In a recent conversation, we spoke to SaiSree who is enrolled in the GCD program at Accredian.
Name: SaiSree
Current Organisation: TCS
Total Experience: 3.7 years
Batch: Global Certificate in Data Science (GCD) November 2018
Ankita: Could you walk me through your experience, your educational background, your professional experience and the current capacity that you are working in?
Sai: I have a BTech in Electronics with 3.7 years of experience and am currently working in TCS. I have started my career as a Support Analyst in .net support and started doing some automation and then moved on to the .net developer role. During the course of my employment at TCS, I got a chance to get acquainted with few machine learning algorithms. This is where my interest developed and I opted for Accredian GCD course.
Ankita: What tools and packages in Data Science and machine learning have you mastered so far?
Sai: I have learned Tableau and NumPy Panda packages till now. As far as algorithms are concerned, Linear Regression and Decision Tree are my strongholds. It is easy to learn the concepts of linear regression and apply them in real projects.
Ankita: Were there any initial challenges that you faced when you entered the field of Data Science? If yes, how did you overcome them?
Sai: My interest in Data Science developed when I saw people working in this field. This excited more than what I was doing in .net. When I started learning at some other place, I didn’t know how the concepts taught in the class will be applied. Pacing up with the course flow was something became tough for me.
After this, I attended Accredian’s webinar and in that very class I was able to see the difference. I had a much better understanding of the concepts and was clear about how the course will flow. As the course progressed, I was able to understand everything taught in Accredian classes.
This way my initial challenge of not getting the crux of the concepts taught, practical applications of it, etc. were easily done away with the continuous studies and regular practice I did after the classes.
Ankita: How has Data Science evolved over the last few years?
Sai: During my graduation years, I never heard about Data Science, leave alone knowing what it is. After starting my professional career and being in it for some time, I came to terms with Data Science, with people talking about data and Data Science. I started reading articles to gain more knowledge about it.
What I can say now is that with the ease to store data increasing, data analysis is finally done without any obstructions and with ease. Scope to explore data has also increased with the introduction of many tools and technologies. Data Science has evolved so much over the last few years that it is now within the reach of masses; anyone can choose this field and excel in it with the right strategy in mind. Data Science has come a long way from being a not-so-common topic to becoming a buzzword.
Ankita: At Accredian, students are encouraged to maintain high-quality GitHub profiles. Have you also built a GitHub profile? How do you think this will help you?
Sai: After joining, I realized the usefulness of a GitHub portfolio and my profile took shape. I am still working on my GitHub profile; building models and integrating it in my own portfolio. This will be helpful in the interviews I appear; the recruiter will analyze my capability based upon the projects and the work I have done. This is a practical showcase of our work.
Ankita: Crafting a great Data Science resume is a critical part of getting shortlisted for Data Science roles. Tell us some ways in which you have improved your resume as a part of Data Science Career Launchpad.
Sai: As I told you, I have been into the .net field since the start of my career. So naturally, my resume had all the essence of it. This is where I faced a difficulty; when I went for the Data Science related interviews, I didn’t know how to actually showcase that I am good in this field too. 
I couldn’t write ‘certified Data Scientist’ as my program wasn’t complete. After attending Career Launchpad sessions, I realized that I could mix the two worlds- .net and data science, and present it tactfully in my resume. Henceforth, I mixed both the things and prepared my resume with a fresh perspective.
Ankita: My last question to you would be- What will be your advice to anyone who wants to start a career in data science and who is actually a fresher in this field?
Sai: I would like to say to freshers and even to my friends who are inquisitive about data science that if you are interested in this field, you should definitely go for it. Your passion for Data Science will drive away your fear that the field is too tough. I also recommend reading blogs which explain the basic things about Data Science. This will also increase your knowledge base.
Ankita: So this brings me to the end of the interview. Thanks a lot for your time!
Sai: Thanks!!
