The definition of a data scientist is still evolving and means different things to different employers and job seekers. Presenting a one-size-fits-all resume in your job search does not work. Tailoring your resume to the position you are pursuing is ideal. Here’s how to present an honest best data science resume possible, but also one that piques the interest of the, often, non-technical person doing the initial screening.
Keywords
Are you as sick of talking about keywords as I am? However, Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) aren’t going away anytime soon. The ease with which job seekers can send their resume to multiple jobs, means Talent Acquisition (TA) people have to have some easier way to winnow down the pool of responses and keyword requirements is how they do it. Never say you have a skill you don’t have, but recognize that a TA person might not know that Numpy is part of Python and when you say you are an expert in Numpy they won’t understand that you mean you also know Python. You have to include that desired word on your best data scientist resume.
Industry Experience
Every TA person prefers someone who can speak the language of their industry. While a TA might not recognize the depth of the analytical skills you have, they know you know their industry when you talk about interacting with actuaries in an insurance company or talking about a project you did for the Chief Credit Officer in a bank. The right terminology shows you probably understand the nuances of that industry.
Project Experience
This is the core of your best data scientist resume. Succinct expression of projects utilizing the best keywords with specific numerical metrics included is far better than “wordy superlatives.” (A term utilized by Rashi Desai in her excellent blog on data science resumes.) Highlight projects that answer what the company is looking for in their job description. Yes, you may have spent the bulk of your time on improving conversion rates and reducing bounce rates, but if they want machine learning experience definitely include that one-off project you did on optimizing a random forest machine learning model.
The Basics
Because you are a number person you may come up short on the best grammar, the best editing or even the best formatting for a resume. Have a non-technical person critique each custom made resume before sending to a position posting. Don’t let them edit the nuts and bolts of the data science work you’ve done, but a non-technical eye can help you make your resume more attractive and easier to read.
Specials
Because talent acquisition people may assume your communication and interpersonal skills aren’t that strong, if you are an excellent data scientist, include something on your resume that speaks to your uniqueness. Perhaps you are an active stock picker or you love British soccer or you practiced Irish Dance for fifteen years. Everyone has a special interest that makes them memorable. A best data scientist resume will make you approachable as well as qualified.
Interested in revamping your resume? Contact the Smith Hanley Associates’ Data Science and Analytics’ Recruiters: Nancy Darian at ndarian@smithhanley.com and Paul Chatlos at pchatlos@smithhanley.com.
