Big Data is the buzzword in all industry niches at the moment. Businesses are now having to deal with vast amounts of data relating to their day-to-day operations – and the challenges that come with this. Not only does data need collecting, but it also needs to be organised, stored and interpreted if it is to be of any value.

The recent ‘State of Big Data in the UK 2019′ survey by WHISHWORKS revealed that 81% of respondents said that their investment in big data projects was increasing in their companies. The main drivers behind this investment in big data are IT Transformation and Modernisation, business growth and a desire for innovation and strategic differentiation.

This is excellent news for candidates looking for jobs in big data as demand for employees with big data skills is increasing rapidly. A report commissioned by The Royal Society in May 2019 states that “demand for workers with specialist data skills like data scientists and data engineers has more than tripled over five years (231%).

Taking all of this into account, here are the top five jobs in big data at the moment.

#1 Data Engineer

Data engineers work with sets of data to enhance data science goals. Unlike data scientists, they are not generally as involved with overall strategic analysis but are more hands-on with the data sets to make them useful to a project. They look at how the data is acquired, refined, and moved through the pipeline and ensure companies have the right data assets.

Preferred Qualifications – You must have a computer science or engineering degree if you wish to have a successful career in data engineering. You should also have strong knowledge of coding languages such as Hive, Kafka and Python and Linux systems knowledge and proficiency in SQL data design.  Other skills in demand are the ability to work independently and in a team, as well as excellent communication skills.

#2 Data Analyst

A data analyst is a professional who works with data to provide insights into that data. One of the most common definitions of what a data analyst does is that they “translate numbers into plain English”, meaning they take raw data and analyse it to produce digestible results that executives can use to make more informed decisions (Techopedia).

Preferred qualifications – the fact that data analysts will be working with data all day long means they must have extensive knowledge of computer programmes such as SharePoint, SQL databases and Microsoft Access. Data analysts also need to demonstrate excellent communication and presentation skills as they need to be able to explain complex data to company stakeholders.

 #3 Data Architect

A data architect is an individual who is responsible for designing, creating, deploying and managing an organisation’s data architecture. They define how the data will be stored, consumed, integrated and managed by different data entities and IT systems and any applications using or processing that data somehow.

Preferred qualifications – common attributes and job skills employers look for in data architects include excellent analytical acumen, advanced technical proficiency in languages such as SQL & XML, problem-solving skills and strong detail orientation. A bachelor’s degree in a computer science-related field is also recommended.

#4 Data Scientist

A data scientist is an individual who performs data mining, statistical analysis and data retrieval processes on a large amount of data to identify figures, trends and other relevant information. Data scientists are part of businesses’ marketing and planning processes, as they can identify useful insights and derive statistical data from planning, executing and monitoring result-driven marketing strategies.

Preferred Qualifications – An advanced knowledge of the different data mining techniques such as clustering, decision trees, and regression analysis is a must for IT data scientists, as is a knowledge of Natural Language Processing.  A Master’s or PhD in computer science is also a must; some work experience in this field also helps.

#5 Data Manager

The role of a data manager is to supervise a company’s numerous data systems and networks, including organising, storing and analysing company data as effectively as possible and safeguarding a company’s security and confidentiality standards (Betterteam).

Preferred Qualifications – If you look at job adverts for Database Managers, you will see that most companies will require you to have a bachelor’s degree in a computer-related field such as computer science or information technology and some time spent in data analysis or database development positions. You should also be well-versed in the different big data techs such as MongoDB, Rainstor, Presto and Kafka.

If you are looking for a career in Big Data, then talk to the specialist team at Agile Recruit. We have offices in both Manchester and Milton Keynes.

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