Dear friends,
There are 2 kinds of aspiring data scientists: the ones who land a job and the ones who don’t.
The ones who don’t, lack focus.
They wanna learn EVERYTHING in the world of data science.
They enroll in lots of online courses and read a lot of blogs and research papers.
They *feel* they are learning.
But the sad truth is they are NOT learning anything. Because they go too wide. And get distracted.
Real learning in data science (like in life) happens when you
1 → take a specific problem
2 → struggle to solve it, and
3 → eventually solve it.
I call this the "problem-struggle-solution cycle". This is how you learn everything in life. And data science is not an exception.
When you skip this cycle you feel impostor syndrome. That is, you feel deep inside that you are not ready to become a professional, full-time, and well-paid data scientist.
Impostor syndrome implies negative self-talk. And no online course can cure you of this.
Is there a better way to learn data science?
Yes, there is.
I call it "Pick-a-real-world-problem-you-care-about-build-a-data-science-solution-and-explain-it-to-others".
Also known as "Project-based learning".
For example
Let's say you are into self-driving cars and would like to work on Computer Vision problems.
Set yourself this goal: "I wanna build a public API for pedestrian detection".
Starting from the end goal puts your mind in the "problem-solving" mode. So you start asking yourself the right questions
→ is there any public dataset I can use?
→ what ML models are good for this problem?
→ how the heck do I make an API with Python?
Truth being said, you will struggle and the project will go through ups and downs. This is why you have to work on something that genuinely interests you. Otherwise, you will quit.
When you learn by building projects, you get 2 things:
1 → Become a problem-solver and cure your impostor syndrome.
2 → Build a portfolio. Every project you make is another valuable asset you will have when looking for jobs.
In conclusion,
→ You learn data science by building data science solutions to real-world problems.
→ When you start from the end goal, you become a problem solver. This is what companies look for.
→ As a bonus, you build a portfolio that will help you in your next interview
Win-win!
🎓 Mentorship program
“Project-based learning” has helped me land more than 10 freelance contracts in the past 3 years. And I am sure it will help you too.
If you need expert help to build a professional project, enroll in my mentorship program.
➡️ Click here to read all the details
🔥 Upcoming podcast
Wanna speed up your learning path and land a data science job?
Next Monday 24th October I will participate in an interactive webinar with Jesus Lopez, a top Data Science Coach at Resolving Python.
We will discuss common challenges beginners face, and the best ways to overcome them. And we will answer your questions too!
➡️ Click here to register for the event
And remember 💡
Have a great week!
Happy learning!
Pau