Google Data Analytics Certificate vs UCT Data Science with Python

[curds]

Good day,

I was wondering if people in the industry could compare the two certificates for me in terms of the job market?

I know most companies will want an IT qualification and it's going to be hard finding an entry-level position without an IT qualification. I come from an ARTS background, but will be doing a postgrad in business. I want to get into data analytics. I would like to add courses that would make me marketable in that field.

Is it worth paying the money for the UCT short course? Will employers favour UCT over the Google certificate or are they both worth very little in the eyes of an employer? Long term goal is to get into the machine learning/UX field which hopefully my psych background will be looked on a little more favourably.

I'm trying to avoid going back to undergrad to do a B.SC in IT, but Idk in today's market are entry-level positions only open to those with IT degrees?

 

[Messugga]

Data science and data analytics are fairly far apart. If I were you, I'd look at Azure certs. Good place to start and fairly inexpensive.
For machine learning, you'll want advanced mathematics or CS degrees. Healthy doses of statistics are welcome. UX is an entirely different ballgame all together.

 

[curds]

Data science and data analytics are fairly far apart. If I were you, I'd look at Azure certs. Good place to start and fairly inexpensive.
For machine learning, you'll want advanced mathematics or CS degrees. Healthy doses of statistics are welcome. UX is an entirely different ballgame all together.

Good day,

thank you for your post. I realize even though they sound the same they are actually different positions, but whether it's data analytics or data science it will count in my favour when I apply for postgraduate qualifications. Right now I'm just looking at the easiest entry point. I will look at Azure Certs.

UX research is a long-term goal. I'm adding or hoping to add statistics courses for NDP and I'm in discussions with universities to add them.

Oh and the reason I mentioned the UCT course is that it has python right in the name and a lot of the entry-level positions I've been looking at asks for python.

 

[Messugga]

Good day,

thank you for your post. I realize even though they sound the same they are actually different positions, but whether it's data analytics or data science it will count in my favour when I apply for postgraduate qualifications. Right now I'm just looking at the easiest entry point. I will look at Azure Certs.

UX research is a long-term goal. I'm adding or hoping to add statistics courses for NDP and I'm in discussions with universities to add them.

Oh and the reason I mentioned the UCT course is that it has python right in the name and a lot of the entry-level positions I've been looking at asks for python.

In our stack, Python doesn't feature in any way, shape or form amongst our data analysts. Our data scientists, MLOps engineers and data engineers however, do need Python to varying degrees.

Will I personally hire someone as a data scientist without advanced mathematics qualifications (engineers and similar are included here), ideally at a post grad level? No.
Will I do the same for a data analyst? Yes.
Do our UX guys have anything to do with data science or analytics? No.

 

[randomcat]

Good day,

I was wondering if people in the industry could compare the two certificates for me in terms of the job market?

I know most companies will want an IT qualification and it's going to be hard finding an entry-level position without an IT qualification. I come from an ARTS background, but will be doing a postgrad in business. I want to get into data analytics. I would like to add courses that would make me marketable in that field.

Is it worth paying the money for the UCT short course? Will employers favour UCT over the Google certificate or are they both worth very little in the eyes of an employer? Long term goal is to get into the machine learning/UX field which hopefully my psych background will be looked on a little more favourably.

I'm trying to avoid going back to undergrad to do a B.SC in IT, but Idk in today's market are entry-level positions only open to those with IT degrees?

If I may ask, what are you currently doing or have done(work experience)?

 

[curds]

In our stack, Python doesn't feature in any way, shape or form amongst our data analysts. Our data scientists, MLOps engineers and data engineers however, do need Python to varying degrees.

Will I personally hire someone as a data scientist without advanced mathematics qualifications (engineers and similar are included here), ideally at a post grad level? No.
Will I do the same for a data analyst? Yes.
Do our UX guys have anything to do with data science or analytics? No.

Again thank you for all your responses. As I said I have an unrelated degree (psych) and have been researching the field for the past few months and I really like everything I've read about it. So, perhaps I'm getting things a bit confused. I have scoured the job markets and the common threads seemed to be statistics, SQL, python, R etc.

