Book Image

Cracking the Data Science Interview

By : Leondra R. Gonzalez, Aaren Stubberfield
Book Image

Cracking the Data Science Interview

By: Leondra R. Gonzalez, Aaren Stubberfield

Overview of this book

The data science job market is saturated with professionals of all backgrounds, including academics, researchers, bootcampers, and Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) graduates. This poses a challenge for companies seeking the best person to fill their roles. At the heart of this selection process is the data science interview, a crucial juncture that determines the best fit for both the candidate and the company. Cracking the Data Science Interview provides expert guidance on approaching the interview process with full preparation and confidence. Starting with an introduction to the modern data science landscape, you’ll find tips on job hunting, resume writing, and creating a top-notch portfolio. You’ll then advance to topics such as Python, SQL databases, Git, and productivity with shell scripting and Bash. Building on this foundation, you'll delve into the fundamentals of statistics, laying the groundwork for pre-modeling concepts, machine learning, deep learning, and generative AI. The book concludes by offering insights into how best to prepare for the intensive data science interview. By the end of this interview guide, you’ll have gained the confidence, business acumen, and technical skills required to distinguish yourself within this competitive landscape and land your next data science job.
Table of Contents (21 chapters)
Free Chapter
1
Part 1: Breaking into the Data Science Field
4
Part 2: Manipulating and Managing Data
10
Part 3: Exploring Artificial Intelligence
16
Part 4: Getting the Job

Introducing the machine learning workflow

If you’re a data scientist preparing for a technical interview, understanding the machine learning workflow is non-negotiable. Machine learning is concerned with the design and application of algorithms and techniques that allow computers to learn patterns that are often applied to solve business problems.

At its core, the workflow consists of several key stages, beginning with a well-defined problem statement and culminating in the application of a model trained on unseen data. Each stage, whether it’s selecting the appropriate model, tuning hyperparameters, or making predictions, serves as an essential step in the data science process. Mastery of these stages not only sharpens your technical acumen but also equips you with the systematic thinking required to tackle a wide range of data-related problems:

Figure 10.1: Workflow for machine learning projects

Figure 10.1: Workflow for machine learning projects

The importance of the machine learning...