The Essential Soft Skills for Data Scientists

The Importance of Soft Skills for Data Scientists

Google conducted a study a few years ago to identify the most productive and innovative teams in an organization. It found that the best groups were not always the top technical talent. Instead, they turned out to be interdisciplinary teams that had professionals who demonstrated good communication, insights about others, and empathetic leadership. 

These members enhanced overall collaboration, which in turn improved business outcomes. 

Data science is a human pursuit. Organizations bring data scientists to augment their IT infrastructure by adding a humanized, unique angle and specialized skill sets. Therefore, in addition to mastering technical skills, data scientists must polish their soft skills to achieve their career potential.

There is a wide range of soft skills for data scientists that can aid professionals in generating business value for their company and boost their career trajectory. The role of a data scientist is fluid, and each data scientist will have a unique experience and comprehend their work differently because data science environments are distinct and inimitable.

The Data Scientist Skill Set

A firm grasp of the following soft skills for data scientists can serve you throughout your career:

1. Become a Data Science & Business Analytics Professional

   • 28%Annual Job Growth by 2026
   • 11.5 MExpected New Data Science Jobs by 2026
   • $86K - $157KAverage Annual Salary

   • 

     Caltech Post Graduate Program in Data Science

     • Earn a program completion certificate from Caltech CTME
     • Curriculum delivered in live online sessions by industry experts

     11 months months

     View Program
   • 

     Data Scientist

     • Industry-recognized Data Scientist Master’s certificate from Simplilearn
     • Dedicated live sessions by faculty of industry experts

     11 months months

     View Program

   prevNext

   Here's what learners are saying regarding our programs:

   • 

     Ikenna Uwaezuoke

     Data Analyst, HEALING SPRINGS MED- CARE LLC

     Enrolling in the Post Graduate Program in Data Science from Caltech CTME transformed my career. Simplilearn's top-notch curriculum and expert trainers far exceeded my expectations, boosting my confidence in handling complex Machine Learning projects. It was the most impactful learning experience learning from the United States.

   • 

     A.Anthony Davis

     Simplilearn United States has one of the best programs available online to earn real-world skills that are in demand worldwide. I just completed the Machine Learning Advanced course, and the LMS was excellent.

   prevNext

   Not sure what you’re looking for?View all Related Programs

   Communication

   A data scientist should have a knack for linking business orientation with the scientific, analytical, and technical facets. They must communicate their findings to business users and decision-makers and explain what value these insights can bring to the business. This research must be conveyed effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences. In this way, they can promote data literacy within the organization, which can shine a spotlight on their contribution and make their role more visible across departments. 

2. Curiosity

   Intellectual curiosity inspires data scientists to look for answers to address business crises. Professionals can go beyond initial assumptions and surface results. A data scientist must be curious enough to unlock solutions to known problems and uncover hidden, overlooked insights. As a result, they derive a higher quality of knowledge from their data sets.

3. Business Acumen

   Data scientists have to deal with a massive amount of knowledge. If they don’t translate it effectively, this priceless information goes down the drain because upper-level management never gets to use it to make business decisions. Data scientists need to appreciate current and upcoming industry trends and acquire basic business concepts and tools. 

   They also must strive to obtain an extensive understanding of which strengths and weaknesses define their current organization. A shrewd know-how of their organization’s business objectives and market position can enable them to provide answers to everyday business problems and use data to accelerate their organization’s future growth.

4. Storytelling

   Storytelling aids data scientists in conveying their results logically and clearly. It takes data visualization to another dimension, allowing decision-makers to see things from a new perspective. A compelling storytelling approach builds a strong data narrative where stakeholders attain a new sense of understanding about the data presented and use it to support their decisions going forward.

5. Adaptability

   Adaptability is one of the most sought-after soft skills for data scientists in contemporary talent acquisition. Because technological innovation and implementation are accelerating, professionals have to quickly adapt to the latest technologies. As a data scientist, you have to stay on your toes and respond to shifting business trends.

6. Critical Thinking

   Data scientists should be critical thinkers. It allows them to perform an objective analysis for a given problem, empowers them to frame questions correctly, and determines how their findings can help bring an organization closer to a desired course of action. Analyzing problems objectively during data interpretation is crucial before establishing an opinion. This objectivity encourages data scientists to take a closer look at the data source, examine all problem angles, and remain curious — removing bias from the final output.

