The Secret to Staying Ahead as a Data Scientist Despite Coming from an Arts background

By- Mohammad Dawood, Board Infinity Alumni

Having a background in History makes me a great storyteller, which is a great skill to possess for a Data Scientist. I realized it gave me an edge over my peers with technical backgrounds.

1. Early Career Journey

My name is Mohammad Dawood.

My hometown is Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh. My graduation from Allahabad University was in Modern History and English Literature. And now, I work as a Data Scientist for Infigonia.

Although my career path may shock many of you, I'm glad that I began my career in a world where skills are valued more than degrees. My life has certainly changed for the better through this career transition. Read further to know how -

I was the odd one out in my group to pursue Arts as a career. Most of my friends are engineers. But, after my graduation, finding a job was difficult. On the other hand, all my friends were doing very well in their careers as they worked in the IT industry which was booming with great opportunities. Being around them and watching them code made me curious about what they did and my interest in technology grew as I learned more about their work. To enter the IT field, my friends suggested that I take a course in Data Science or Full Stack Development, the two highly sought-after fields for the job.

I did my research about these career fields and found a better interest in Data Science and decided to go ahead with this field. I started searching for universities from where I could pursue a course in Data Science. However, since most of these universities demanded a technical degree, online courses were my only option. Board Infinity was my choice as it helped me by defining the entire career path for Data Science from upskilling to applying and getting a job. The best part of enrolling in this course by Board Infinity was its fee payment process which allows one to pay after getting a job. This enabled me to go against my father’s suggestion of continuing with the same career path.

Board infinity offered the much-needed encouragement to pursue the career transition and a complete package for a successful career change. Taking the Data Science course gave me the opportunity to learn everything I needed to start my career in Data Science - Excel, Python, SQL, and even Machine Learning.

I have completed my Data Science course from Board Infinity and currently working at Credgenics (internship) and have an offer from Infigonia Groups.

2. Journey with Board Infinity

Having just started out in this field, I took a foundation course in Data Science to see if it would be a good fit. It turned out really well. My first class was for introductions and I was the only one from the Arts background, so I was a little intimidated, but my coach Ayushman sir helped me figure out how I could compete with the people from technical backgrounds. He said, “If you keep a step ahead you'd be able to choose, you will be the first choice for any employer.”

Following his advice, apart from developing my core skills, I built an impressive resume and worked on my soft skills to be ahead of my peers from the technical background. Board Infinity allowed me to take any number of classes to prepare for the interviews. My resume got better with every session and the coaches also helped me optimize my LinkedIn profile. I also built up my own portfolio website containing all the assignments and projects I had worked upon.

Having grown up in a village, spoken English is definitely a difficult skill for me. During interviews, I would get tongue-tied and wasn't able to answer. Therefore, I started practicing.

I used to speak loudly almost like I was trying to dominate, but my mentor told me that I could improve by practicing in front of a mirror. As a result, I started working on these and improved a great deal.  

At first, I faced a few rejections.

3. How I Got The Internship Opportunity

When I faced rejections at first, Board Infinity offered an assessment session to see what I needed to improve. This included a test. On the test, there were questions on Python and Machine Learning, and I was told that if I scored less than 70%, I would have to take Python classes again. But I scored 90% in Python and 85% in Machine Learning.

Rather than waiting for a full-time position, I accepted the internship with Credgenics through Board Infinity to learn and practice the skills. During my internship, I was able to sharpen my leadership skills, as well as train other people, and become confident about my skills.

In the third month of my internship, I applied at Infigonia through Board Infinity. The technical round consisted of Python and SQL questions, as well as a discussion about my internship and what I had learned. The last round included a friendly chat with the company's CEO and I was able to land the job!

To all the people seeking a career transition,

The only way to climb the ladder is to trust the process! If you have dedication, you can learn anything.

Connect with Me

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