Robert Walsh

Event Report

       Seeking an event in the field of information studies and technology is an excellent way to learn about essential topics that are crucial for starting a new career. Attending a virtual webinar event provides valuable insights and information for data science students preparing to enter the workforce. On June 6, 2025, I attended a virtual webinar titled “How You Can Get a Job in Data | Key Steps to Start Your Data Journey,” uploaded to YouTube by DataCamp and presented by James Cotton. As an information science student with a concentration in data science and analytics, I am pursuing a career as a database administrator. Therefore, topics such as job definition, necessary experience and skills, job search tips, and interview preparation are highly relevant to my career goals and aspirations in exciting ways. The content included what a job in data entails and reasons why a student would pursue a career in data. The speaker had some interesting ideas about the necessary skills for working as a database administrator and did an excellent job of mapping personal interests and strengths to specific career paths while offering helpful advice for a successful job search and interview. This webinar provided solid guidance for aspiring data professionals by explaining the fundamental responsibilities of data roles, identifying key technical and soft skills required in the field, and providing practical strategies for job searching and interview success, directly supporting my career aspirations as a database administrator in the field of data science.

       Candidates interested in a career in data science should have a sufficient understanding of what a job in data science is. In the YouTube webinar by DataCamp (2024), “Cotton explains that when people look at jobs in data and try to understand how they can approach the industry, there are lots of different titles and it's very hard to understand what an individual job role or job title in a specific company or industry actually does” (DataCamp, 3:06-3:20). The scope of data, how it functions across different industries, and the number of existing titles often overlaps multiple roles and skillsets because “over the last seven or eight years, we have gone from having very generalist data profiles to having much more specific ones” (DataCamp, 2024, 5:00-5:08). These specific profiles allow individuals an opportunity to concentrate their work on areas of data that meet their specializations and qualifications and can be broken down into four main profiles that include “Data Engineers, Data Analysts, Data Scientists, and Machine Learning Engineers” (DataCamp, 2024, 4:22-4:27). A Database Administrator title encompasses knowledge and skills from all four of these profiles. DBAs collaborate with other IT professionals, such as software developers, data analysts, and network engineers, to ensure integration of database systems within the overall IT infrastructure. The reasons for pursuing a job in data are presented as “high growth, impactful jobs that are interesting, allowing creative, analytical, critical thinking that can be a lot of fun while working with different people” (DataCamp, 2024, 2:25-2:35). However, the necessary skills for different job titles and profiles varies, making it essential to have a fundamental understanding of many different areas of expertise.

       After clarifying that people with the same title may assume different roles in different companies or industries, the webinar speaker offers some excellent ideas regarding the specific experience and skills required for various profiles. In DataCamp (2024), “Cotton mentions that different profiles fit different skill sets and interests, so it's possible for people from all sorts of different backgrounds to end up in data” (DataCamp, 3:39-3:49). The speaker's ideas were relevant to my career aspirations because he mentions that different skills are common for “some of the core data functions like working with data, building data pipelines, bringing new tooling, storytelling, data visualization insights, experimentation with machine learning, AI and stats” (DataCamp, 2024, 4:05-4:20). This resonated with me because I have experience in several different roles as a developer where I worked with these standard data functions. DataCamp (2024) maps personal interests and strengths to specific career paths; like when “Cotton suggests that if you are thinking about it from more of a technical perspective, and you enjoy the coding and numerical aspect of it, then I would highly recommend trying to start as a data analyst” (DataCamp, 5:32-5:42). This is valuable advice for someone starting their career and is relevant to my career goals because it highlights one of the many skills I will need to understand to perform the role of a database administrator. It was interesting to see the use of charts and graphs to highlight the ways that data skills overlap across various data profiles, demonstrating that “data analysts tend to spend a lot of time working with stakeholders understanding the business, data scientists might be doing a little bit more about statistical modeling that machine learning engineers might take and put into production” (DataCamp, 2024, 4:37-4:55). When identifying key technical and soft skills required in the field, I liked how “Cotton points out business acumen, or domain knowledge” (DataCamp, 7:36-7:40). In my experience, having collaborative soft skills, technical problem-solving skills, and professional skills are a must, however, for database administrators, it is crucial to have subject matter expertise to truly understand the business, its data, and gain the ability to translate the data into meaningful insight that the business can use to improve or meet goals. Saltz and Stanton (2018) confirm the importance of this skill by asserting that “every data scientist must (eventually) become immersed in the problem domain where she is working. The data scientist might never actually become a farmer, but if you're going to identify a data problem that a farmer has, you must learn to think like a farmer” (p. 17). I love this statement. I could not have said it better myself, and it perfectly aligns with the point that Cotton is trying to make in the DataCamp (2024) webinar: that subject matter expertise is essential.

       Once a candidate has a solid understanding of the various roles, titles, and profiles in the data career field, along with a foundational knowledge of the skills and experience required to perform the jobs, the final step in advancing their career is preparing for and participating in job interviews. A database administrator must work with many other people daily; therefore, “Cotton suggests that a really important thing to highlight through your job application process and also through your interviews is that you like working with your team and you like working with people” (DataCamp, 8:48-8:54). Working with others in collaborative environments is essential. Leadership is a learned and evolving process that involves people working together towards shared purposes and common goals, while also paying close attention to the complex relationships that exist among these individuals throughout the process. A database administrator must learn how to use their influence to motivate others to learn, and this skill should be communicated during the interview process. DataCamp (2024) mentions that in the job search and interview process, “there are no shortcuts, it's going to take a lot of work, and it's something that could be quite difficult to manage from a motivation perspective” (DataCamp, 15:21-15:26). In efforts to counter this challenging environment, a well-designed plan will be helpful to stay on track and meet personal career aspirations and goals. DataCamp (2024) provides a high-level approach to this plan, as “Cotton explains that having a one-page resume with keywords and formatting to highlight the most important parts” (DataCamp, 15:35-16:33), followed by solid field research, networking, and submitting numerous applications. DataCamp (2024) also mentions “the importance of being able to communicate that I did something, for this reason, and this was the outcome” (DataCamp, 17:22-17:46). This technique aligns with some of the core principles of the information science program at USF, by recognizing the importance of information behaviors. It is therefore essential in the interview process that a candidate can explain to the interviewer what they have accomplished, recognize the significance in the accomplishments, and describe the outcomes of the efforts, so that the information or data outcomes can be measured or used in meaningful ways by others inside and outside of the information science field. Finally, in DataCamp's (2024) webinar “Cotton states that one of the important questions that I always ask in an interview is how does a company make money?” (18:12-18:20). By understanding how the company functions and makes profit, a database administrator can explain ways in which they can add value to the organization and have a meaningful impact on their business goals.

Conclusion

       Seeking out and attending DataCamp's “How You Can Get a Job in Data | Key Steps to Start Your Data Journey” webinar turned out to be a motivating experience for improving my understanding of the data science field within information studies and technology. This webinar highlighted several key steps necessary to become a successful database administrator. James Cotton's insight into job roles, skill development, and career preparation was informative and relevant to my academic background, career goals, and aspirations. As I continue my journey in information science and data science, the knowledge I have gained from this event will help me stay focused on what is important, be well prepared for challenges, and be confident in pursuing a successful career as a database administrator.

References