Build Your Digital Presence

More than 80% recruiters we spoke to admitted they check a candidate’s LinkedIn profile before calling them for an interview. That’s right – we are living in the middle of a digital revolution. Simply relying on a 1 or 2 page resume is not enough. The recruiting firm wants evidence to back up the claims in your resume.

The good news – there’s no dearth of options to do this:

• You should have a LinkedIn profile. It should be updated and optimized according to the role(s) you’re applying for. Applying for a data scientist role while showcasing a non-technical background will not give the correct impression
• Create a GitHub account. Programming is a vital cog in the data science machine. Uploading your code and projects to GitHub helps the recruiter see your work first-hand. Nothing more convincing than a well-documented code!
• Regularly answer data science relevant questions on Quora. This conveys your understanding of the subject matter
• Start publishing your learning in blog form. Learned something new? Write about it. Put it out in the open. Ask the community for their feedback. That’s how you build credibility and enhance your chances of getting an interview
• Apply to speak at meet-ups and conferences. Build your reputation in the data science community by attending events like DataHack Summit. If you can get through as a speaker, the job offers might just start rolling in

The options are endless! You need to pick the medium(s) depending on the roles you want to apply for and your own strengths (for instance, a Business Analyst might not need a GitHub account).