We can know a lot about life and living and have all the knowledge we will ever need, yet miss the meaning in it all. Understanding is more important than remembering information… Photo by Franki Chamaki on Unsplash
These days we hear a lot about data in the news — we’re in the age of “big data” and there are constant news stories about data privacy breaches. Obsession over data has infiltrated every part of our lives, from our work lives to our personal lives and every interaction in between. Naturally, this can seem overwhelming and even terrifying to think that most information about us is tracked and stored somewhere so it can be used to inform later decisions about our habits. But, I would argue, there is a brighter side to this argument. Data is a powerful tool when in the right hands. Which is precisely why it’s important for everyone to learn data science, regardless of whatever future career path one may take. Here are 5 reasons everyone should learn about data: 1. Data teaches sound logic and decision-makingTransforming information into actionable insights takes some basic understanding of data manipulation. This means using logic to create formulas in order to extract information and turn boring spreadsheets into visualizations or easy-to-parse results. If you understand data, then you understand logic and how this works. It allows you to think about decision-making in a completely different way, because you rely on facts and figures to prove your thesis. Most people think that the solution is about finding the answer. Data science, however, teaches you that it’s about asking the right question. This type of logic and reasoning leads to better decisions, which is valuable for our personal lives and professional careers. 2. Data skills turn knowledge into powerInformation is nothing if you can’t apply it. Data science teaches us how to think about disparate pieces of information, find relationships, extract insights and test hypotheses. Let’s face it, the Age of the Internet has created a torrent of information that bombards us every day. We all need to be able to filter the noise, understand the facts, and determine the truth. At the same time, data science skills teach us how to organize all of the information that’s available — how to tag and store our information so we’ll be able to access it in the future. Without these data skills, the mass of information quickly becomes overwhelming and, quite frankly, useless. So having a foundation of data science skills means not only making better decisions, but also taking better actions. 3. Data is everywhere and it’s only multiplyingJust check out this chart of the growth of data: ForbesThanks to technology, more and more information can be stored. This means that we are surrounded by data every day. If we know what kind of data is useful and then how to manipulate it, then data can be a tool for making life better. And although you might think this is just the data of business and consumers, personal data is expanding just the same. As our lives become more digital and more information stored online in the cloud, we all have more data to keep track — more pictures, more videos, more emails, more documents, and more overall personal information. Still not convinced? Read these twenty mind-boggling facts about big data. So it’s time for everyone to get serious about understanding data and its part in our lives. We all need to understand data security, data privacy, and data management. As data multiplies, we all needs the skills to be better protected and more informed. 4. Data skills are more accessible than everBecoming a data scientist doesn’t have to feel out of your range of abilities anymore. I myself am not a mathematician, but thanks to technology understanding data is now easier than ever. In fact, I would argue that we all already practice data science as a part of our everyday lives. For example, most of us now use fitness trackers, or receive updates about our shopping habits or see the dreaded weekly report of time spent on our phones. Organizations use this data to better interact with their customers, and they’re passing on the insights to you. And many companies have created new software that makes wrangling and interpreting data easier than ever. So, we can be scared of data privacy breaches, or we can take up the power of data in our own lives. The key here is honing those skills a little further to be able to apply them in other areas. The best part? Some of the most in-demand data skills are free to learn. 5. Data skills will mean job securityAs data multiplies, it makes sense that data skills are in high demand and there aren’t enough people to fill them. In a recent Forbes article, the author contends,
While demand is surging for data scientists in particular, there is now an advantage given to those who possess data skills across all other industries and career fields. According to a 2019 Burning Glass report titled “The Hybrid Job Economy: How New Skills Are Rewriting the DNA of the Job Market”,
So if you’re ready to become a (pseudo) data scientist, here are a few tools you can use to learn these skills:
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