Would You Data Scientist?

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Vera Hazelwood, Director of Data Science Communities at AstraZeneca. Hear all about how Vera helped in the building of tsunami warnings in Southeast Asia using data science. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Vera trained and worked as a mathematician for thirteen years before making the shift into data science, as it was a new field, she never specifically studied it. 
• There are lots of publicly available data sets so it's possible to download the data and get more familiar with how it all works before going into a career. Doing things in your own time, off your own back will only benefit you in the long run. 
• Don't be afraid to reach out to someone in data science and ask questions. It's such an open community and you'll find the majority of people are happy to help.
  
  

BEST MOMENTS

‘Data science can be quite easy for someone who understands maths with an abstract way of looking at things' 

‘Be prepared to create your own credibility'

‘The amount of millionaires and billionaires who aren't on TV and aren't on the news who actually invest in worthy causes is brilliant'

EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vera-hazelwood-5908b5b/
https://www.astrazeneca.com/

VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter
qwerkrecruitment.com
@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Victor Moron Tejero, Senior Director in Data Science for Choregraph. Victor is the hiring manager in his current role so this is a must listen to find out what advice he has to give. Also join the conversation on data science abroad, and what Victor thinks the data science landscape will look like in 10 years' time. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS


-When getting into the industry Victor took courses on machine learning to understand the problems that people have and how data science can solve them. 

-It's very likely that two data science job roles are extremely different. When looking for your first role in data science don't be put off if you can't find the right role right away. Even if you get to the interview stage and aren't successful, it's important to ask for honest feedback. It might be that the specifics of a role just don't suit the specifics of your skillset. 

-Start simple, don't over complicate things just because you can. A lot of people try to solve a problem without trying the simplest solution first. Then that allows you to move outwards in complexity when working on your model. 



BEST MOMENTS

‘Everyone in data science is lovely and so open to mentor and help you learn'

‘If you have a diverse enough team then you can use that to make your results as accurate and diverse as possible'

‘Artificial intelligence is neither artificial, or intelligent'


EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/victormoron/

https://www.choreograph.com/

https://www.codecademy.com/


ABOUT THE GUEST

Victor describes himself as dedicated, curious, highly motivated and solutions orientated professional with experience in data analysis, mathematical modeling, algorithm development and programming in dynamic fast-paced and international environments. Seeking to develop a career in a tech/digital company with entrepreneurial spirit.


VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter

qwerkrecruitment.com

@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.



This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Christian Cardone, Chief Data Scientist at NovaFori. Hear Christian's advice for getting into data science and narrowing down your field to maximise your learning potential. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS


-Data science isn't just about modeling, that's only about 20% of the job. The rest is about how you put it together, what considerations do you take into account to make sure it works. You need to monitor your models, will it be relevant in one or two years.

-When going into data science you should have an idea of what you want to do. It's impossible to know everything so it will be advantageous to narrow down your field to what you enjoy or what you're talented at.
 
-LinkedIn is a good resource to use to find out more about the vast data science field. Follow the people working in the field you're interested in and read and comment on their posts. Some people are happy to explain and give advice if you show an interest. It's an open-sourced community. 

BEST MOMENTS

‘I like to see how things are matching together and how you can use that to find a solution'

‘We don't even know what 50% of the roles in 10 years' time will be'


EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-cardone-453884119/

https://www.novafori.com/


VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter

qwerkrecruitment.com

@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.



This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Alexander Radev, expert in data science. Hear their conversation about how to 'get into' data science and how companies should start developing their own talent rather than letting them leave for more experienced jobs. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS


Alexander believes having a statistical background isn't enough you need to do some software engineering to fully understand data science. 

In the next 10 years Alexander believes that companies should gradually build their teams and train and promote people who want to be leaders. In the current market, people tend to leave and switch companies to move up. 



BEST MOMENTS

‘What was there last year might not be the same as what there is this year'


‘We don't hire smart people to tell them what to do, we hire smart people to tell us what to do'

‘There are companies where I would work for them and take their money, but I wouldn't use them and give them money'


EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aradev/


ABOUT THE GUEST

Alexander is an expert data scientist and data science leader who builds and develops world class teams and who delivers scalable data pipelines and data products for companies with no-nonsense attitude, realistic expectations and practical approach towards data, insight, machine learning and AI.


VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter

qwerkrecruitment.com

@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.



This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Shoreful Islam, Founder and Managing Director of Subatomic Analytics, Chief Data scientist and Practice Lead at Tribal Worldwide London, and also Chief Product and Data Officer at OutThink. Hear Shoreful's advice on how to get into the world of data science through demonstrating understanding. Also find out how a Marvel superhero helped name Shoreful's business. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS


-For a graduate with a degree in maths or computer science, it can be easy to get into data science. But it's often the case that you'll move on to consultancy work eventually where the softer skills are important for those kinds of relationships. 

