While working in his current organization, TransUnion, Sasikumar Dhanasekar saw how by using data science applications the company detects fraudulent activities. Inspired and curious to know more about how it works, he enrolled for the Global Certificate in Data Science (GCD) program at Accredian.
In this interview, let’s see what he thinks about the impact of data science across diverse industries and how his learning experience has been at Accredian.
Question 1: Which program & batch are you part of at Accredian & tell us more about your current work profile?
Sasikumar: I am part of the Global Certificate in Data Science (GCD) program, March 2020. I am currently working in TransUnion. I am a senior software developer with seven years of experience in the banking and manufacturing domain.
Question 2: Walk us through your career journey & what got you interested in Data Science & Machine Learning?
Sasikumar: Out of the seven years in my career, in the first five years I was really into coding, managing teams and learning more tools to simplify my work. The next two years, that is, from the time I joined TransUnion, I have started dealing with more data. Since it is a credit score providing agency, their products are solely dependent on data.
With the help of existing customer data, the company locates and keeps fraudulent activities at bay using data science applications offering security to banks. I think that’s an awesome thing to do with data. And this is exactly what inspired me to take up the data science and machine learning course at Accredian.
Question 3: What all tools and packages in Data Science & Machine Learning have you mastered in your Data Science & AI program at Accredian so far?
Sasikumar: I have gained knowledge on Python and I have explored many machine learning algorithms like linear regression, logistic regression, decision tree random forest, supervised learning and unsupervised learning. I also got the opportunity to learn Jupyter Notebook and how to install different components in it. Right now, I am trying to learn the various Python libraries of Numpy, Pandas, Seaborn, etc.
Question 4: Who is your favorite faculty at Accredian and what did you learn from him the Most?
Sasikumar: My favorite faculty at Accredian is Neelmani because his way of teaching is really easy to follow and more understandable. Also he is very good at explaining both theoretical and practical concepts. He would explain them till you understand fully.
And, the best thing about him is that if any one of us asked him a question about any code logic he did not know the answer to, he would come prepared the next day and explain everything about it first and then proceed with the class. So, he is not just a faculty but also a learner at heart and I am really impressed by that.
He also shared a lot of knowledge about data science beyond the set curriculum which was awesome.
Question 5: In your view, how has Data Science evolved in the last few years?
Sasikumar: I think in the past few years, AI applications have grown exponentially. That’s why the demand for data scientists is also increasing each day. And this is happening because every business, from food delivery services to banks and healthcare centers, is now making decisions based on accurate data analysis.
Even my current company, TransUnion, is using data science applications. They are not just providing credit scores but are also evaluating customers’ ability to repay loans. And they can easily do this because of continuous data collection, extraction and analysis. And, this is just one example. The truth is, the future of all companies solely depends on data.
Question 6: What is your advice to anyone wanting to start a career in Data Science?
Sasikumar: Anyone can become a data scientist, irrespective of their current role or industry. The only thing required is will to learn something new. And while learning or working with data science applications there is also the need to update oneself regularly and keep up with recent trends in the industry. Apart from that, basic knowledge on mathematics and programming languages like Python or R are required.
This was a conversation with one of our GCD students – Sasikumar Dhanasekar.
If you want to read more interesting student interviews, check out Accredian Spotlight.
