Why I am choosing to become a Data Scientist
As I announced a few weeks ago on my social networks, I have been accepted to the ENSAE ParisTech program in Data Science. Starting in September, I will follow this program as a part-time student while continuing to work at Capgemini Consulting. I will progressively transition from my current management consulting role to a Data Scientist. I am glad to share this amazing news with you, and I am grateful for all the help I have received to make this project come true. Special thanks to the Big Data & Analytics team at Capgemini Consulting for supporting my ambition!
I have not communicated about this project on my blog, so you may wonder about the motivations behind this project. In short, the main reason is that I love mathematics and computer science. I have been a science nerd fiddling with computers since I was 10, and I am proud of it. Even if I have chosen a business career to start with, I am deeply attached to my engineering roots. Out of intellectual curiosity, I have drifted into finance & economics after 3 years of pure engineering, but I have always had the project of going back to it at some point.
The first trigger came during my internship in finance when I realized how much mathematics and data were central to today’s business life. It was in 2011, and the word “Data Scientist” did not have the publicity it now has. Then, during my final year of studies in Toronto, I entered the local startup ecosystem, and the idea continued to grow. The second trigger was a presentation by Peter Suma, co-founder of Applied Brain Research, at a startup course I was attending. It opened my eyes to a new world of possibilities. When I went back to France to find my first job, I was determined to start working and building my skill set in the area of Data Science. I happened to find a great consulting firm with a clear vision of Big Data & Analytics, willing to invest in it, and with a growing team.
All in all, after a year and a half of working on Big Data & Analytics projects from the business side, this project is a way for me to go back to the core of my scientific personality. I am excited to tackle this new challenge, as I see Big Data & Analytics as a real game-changer. As demonstrated by Internet startups, it is possible to build business models with data as the main asset. Now all industries and institutions are awaking to the idea that data is valuable. In the last 2 years, I have been amazed at how fast incumbents understood the importance of the matter and started moving. I may be a dreamer, but I believe Big Data & Analytics can transform societies and economies for the better, introducing more transparency, less inertia, and better quality of life. Now it is up to the rising generation of Data Scientists to make it happen!