-Build a personal portfolio where you can show off your skills and more importantly answer a fundamental question of your own that you could apply to a business. Have a reason to show off your technical expertise. Show the employer you can do more than just show off the data, show them you know how to apply it for them. 

-Shoreful has someone on his team that was trained up through an apprenticeship, you don't necessarily need a degree unless you're specialising. And you don't need to go out and get a master's degree unless the company is specific about wanting one. 



BEST MOMENTS

‘How do you use the analysis to add value to the organisation'

‘Avoid assuming everything is a technical problem'

‘Everyone knows they need data scientist in their company, but they don't know what they need it for' 



EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shorful/

https://outthink.io/

https://www.tribalworldwide.co.uk/

https://www.subatomicanalytics.com/


ABOUT THE GUEST

Having worked across client side, agency side as well as public bodies in the area of data, analytics and insights, Shoreful has helped organisations use data to deliver results. He has worked as a researcher and analyst to being on the board of organisation, so understands the detail and bigger strategy of what an organisation is hoping to achieve. He has always had to create and grow teams in all my roles, from growing and running a data and insights division for a large agency of over 100 people to creating his own data science team of around 30.

Currently, working with a Cyber Security startup, building out their product and analytical capabilities and also running an analytics consultancy, Shoreful enjoys helping companies use data and advanced analytical techniques to run a better organisation. He also likes working with analysts, strategists, creatives and techies, getting his hands dirty optimising analytical methodologies, brainstorming solutions, or sitting at the board with C-suite to help them determine how they can realise their vision and help them create a strategy to deliver it.


VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter

qwerkrecruitment.com

@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.



This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Preriit Souda, Director of Data Science and Strategic Insights at PSA Consultants. Join the discussion on the ethics involved in data science, using and learning the right tools for the job, and encouraging curiosity about data. 


KEY TAKEAWAYS


-As it's a relatively new career, the data science work force has grown from a pool of other careers such as computer science and statistics. You'll find many of the people who got on at the ground floor don't have a traditional route into the field. 

-The difference between a good data scientist and a bad one is their domain knowledge. You may know how to use Python, but a really good data scientist will be diverse in their skillset and what tools and methods they can use. The more tools you know the more qualified you are. 



BEST MOMENTS

‘Be inquisitive about the data'

‘Sometimes the biggest fanciest tools aren't the ones making a change'

‘Life isn't simply in the black and white, it's in the grey' 



EPISODE RESOURCES

https://www.linkedin.com/in/preritsouda/

https://www.psaconsultants.co/

https://www.udemy.com/

https://www.coursera.org/

https://generalassemb.ly/


ABOUT THE GUEST

Preriit Souda is the Director of Data Science and Strategic Insights at PSA Consultants. In this role Preriit works with commercial brands, governmental departments, and political entities. Also partnering with insight agencies and strategy firms. 


VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter
qwerkrecruitment.com
@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.



This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Would You Data Scientist, Wendy is joined by guest Jonothan Leslie, Director of Data Science at Pivigo. Find out about how Jonothan got into data science, his advice for someone just starting out in the industry, and how he thinks data science can be used to help those in disadvantaged groups. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• It doesn't hurt having a masters in data science but it's necessary to work in the field. It might be the placements involved in them that companies want to see on your applications.
• Try to find where the most pressing gaps are in your portfolio of experience and try to fill them. In Data science there are so many different things to learn and it can feel like a chaotic experience trying to learn everything. Be strategic in your plan and focus on the things you need to know but don't know yet. 
• Jonathan is a fan of seeing data science work that benefits society or disadvantaged people in some way. He worked on a project where they tried to detect wildfires from satellite imagery, which is a problem that can affect a lot of people and having this knowledge could make a widespread positive impact.
  
  

BEST MOMENTS

‘The algorithm that detected supposed criminality was trained on a bias data set' 

‘I'm sure having a more diverse team helps your data science be more inclusive'

EPISODE RESOURCES
https://www.pivigo.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jon-leslie/
https://s2ds.org/

ABOUT THE GUEST
Jonathan leads a team of data scientists who are responsible for the design and delivery of data science initiatives both for clients and across the Pivigo organisation. They specialise in the use of data analytics, statistics and predictive methodologies to drive business decisions in a wide range of contexts. Their work utilises exploratory data analysis, data visualisation and machine learning to gain insight from existing data and to help their clients make informed strategic decisions. 

He is involved in community outreach programmes, mentoring the S2DS data science training programme and volunteering as a data science mentor to those at early career stages.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

linkedin.com/in/ethicalrecruiter
qwerkrecruitment.com
@qwerkrec on socials

ABOUT THE HOST

Wendy Gannon started Qwerk Recruitment in the middle of the Covid Pandemic to disrupt the recruitment sector with ETHICAL data recruitment and treat everyone with love, dignity and respect. Avid Music photographer of 15 years.

This show was brought to you by Progressive Media

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.