 
• The minimum qualification of marks is 55% in programming, statistics, and Computer Science. These must be the core subjects 

MSc/MTech/MCA Data Science 

For a master’s degree in data science, the applicant must have to meet the following eligibility criteria: 

• The candidate must have a graduation degree in BCA/BSc Statistics/BSc Mathematics/BSc Computer Science/BSc IT/BE or BTech. 
• He/she must have qualified for post-graduation with 55% marks from an authorised university. 
• Usually, those who know maths and statistics are preferred. 

Admission To Data Science Courses After 12th 

Hope you understand the different courses in the field of data science, now what are the admission procedures for these courses? Below mentioned is the process of each of the courses: 

The admission to the Ph.D. is done through a  special process in which the candidates have to go through a common entrance test named CSIR UGC NET. There is an interview round where the candidate has to present the thesis and research proposal to the faculty. 

To take admission in the Diploma and PG Diploma a candidate has to score qualifying or merit marks in the previous examination. Then after the general interview, admissions are given to the students. 

When it comes to the Certificate courses, the admission process is simple and direct. You can simply take admission through websites and platforms. Choose the course of data science in which you want to get enrolled and get the certificate a few months after the completion of the course. 

Under graduation (UG) and (PG) data science courses a candidate has to clear the entrance examinations like CAT for MBA data science course, and JEE Main and GATE for engineering domain. 

Entrance Examinations For Data Science Courses 

As it is clear in your minds that the admission process has some qualification standards for a candidate. There are some entrance examinations to be conducted for admission, some of these entrance examinations in data science are mentioned below: 

• BTech: JEE Mains (phase 2) 
• ME: BITS HD 
• MTech: GATE 
• BCA, MCA, and BTech: JAIN entrance examination 

Also, it is depending upon the universities and colleges to select the admission procedure. They can adopt any kind of qualifications and eligibility criteria. The above-mentioned is most probably followed in all colleges and universities. 

Road Map To Become A Data Scientist For Self Learners

As India is Progressing towards becoming a Global Leader in Tech Space with it’s Service Sectors contributing over 50% in India’s GDP, With World heading towards Artificial Intelligence Revolution, One of the best field to start your career is Data Science. As the chairman of India’s biggest company’s says ” Data is the new OIL ” and to Process this Pentabytes of data and to create a business use case every company needs Good “Data Scientist”. So this part of the article discusses in brief about the Road Map to Become a Data Scientist:

Resources to help you become a Data Scientist

1. Supervised Machine Learning: Regression and Classification– A Free Course By Stanford
2. Introduction to Statistic– By Stanford, Statistic is one of the most Important
3. Kaggle: This is a place where you will find unlimited Datasets. It is referred to as the Holy Grail of Data Science. 

Here’s a Medium Post Discussing in details about more Data Science resource.

Conclusion 

Having a well-established career as a data scientist is the best thing. In some countries like the USA and Canada, the salary of a senior data scientist is more than a million dollars per annum. In India, you can also get such packages but need to be skilled and qualified from renowned universities. The qualifications, eligibility, and other requirements are mentioned below along with courses and admission procedure. This article will assist you on how to become a data scientist after 12th.

Frequently Asked Questions