Preparation

Universal Tips

Think about your qualifications and whether you will need to obtain additional training in data science or a STEM-related discipline, such as computer programming. Typically, people who have earned a STEM degree in college are well-suited for a career in data science. If you have taken college classes in advanced statistics or programming, you likely do not need additional training as you have the skills needed for a data science job. If not, you may wish to learn about essential data science tools, such as R, Python, and SQL. In your research, identify a few people who have careers in data science that would be willing to speak with you regarding their day-to-day roles as a data analyst. Ask them about how they got their job and data science in general, what they do in a typical day, and other questions that you may have. Informational interviews’ purpose is to allow you to learn more about data science positions, and can also be a helpful networking tool.

Finally, remember to keep up-to-date on the happenings of the field. Data science and analytics is a field that evolves rapidly, and even if you had a career in data science or a related field previously, the trends in data science and analytics even three or five years ago may not be the same trends in the field today. Stay updated on trends in data science by learning new skills, reading about data science applications, and even networking in the field of data science to learn about what the biggest technological challenges of analytics are in the present moment.

Sample Internship Opportunities

  • Accounting firms (e.g., Deloitte and Touche, Ernst & Young LLP, KPMG, PricewaterhouseCoopers)

  • Banking (e.g., Goldman Sachs, World Bank Group, Citi, UBS, Barclays Capitol)

  • Consulting firms (e.g., Bearing Point, Accenture, IBM)

  • Government (e.g., Department of Defense, United States Congress)

  • Healthcare (e.g., UnitedHealth, CVS Health, Medstar)

  • Manufacturing Companies (e.g., Gore, DuPont)

  • Technology Companies (e.g., Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Netflix)