2. Data science companies
Chapter 2 from Build a Career in Data Science by Emily Robinson and Jacqueline Nolis
This chapter covers
- Types of companies hiring data scientists
- The pros and cons of each company type
- The tech stacks you may see at different jobs
As discussed in chapter 1, data science is a wide field with lots of different roles: research scientist, machine learning engineer, business intelligence analyst, and more. Although the work you do as a data scientist depends on your role, it is equally influenced by the company where you’re working. Big company versus small, tech versus traditional industry, and young versus established can influence project focus, supporting technology, and team culture. By understanding a few archetypes of companies, you’ll be better prepared when you’re looking at places to work, either for your first data science job or your nth one.
The aim of this chapter is to give you an understanding of what some typical companies are like to work at each day. We’re going to present five fictional companies that hire data scientists. None of these companies are real, but all are based on research and our own work experiences, and they illustrate basic principles that can be broadly applied. Although no two companies are exactly alike, knowing these five archetypes should help you assess prospective employers.