7. Product Understanding

   Designing models isn’t the entire job. Data scientists have to offer actionable insights that can improve product quality. By gaining a complete product sense, professionals can accelerate quickly with a systematic approach. They can bootstrap models and enhance feature engineering. Additionally, this skill also aids them in perfecting their storytelling, revealing overlooked thoughts and insights about products.

8. Become a Data Science & Business Analytics Professional

   • 28%Annual Job Growth by 2026
   • 11.5 MExpected New Data Science Jobs by 2026
   • $86K - $157KAverage Annual Salary

   • 

     Caltech Post Graduate Program in Data Science

     • Earn a program completion certificate from Caltech CTME
     • Curriculum delivered in live online sessions by industry experts

     11 months months

     View Program
   • 

     Data Scientist

     • Industry-recognized Data Scientist Master’s certificate from Simplilearn
     • Dedicated live sessions by faculty of industry experts

     11 months months

     View Program

   prevNext

   Here's what learners are saying regarding our programs:

   • 

     Ikenna Uwaezuoke

     Data Analyst, HEALING SPRINGS MED- CARE LLC

     Enrolling in the Post Graduate Program in Data Science from Caltech CTME transformed my career. Simplilearn's top-notch curriculum and expert trainers far exceeded my expectations, boosting my confidence in handling complex Machine Learning projects. It was the most impactful learning experience learning from the United States.

   • 

     A.Anthony Davis

     Simplilearn United States has one of the best programs available online to earn real-world skills that are in demand worldwide. I just completed the Machine Learning Advanced course, and the LMS was excellent.

   prevNext

   Not sure what you’re looking for?View all Related Programs

   Team Player

   Data scientists don’t work inside a bubble, and they must recognize the importance of teamwork and collaborate effectively with others. They need to listen to other team members and use that input to their advantage.

How to Improve Soft Skills for a Data Scientist Career

• Taking an online course. Students can learn anything from hard skills such as Photoshop and network engineering to soft skills like project management and negotiation.
• Get feedback from others. Ask others for an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses. Observe and listen to those who have a good rapport with others.
• Get a coach. A coach can tailor the learning and practicing process for your personal needs to help you develop specific soft skills quickly and effectively.
• Practice with a friend. Practice negotiating skills by asking for a salary raise, a promotion, or a better benefits package. Have your friend play your boss and give you feedback about your proposal. 

The Real Benefits of Soft Skills

Everyone can become well-versed in soft skills. A study found out that a factory achieved a nearly 250 percent return on investment when it chose to educate employees with a training program for soft skills. Soft skills can boost productivity, efficiency and support decision-making. 

Plus, soft skills will be valued in tomorrow’s automated workforce. The World Economic Forum (WEF) predicts that automation will result in a net increase of 58 million jobs. About two-thirds of the jobs transformed by automation will become higher-skilled, while the remainder will be lower-skilled. Automation will take over the more repetitive and dangerous tasks, freeing humans to do more challenging work that incorporates soft skills — interfacing with customers, developing better products, and managing those robots.

Boost Your Value With The Right Program

We have provided a detailed comparison of our data science courses to help you explore the specifics and find the right program that suits your needs.

Program Name	Data Scientist Master's Program	Post Graduate Program In Data Science	Post Graduate Program In Data Science
Geo	All Geos	All Geos	Not Applicable in US
University	Simplilearn	Purdue	Caltech
Course Duration	11 Months	11 Months	11 Months
Coding Experience Required	Basic	Basic	No
Skills You Will Learn	10+ skills including data structure, data manipulation, NumPy, Scikit-Learn, Tableau and more	8+ skills including Exploratory Data Analysis, Descriptive Statistics, Inferential Statistics, and more	8+ skills including Supervised & Unsupervised Learning Deep Learning Data Visualization, and more
Additional Benefits	Applied Learning via Capstone and 25+ Data Science Projects	Purdue Alumni Association Membership Free IIMJobs Pro-Membership of 6 months Resume Building Assistance	Upto 14 CEU Credits Caltech CTME Circle Membership
Cost	$$	$$$$	$$$$
	Explore Program	Explore Program	Explore Program

Soft skills offer an excellent opportunity to cultivate and sharpen data science performance. Developing soft skills not only adds value to your organization but can also take your career to unprecedented heights. More importantly, unlike many current skills, they can’t disappear overnight due to automation. 

Both aspiring and current data scientists can turn to Simplilearn, which can help provide Data Scientists with all of the skills they need to become an asset wherever they’re working. Check out our programs in data science, many offered in collaboration with IBM and in partnership with Purdue University.