UX is tricky as a lot of ads actually don't go into specifics and some even list personal attributes as opposed to qualifications. So, I've been focusing on skills, etc I could add.

But if I'm understanding you correctly I want to be looking into Data Analytics solely as the plan is definitely not to add advanced mathematical qualifications. And albeit that there is some crossover between data scientist and a data analyst the entry point would be very different.

 

[Messugga]

Again thank you for all your responses. As I said I have an unrelated degree (psych) and have been researching the field for the past few months and I really like everything I've read about it. So, perhaps I'm getting things a bit confused. I have scoured the job markets and the common threads seemed to be statistics, SQL, python, R etc.

UX is tricky as a lot of ads actually don't go into specifics and some even list personal attributes as opposed to qualifications. So, I've been focusing on skills, etc I could add.

But if I'm understanding you correctly I want to be looking into Data Analytics solely as the plan is definitely not to add advanced mathematical qualifications. And albeit that there is some crossover between data scientist and a data analyst the entry point would be very different.

Pretty much. You can think of a data analyst as someone who helps to understand and collate source data for data scientists to use. So a first step in a long chain of events.

 

[curds]

If I may ask, what are you currently doing or have done(work experience)?

Nothing at all that would even remotely have me be considered a viable option to a future employer. I've done editing, teaching, counseling etc. I do not mind hard work nor do I mind learning new things. I actually love researching various things and when I get hooked on something I try to learn as much as I can.

I know my lack of related experience and "appropriate" degree will have employers hesitant to hire me so I'm hoping to take the new skills I'll be learning to Fiverr (it's an outsourcing platform).

 

[randomcat]

Nothing at all that would even remotely have me be considered a viable option to a future employer. I've done editing, teaching, counseling etc. I do not mind hard work nor do I mind learning new things. I actually love researching various things and when I get hooked on something I try to learn as much as I can.

I know my lack of related experience and "appropriate" degree will have employers hesitant to hire me so I'm hoping to take the new skills I'll be learning to Fiverr (it's an outsourcing platform).

Maybe try getting into a tech company through a non-technical role. Once you are in try and pivot.

 

[cguy]

Is it worth paying the money for the UCT short course? Will employers favour UCT over the Google certificate or are they both worth very little in the eyes of an employer? Long term goal is to get into the machine learning/UX field which hopefully my psych background will be looked on a little more favourably.

Didn’t you do a fair amount of stats in your psych degree?

I would suggest starting with Python and then taking it from there. A degree would be optimal, certainly for what you want to do, but you may find something else on the way (web development/design or such).

 

[curds]

Didn’t you do a fair amount of stats in your psych degree?

I would suggest starting with Python and then taking it from there. A degree would be optimal, certainly for what you want to do, but you may find something else on the way (web development/design or such).

I did and I was actually pretty good at quantitative psychology. LOL, funnily enough, I just found a postgrad qualification that requires first-year statistics only and messaged the professor stating psych did have statistics (kinda), but sadly it doesn't count.

 

[curds]

Maybe try getting into a tech company through a non-technical role. Once you are in try and pivot.

I'm looking for startups at the moment. My husband is actually doing something in a different field with a new company and the people in the company seem to find it easy to move around. For now, I have the time so once I know anything about anything lol I'm okay with doing the grunt work at companies a toe in the door is better than nothing right?

 

[prod]

Oh and the reason I mentioned the UCT course is that it has python right in the name and a lot of the entry-level positions I've been looking at asks for python.

