Getting a Big Data Job For Dummies E-Book

Jason Williamson

• Herausgeber: John Wiley & Sons
• Kategorie: Fachliteratur
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 364

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Hone your analytic talents and become part of the next big thing

Getting a Big Data Job For Dummies is the ultimate guide to landing a position in one of the fastest-growing fields in the modern economy. Learn exactly what "big data" means, why it's so important across all industries, and how you can obtain one of the most sought-after skill sets of the decade. This book walks you through the process of identifying your ideal big data job, shaping the perfect resume, and nailing the interview, all in one easy-to-read guide.

Companies from all industries, including finance, technology, medicine, and defense, are harnessing massive amounts of data to reap a competitive advantage. The demand for big data professionals is growing every year, and experts forecast an estimated 1.9 million additional U.S. jobs in big data by 2015. Whether your niche is developing the technology, handling the data, or analyzing the results, turning your attention to a career in big data can lead to a more secure, more lucrative career path. Getting a Big Data Job For Dummies provides an overview of the big data career arc, and then shows you how to get your foot in the door with topics like:

• The education you need to succeed
• The range of big data career path options
• An overview of major big data employers
• A plan to develop your job-landing strategy

Your analytic inclinations may be your ticket to long-lasting success. In a highly competitive job market, developing your data skills can create a situation where you pick your employer rather than the other way around. If you're ready to get in on the ground floor of the next big thing, Getting a Big Data Job For Dummies will teach you everything you need to know to get started today.

Leseprobe

Getting a Big Data Job For Dummies®

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2014935518

ISBN 978-1-118-90340-7 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-90383-4 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-90384-1 (ebk)

Manufactured in the United States of America

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Getting a Big Data Job For Dummies®

Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/gettingabigdatajob to view this book's cheat sheet.

Table of Contents

Introduction

About This Book

Foolish Assumptions

Icons Used in This Book

Beyond the Book

Where to Go from Here

Part I: Getting a Job in Big Data

Chapter 1: The Big Picture of Big Data Jobs

How We Got Here and Where We’re Headed

Why companies care about big data

The future of big data jobs

Exploring Big Data Career Paths

Not everyone is a data scientist

Requirements of big data professionals

Looking at Organizations That Hire Big Data Professionals

Public sector and academia

Commercial organizations

Corporate information technology

Marketing departments and business units

Big data firms

Consulting companies

Chapter 2: Seeing Yourself in a Big Data Job

Planning Your Journey into a New Frontier

Finding a Future Career in Big Data

The growth of big data jobs

Predictions for the next several years

Sizing Up Your Skills

Evaluating your aptitude for big data

Doing a self-assessment plan

Finding your gaps

Charting Your Path

When to fill the gaps with education

Filling gaps with experience

Planning your milestones and timeline

Measuring your results

Chapter 3: Key Big Data Concepts

The Four V’s of Big Data

Volume

Variety

Veracity

Velocity

Value

Building a Big Data Platform

Looking into Big Data Use Cases

Big data in risk and compliance

Big data in financial services

Big data in healthcare

Big data in government

Big data in retail

Part II: Getting Your Big Data Education

Chapter 4: Roles in Big Data Revealed

Big Data Jobs for Business Analysts

Assessing your interest

Looking at a job posting

Big Data Jobs for Data Scientists

Assessing your interest

Looking at a job posting

Big Data Jobs for Software Developers

Assessing your interest

Looking at sample job postings

Chapter 5: Foundations of a Big Data Education

What’s Your Major? Undergraduate Majors That Fill Big Data Jobs

Math and statistics

Computer science and engineering

Business

Continuing Education and Graduate School

Programs in analytics

PhD programs for big data

Chapter 6: Making Your Own Way (For the Experienced Professional)

Learning on Your Own Time

Hitting the books

Online tutorials

Online communities

On-the-job training

Building Your Own Big Data Test Lab

Step 1: Define your goals

Step 2: Take a skills inventory

Step 3: Mind the gap

Step 4: Acquire knowledge

Step 5: Look back

Chapter 7: Knowing Your Big Data Tools

Database Tools You Need to Know

Relational databases and SQL

NoSQL

Big Data Framework Technologies

The Hadoop framework

Pig

Hive

Spark

Analysis Tools You Should Know

Business analytics or business intelligence tools

Visualization tools

Sentiment analysis tools

Machine learning

Keeping Current with Market Developments

Part III: Finding a Job with the Right Organization

Chapter 8: Life as a Consultant

What Is a Consultant Anyway?

Types of consultants

Who’s who in the consulting industry

The Career Path of a Consultant, from Associate to Partner

A Typical Day in the Life of a Big Data Consultant

Pros and Cons of the Consultant’s Life

Chapter 9: Working as an In-House Big Data Specialist

Working for Central IT to Serve an Organization

Looking at roles in corporate IT

Examining a corporate IT job posting

Working for a Business Unit

Pros and Cons to In-house Positions

Pros

Cons

Chapter 10: Living on the Edge with a Startup

Startups and Where They Are

Phase 1: The seed stage

Stage 2: The early stage

Stage 3: The expansion stage

Stage 4: The turnaround stage

Stage 5: The purchase stage

Startup Companies Born for Big Data

Deciding If Working for a Startup Is the Life for You