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

Scripting with Shell and Bash Commands in Linux

In this brief chapter, we’ll delve into shell and Bash scripting with Linux, covering basic navigation control statements, functions, data processing and pipelines, and database operations. Additionally, you’ll learn how to leverage the cron command for task scheduling and, importantly, how to run Python programs from the command line.

Although the likelihood of being tested on Linux commands during a data science interview is rare, you’ll be better prepared to utilize data science-adjacent technologies that leverage the command line. In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

  • Introduction to operating systems
  • Navigating system directories
  • Filing and directory manipulation
  • Scripting with Bash
  • Introducing control statements
  • Creating functions
  • Processing data and pipelines
  • Using cron