Are you talking about the GetSmarter course? https://www.getsmarter.com/products/uct-data-science-with-python-online-short-course

I did this, mostly because it was paid for by my employer and I thought, "why not?" - it's close to my line of work anyway. The outcomes of this course were:

• Justify the use of statistical learning methods for data-scientific problems
• Critique the use of tree-based models in a business context
• Assess the need to manage the complexity of a tree-based model
• Justify the use of neural networks in a business context
• Evaluate the need to manage complexity in neural networks
• Decide when K-means clustering would be an appropriate approach
• Evaluate the implementation of a model using hierarchical clustering
• Developer a strategy to answer a business question using data

As for the course, I felt it was good/alright. There was a sort of disconnect between the learning material and the assignments though...I got the feeling that the assignments were very easy...possibly on purpose

With regards to Python...most of the code is provided in notebooks and you will simply need to do minimum to complete the assignments. If the goal is to learn Python then look at specific courses for that, something like https://www.linkedin.com/learning/python-essential-training-2018/welcome?u=70295562
The Python modules you use in this course are also very well known (Pandas, numpy, matplotlib, seaborn etc.) and the ML modules come from sklearn if I remember correctly.

 

[curds]

Are you talking about the GetSmarter course? https://www.getsmarter.com/products/uct-data-science-with-python-online-short-course

I did this, mostly because it was paid for by my employer and I thought, "why not?" - it's close to my line of work anyway. The outcomes of this course were:

• Justify the use of statistical learning methods for data-scientific problems
• Critique the use of tree-based models in a business context
• Assess the need to manage the complexity of a tree-based model
• Justify the use of neural networks in a business context
• Evaluate the need to manage complexity in neural networks
• Decide when K-means clustering would be an appropriate approach
• Evaluate the implementation of a model using hierarchical clustering
• Developer a strategy to answer a business question using data

As for the course, I felt it was good/alright. There was a sort of disconnect between the learning material and the assignments though...I got the feeling that the assignments were very easy...possibly on purpose

With regards to Python...most of the code is provided in notebooks and you will simply need to do minimum to complete the assignments. If the goal is to learn Python then look at specific courses for that, something like https://www.linkedin.com/learning/python-essential-training-2018/welcome?u=70295562
The Python modules you use in this course are also very well known (Pandas, numpy, matplotlib, seaborn etc.) and the ML modules come from sklearn if I remember correctly.

Thank you for this, I'm busy with the data analytics course from google, and it's nothing like the Getsmart course.

Glad I didn't end up paying for the UCT course because I'm not in the IT field so it doesn't seem like it would be all that useful for me right now. If the Google course is anything to go by I definitely want to be in data analytics. The course uses R though not python. I'm not sure if it's because R is easier to learn or if Google just prefers R, but adding Python to my knowledge base won't hurt so when I'm done I will check the Linkedin course out.

 

[cguy]

Thank you for this, I'm busy with the data analytics course from google, and it's nothing like the Getsmart course.

Glad I didn't end up paying for the UCT course because I'm not in the IT field so it doesn't seem like it would be all that useful for me right now. If the Google course is anything to go by I definitely want to be in data analytics. The course uses R though not python. I'm not sure if it's because R is easier to learn or if Google just prefers R, but adding Python to my knowledge base won't hurt so when I'm done I will check the Linkedin course out.

We use R and Python extensively at work. R is very much in its way out though. QR/DS/DA roles were 100% R five years ago, but are now 30% R, 70% Python.

I suggest giving courses with R a miss if you’re not very familiar with programming - learning two languages when just starting off with DS/DA is a bit much.

 

[Y'all Qaeda]

Why don't you focus straight on the UX side of things? That seems to be your long term goal anyway? I know of a couple of UX and UI people and having a psych degree is a benefit there. Openwindow has courses in UX/UI if you want to head that way.

 

[curds]

Why don't you focus straight on the UX side of things? That seems to be your long term goal anyway? I know of a couple of UX and UI people and having a psych degree is a benefit there. Openwindow has courses in UX/UI if you want to head that way.

Because when I started looking at alternate career options both UX/UI and data analytics caught my attention. I thought my psych background would be of some use in the UX/UI field, but nobody got back to me (tried to apply to so many companies quite a few said no experience/no degree applicants are welcome). I eventually decided instead of wasting time to try and get into UX/UI, it would be easier to upskill myself and try to get into data analytics. Since I do enjoy the idea of working with data and wanted to do UX research.

Plus, there seem to be more data analytic internships than UX ones, and since I have no contactable reference (worked overseas mostly). I need something that has an "easy" entry point.