What 15 Data Scientists Say About Key Skills | by Egor Howell | Sep, 2024

Going over the main skills you need to be a “good” data scientist

Photo by Campaign Creators on Unsplash

What are the essential skills to be a “good” or even “great” data scientist?

Well, I asked 15 data scientists from multiple companies and industries what they think, and let’s say I was pretty surprised by some of the responses.

Hopefully, this article will give you better guidance on where to focus to progress in your data science career!

To avoid wasting your time, here are the top 10 skills described by the 15 data scientists summarised in a plot.

Plot generated by author using Python and ChatGPT.

What I find pretty interesting is the combination of technical skills like maths and coding and softer skills like communication and curiosity.

Personally, this makes sense. The true heart of a data scientist is to find trends and information in the data, and you need technical knowledge and tools to do this. Then, you need to convey that information easily to senior management and stakeholders so they can make informed decisions for the business.

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