The data science field is maturing into its own. The hype that heralded the discipline’s arrival on the public stage is giving way to a more measured view of how its tools can enhance decision-making. But amid growing expectations and the rapid pace of innovation, those in the field experience frequent challenges to their current skill and their attempts to grow. I believe that mentorship should play a stronger role in data scientists’ professional development to help overcome those challenges.
In a survey we at Anaconda conducted to get an idea of a day in the life of a data scientist, more than half of the roughly 2,000 respondents reported getting “stuck” every week, which we defined as hitting an obstacle that requires them to do more research, consult a colleague or friend, or acquire additional skills to complete the task. Some of these uncertainties trace back to the rapidly evolving nature of the field; with innovations coming out so frequently, it can be hard to keep up with the latest best practices. In their search for answers on how to get “unstuck,” nearly 80 percent of respondents said they resort to external sources like Q&A sites.
There are also other challenges aside from the more technical ones. For instance, working with business leaders can present its own difficulties. Organizations bring data practitioners into business decisions, but there can be a disconnect between delivering insights and how leadership interprets them. In the 2021 State of Data Science survey, only 36 percent of respondents said their organization’s decision-makers are very data literate and understand the stories told by visualizations and models. On the other hand, nearly a quarter of enterprise respondents listed “business knowledge” as lacking from data practitioners at their organization. With these gaps in understanding, it’s unsurprising that data scientists sometimes feel they struggle to impact business decisions.
Potential Advisees and Mentors Need to Be Connected
Amid these types of challenges, it makes sense that data practitioners are looking for advice. Nearly 70 percent of respondents to our “Day in the Life” survey were interested in finding a mentor. These data scientists could be seeking mentorship for various reasons, whether to solve technical challenges, better understand how to interface with business leaders, or navigate their career paths. It’s a common misconception that data scientists are always behind a computer just crunching …….
Source: https://builtin.com/data-science/mentors-needed-career-industry-development