15 Things I look for in Data Science Candidates
Advice for anyone looking or hiring for data science jobs
Data science is as popular as ever but paradoxically also seems more fragmented and ill-defined than ever before. It can be quite difficult for newcomers to figure out how to break into the field, and perhaps even more difficult, it can be for managers to figure out how to hire for positions unless you know exactly what you’re looking for.
In this post, I summarize my reflections on what I look for in data science candidates. Disclaimer: these are reflections based on my time working in biotech and pharma companies where data science is a supporting function and not a core part of the business; i.e., not the kind of positions where you get to work on AI architectures for sales forecasting exclusively, but where you have to work end-to-end to create value across multiple business areas.
1. Passion & Curiosity
Passion and curiosity are, of course, qualities that are desirable for anyone working with technology. Data science being the great beast that it is, I think it is an even more ubiquitous prerequisite in this specific field. In many other technical fields, you can specialize in a set of skills and use these to drive business value for years on end — perhaps with the need to learn a new programming language or tool every X years. Data science, however, is inherently a scientific discipline that is developing daily.
There is immense value in passionate candidates who continuously research new data science developments and share these with the team.
Furthermore, a certain level of passion and tenacity are required for candidates to keep wanting to work within data science, without jumping jobs in frustration all the time; debugging why an algorithm does not work can be a lot more involved and frustrating than debugging why a piece of software or infrastructure is not working. You need to be a special kind of crazy to go through these frustrations multiple times. 🤷♂ As I’ve stated previously:
If the option stands between a run-of-the-mill experienced senior data scientist and a violently passionate candidate with fire in their eyes, pick the latter, everything else being equal.
