4 Reasons to Get Started on Your Big Data Career Today

The industry of big data is expected to reach a market worth of $187 billion by the year 2019. Wouldn’t you like a chunk of that change? Whether you’re looking to start your first career or make a mid-life career change, the field of big data ought to be on your radar. Big data is making a tremendous impact across industries, paving the way for data scientists, data marketing specialists, and much more. Here are your top reasons for considering a career in big data.

1. There’s a Serious Shortage of Qualified Big Data Experts

The tech industry at large is undergoing a significant talent shortage currently, but within the realm of big data experts, this shortage is even more pronounced. According to research by MIT, about 40 percent of the organizations with big data operations aren’t able to find the data analysts they need to do the jobs. Another study by IDC forecasts a shortage of 181,000 big data professionals by the year 2018. For jobs that require data management and interpretation skills, the shortage is five times higher. No worker with big data knowledge and expertise who wants a job will be without one heading into the next decade.

2. The Salary Potential is Outstanding

Dubbed the Sexiest Job of the Year/Decade/Century, a data scientist can bring home an impressively sexy chunk of change. Just the title “data scientist” will earn you better than $100,000 per year, far more in certain companies and in positions with management responsibilities. Data scientists can choose a relaxed lifestyle in one of the smaller cities in the heartland, or can opt for a bright lights, big city lifestyle in one of the massive coastal cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, or Boston. Smaller cities typically come with lower costs of living but a smaller paycheck, while the mega-companies in the bigger cities offer bigger paychecks, but also a heftier cost of living. If you’ve got data science skills, the choice is yours.

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3. You Can Work in Virtually Any Industry You’re Interested In

Whether you wish to use your skills to forecast the fashion trends of next season, identify the next megastar startup company for venture capitalists, or improve manufacturing operations for an automaker, big data is being used in virtually every industry on earth. Positions are available in finance, retail, business, banking, manufacturing, logistics and transportation, with the tech giants, and most any other industry you can name.

4. You Can Score a Role in Corporate Decision Making

Most IT related positions land you square in the data center, or worse, stuck in a networking closet somewhere. But big data positions usually put you right in the boardroom where the decisions are made. Big data is a critical factor in business intelligence, planning and forecasting, research and development, and many other aspects of running a business. You’ll most likely be called upon to conduct valuable research that will be used to steer the company in the right direction. Depending on your title, your responsibilities, and the company you work for, you just might be afforded a C-level position, such as CIO (chief information officer), CTO (chief technology officer), CDO (chief data officer), etc.

Getting into big data also means partnering with the right vendor when it comes to storing and processing all that data. Find out what you need to know when you read our customer stories.