The Ever-Evolving Role of Data Science in an Organization

Industrial Problems Seminar

Katy Micek (Paramount)

Abstract

Over the past decade, there has been an enormous amount of buzz and enthusiasm about data science. Consider, for example, the alluring title of a Harvard Business Review’s article published in October 2012: “Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century.” This article was published shortly after I started working in the data science space, and I’ve had a front-row seat to the field’s evolution since that time. The goal of my talk is to provide a perspective on what a career in data science is like. I’ll start by sharing my experience working in the field across various industries and how technical roles have changed during that time. I will then explain how organizations seek to utilize data science and provide examples of the challenges (technical and organizational) that arise while implementing solutions. Finally, I will offer strategies for finding a job that is a good fit in the broadly defined, rapidly changing field of data science.