Data Science is one of the most trending areas of technology in recent times.
It is revolutionizing the way businesses collect and analyze data to make informed decisions. These data-oriented decisions then allow these organizations to improve their performance and efficiency.
As the field of Data Science is evolving, we are able to witness a number of new opportunities for aspiring data scientists. If you are also one, I would suggest you enroll in a data science course or a mentorship program and start your journey in this amazing and rewarding field.
The next step after you have completed learning about Data Science is to get into an internship where you can execute your learnings to excel further. Data science internships are becoming increasingly popular, offering students and graduates the chance to gain invaluable experience in the ever–growing field of data science.
In this article, we will explore the benefits of a data science internship, the skills and qualifications that employers look for, and tips for finding the right opportunity for you. With the right knowledge and preparation, a data science internship can be the start of an exciting and rewarding career.
So, let us get started:
Importance of an Internship in Data Science
- An internship helps you get relevant experience including technical skills, people skills, and communication skills.
- Internship helps you build networking connections.
- You may get PPO in the same company.
- An internship makes your resume strong.
- You will get an opportunity to analyze if you really want to build your career in Data Science.
Who Should Do Data Science Internship
I often get questions like
- “How do I get a job as a Data Scientist as a fresher”,
- “How to start a data science career with a non-technical background”,
- “How to Transition into Data Science from Different Backgrounds”, and
- “Can I become a data scientist with 3 years of career gap”?
The answer to all the related questions is doing an internship. The major challenge you must be facing while applying for a data science role is not having relevant experience and not having a real-life project. Internship solves both of these problems and makes it relatively easy to get a job.
Data Science Internship Skills
Honestly, you don’t need to have a lot of skills as it is an internship, not a job. But still, there are a few must-have skills.
Below is a list of the most essential skills you need to have to get a data science internship:
- Python
- Pandas, NumPy, Matplotlib, or Seaborn
- Data Cleaning
- Data Analysis
- SQL
Other skills depend on the role and company you want to intern with. Below is a list of skills you may require:
- Data Visualization tools like Power BI.
- Machine Learning Algorithms.
- Basics of NLP or Computer Vision.
We always ignore soft skills, but there are a few important skills required in data science. These are:
- Communication Skills
- Presentation Skills
- Storytelling
Data Science Internship Projects
Now you must be wondering, would you also require a project to get an internship? The answer is yes. The internship offers you to work on a real-life project. Therefore it expects you to have hands-on experience on at least a few dummy projects from Kaggle etc.
You will surely be asked about a project in the interview. Having a project in the same domain will ease the process. For example, if you are applying for the NLP role, having projects like Text Classification, Sentiment Analysis can be helpful.
It would be amazing if you worked on an end-to-end project though it is not compulsory.
Resume
The resume for a data science internship should be simple, clear, and one page.
- Personal Information
Your personal info can include name, city, phone number, Gmail id, GitHub id, and LinkedIn id. - Skills
Only mention the relevant skills. A few soft skills can also be included. - Projects
You can mention 1 to 3 relevant projects along with some description. - Educational Background and Grades
Grades are optional. - Experience
This is optional but if you have any previous internship experience, you can mention that. - Hobbies and Extra Curricular
You can mention your smart hobbies and extracurricular activities.
Platforms
There are various online platforms to apply for internships. A few of them are listed below:
- Internshala
- Indeed
- Internships.com
Tips on Applying for an Internship
Below are a few tips that will help you get the internship fast:
- Ask your seniors to refer you.
- Apply for more than one internship.
- Don’t wait till you learn all the skills, apply in advance.
- Fine-tune your resume based on the requirement.
- Spend more time on Linkedin to find the relevant opening.
How to Make the Best Out of Your Internship
You should have a positive attitude throughout your internship to make the best out of it. Setting clear goals of what you want to take back from this internship will help you.
- Expand your network and identify a mentor.
- Work on your soft skills.
- Be open to feedback and fix the issues.
- Figure out the most important skills and master them.
- Keep track of your projects in writing, it will help you to present them well in the job interview.
Conclusion
So, this was all about the process of starting your career in this field through an internship program. I hope that my article was helpful enough for you to understand the nitty-gritty of this career path and how to start with it.
If you still face any issues, you can always leave a message for me to connect back and we can discuss it further.
Happy Learning!
