Tech Jobs for Good: Why Data Science Is Important

As you explore careers in tech, you’ve probably run across companies championing their “tech jobs for good.” They tout all the ways they’re making a difference… all while rumors float around the internet about the way they treat their employees or don’t recycle their plastics.   

If you’re anything like us, you cringe at these job listings, because you not only want to work at a company with integrity, but you also want to make a difference in this world with the work that you do.

This is where a career in data science comes in.

Data science is not only a lucrative and high-demand role in the tech space, but it can also uniquely position you to help make a bigger impact on this world, thanks to the skills and knowledge you’ll acquire when pursuing this type of career.   

Read on to see how you can pursue data science for social good.

Why data science is important

On a practical, day-to-day basis, a data scientist analyzes and pulls patterns, correlations, and knowledge from large amounts of data to find solutions and make informed decisions. But why is data science so important in the grand scheme of things?

The benefits of data science are numerous. Consider examples from these industries about why data science is important in today’s world:

Climate Tech

Also known as DestinE, the European-based Destination Earth project seeks to build a digital model of Earth. It’s using data visualizations literally and figuratively to better monitor and predict natural phenomena, related human impact, and hazard risks.

The ultimate goal is to help design “accurate and actionable adaptation strategies and mitigation measures” for scientists and policymakers, and help the EU reach its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

This project wouldn’t be possible without data scientists working to track, ingest, and then analyze the millions of data points that are being fed into DestinE to create Earth’s digital twin. The data collected is already being put to the test, with organizations like the European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts asking for pilot programs using DestinE data to help identify different climate scenarios to build better resiliency. 

Healthcare

Data analytics can also be applied in the healthcare industry to make patients’ lives longer and happier. A great example of this is a program called LYmph Node Assistant (LYNA), started by Google Research back in 2017. The initiative’s goal was to more accurately detect and diagnose breast cancer through gigapixel-sized pathology slides of breast cancer patient lymph nodes.

Using these slides, researchers developed artificial intelligence computer algorithms to correctly detect slides with metastatic cancer (cancer that’s spread) 99% of the time. LYNA was also able to detect other “suspicious regions” within each slide, giving pathologists even more information about their patients’ health and potential diagnosis.

As with DestinE, LYNA was driven by the work of data scientists. They implemented deep learning technology and analyzed outcomes to improve the program’s accuracy, and therefore proved its potential real-life value to pathologists and breast cancer patients around the world. 

Agriculture

If food is more your thing, consider the many different ways data can help address the rising food crisis across the world. Food shortages, price increases, and hunger are only predicted to get worse as extreme weather and climate events increase the chances of crop loss globally. 

Fortunately, the future of data science can make a significant contribution to stabilizing our food supply. As an example, machine learning models are used to predict crop yields. Studies have shown that implementing this type of technology will help increase yields, reduce unnecessary waste, and create resilient food strains, all while potentially lowering prices.

Clearly, you can use big data for social good across a variety of industries. Pursuing a career in the field of data science will help you advance the causes you care about. 

How one TripleTen graduate makes an impact

If you’d like a real-life example of someone who uses data science for good daily, look no further than TripleTen graduate Jordan Wilheim_{Revitalizing a Promising Career: Jordan Wilheim’s TripleTen Story}.

Jordan started his career path the way many people do: taking the traditional route of earning a bachelor’s degree followed up by a master’s. Both his degrees were in biology, and he was able to land a job at a startup where, in theory, his skills should’ve been put to good use. 

However, Jordan didn’t feel like he was in the right place, and after his manager quit, he knew something had to change because he no longer had someone to bounce ideas off of. When Jordan looked into how to boost his data science skills, he was disappointed with the lack of structure across most free online programs and learning opportunities.

“It was quite intimidating,” Jordan said about the long lists of skills online articles touted as the “best” ways to improve data science knowledge. “You can try to learn them, but that can be quite hard.”

Then Jordan found TripleTen’s data science bootcamp, and it was exactly the type of structured program he wanted. He even got the mentorship and guidance he’d been looking for to improve his data science skills, plus he was able to apply his learnings in real-life scenarios.

You have to deal with real-life situations: your code isn’t running, it’s freezing up, it’s crashing. These are things that are going to happen, and I’ve seen them happen in my industrial experience. And you can’t just tell your boss, ‘Well, you know, my code doesn’t work, and I don’t know what to do.’ You’re not going to last very long like that. Jordan Wilheim, TripleTen grad

Jordan used his TripleTen projects and experience to create a portfolio of work that eventually helped him land a job at his dream company, Invitae. For three years now, the genetic testing company has used Jordan’s data science and analysis expertise to better understand the DNA, RNA, and proteins it studies. 

And Jordan is “quite happy” because he’s now in a job he really wanted, all thanks to his revitalizing TripleTen experience.

How to know if data science is for you

By now, you can see why data science is important for business and tech professionals around the world. If you’re still interested in a career in data science, but aren’t sure if it’s right for you, start by asking yourself these questions:

If you said “yes” to the majority of these, then data science is an excellent fit for your career path! Now you just need to take the important step of upping your data science skills.

Tech jobs for good: find your path

The importance of data science can’t be overstated. As you consider a career in this field, know that you’ll have plenty of opportunities to make a positive impact on the world around you. 

Sure – no company is going to be perfect, but many are just as serious as you are about using tech for good. And when you land a role with that kind of company, you can be sure your data science knowledge and skills will be used to make a difference.

Still unsure if you want to pursue data science? Take our tech career quiz to see if you’re matched to this career path!