What Does a Data Scientist Do? 12 Cool Tasks Explained
Explore the exciting tasks that data scientists do every day!
When I first started my journey into data science, I had this vision of endless charts, complex algorithms, and finding hidden insights buried in rows of data. And while that’s partly true, the reality of being a data scientist is even cooler — and more challenging — than I initially thought!
So, if you’re curious about what a data scientist actually does, here’s an insider’s look at 12 key tasks that make up the life of a data scientist. Whether you’re considering a career in data science, or just curious, this list will give you a taste of what this exciting job is all about.
1. Understanding the Problem
Before we dive into the data, we need to know what we’re solving. This is one of the most important parts of data science and often the most overlooked. Think of it as laying out the blueprint for a house — without a solid plan, it’s impossible to know what data to use, let alone the techniques that will help.
Example:
Let’s say an online store wants to reduce customer churn (i.e., customers leaving). Before diving into the numbers, we’ll ask questions like:
