Comparison Hurt the Data Scientist but Common Sense Brought It Back
Here’s how to start differentiating between reality and “fake news”.
You’ve heard the age-old saying of “curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back”. Now you’re going to become well-versed in the data science version. As a general rule of thumb, a data scientist is equally part (1) computer scientist (2) machine learning specialist (3) mathematician (4) statistician (5) engineer (6) researcher (7) business expert and (8) storyteller. In other words, I’m pretty sure I just described a unicorn. And yeah, my eyes are rolling, too.
How to Quickly Master All Eight Parts
This is the easiest to discuss first — Don’t.
“Wait, I can’t be perfect? You don’t know me!” — Somebody who is about to be a jack of all trades but master of none
Most people who want to become a data scientist believe my answer is complete blasphemy. In all seriousness, though, time is your friend. It took me longer to accept this rationale than I am willing to share. There will always be somebody better than you at X, but you might be better than them at Y. For example, you’re an absolute tiger when it comes to Python but a lemming when it comes to tackling a business problem. I’d like to emphasize here that it really isn’t a competition. It’s a chance to collaborate and to build something together that wouldn’t have happened severally.
This is why collaboration is absolutely beautiful and mutually beneficial.
I recommend reaching out to a person who is phenomenal in the skill(s) you are lacking. Learning from and observing others (not in a stalker-ish way, please) influences your behavior whether you believe it or not. If you need a refresher on observational learning theory, check out the Bobo doll experiment.
On a related note, you’ll quickly become overwhelmed if you try learning everything at once. Break everything down into easily digestible chunks. For example, you could allocate one month for learning visualization techniques and specify which technique for each week. Having clearly defined goals will be critical in your journey.
Most importantly, take the time to appreciate that what you learned today you didn’t know yesterday.
Challenges I Have Experienced in My Journey So Far
Coming from a social sciences background, I’ve had countless people tell me that I’d never make it. If you’re in a similar situation, you’ll most likely be told to stop as well. I’m here to tell you not to. If this is something you truly want, then you deserve to be in the field of data science, the same as everyone else.
Two (extremely vanilla) examples:
“You won’t get far. Your undergrad degree isn’t in mathematics or computer science.” — A professor
“You can’t be a data scientist. You’re not studying machine learning in X department at Y school.” — A reputable person in the field when I was studying machine learning on my own
Funny thing is that I strongly disagree you need any particular degree to become a data scientist. I understand I’m biased here, but I’m trying to tell people who are constantly getting berated with negative comments that they have two options.
- Fixate on the comments and inevitably become miserable.
- Face the comments and use them as fuel to keep going.
I clearly chose number 2 and you can, too. It can be insanely difficult to sweep certain comments from certain people under the rug, especially if that person was somebody you looked up to. I know because I was there multiple times. Not everyone is going to be overly positive towards you in this journey, and that is entirely normal. Better yet, remind yourself why you’re doing this.
How I Tuned Out the Negative Noise
I was feeling crushed and, quite frankly, like an idiot. I found that I was comparing myself to everyone and anyone with a STEM degree. The words kept swirling around me telling me I was dumb to pull even more money out in loans to pay for grad school. For some time I even thought I didn’t deserve to be in my grad program and was considering dropping out solely because of that.
Then, all of a sudden, I stopped paying attention to the number of rude and dismissive statements. I said that I had enough and that I always knew what I was, and continue to be, capable of. I repeatedly told myself that there will always be negative people, but I wasn’t going to give them any more of my time. You have to accept this in order to move on, and it has to be a completely active choice.
From The Middle by Jimmy Eat World:
Hey,
Don’t write yourself off yet,
It’s only in your head you feel left out or looked down on,
Just do your best,
Do everything you can,
Don’t you worry what their bitter hearts are going to say.
At the end of the day, you’re the only person who really knows you and what you can do. I am hoping that reading this can help you get closer to achieving a positive mindset, too.
Final Note: What to Remind Yourself (Repeat until you believe)
- Everyone starts somewhere and feels overwhelmed at some point. Yes, people who have 15+ years experience in a domain you’re just starting in feel that way, too.
- Not knowing something doesn’t mean you’re dumb. All it means is you’re learning.
- Continuing to juxtapose your current skill repertoire next to others will only cause your confidence to plummet in this ever-changing universe.
- Obsessing over knowing everything within each domain will make you a jack of all trades but master of none. Will also drive you crazy.
Contacts
I’ll be building a website — filled with content like readings that influence my behavior and writing — shortly, but follow me on the below platforms in the interim.
As always, please do not hesitate to reach out. I’d love to receive feedback and to discuss ideas.
All my best,
Mo
