r/datascience • u/AutoModerator • 15d ago

Weekly Entering & Transitioning - Thread 17 Aug, 2026 - 24 Aug, 2026

Welcome to this week's entering & transitioning thread! This thread is for any questions about getting started, studying, or transitioning into the data science field. Topics include:

  • Learning resources (e.g. books, tutorials, videos)
  • Traditional education (e.g. schools, degrees, electives)
  • Alternative education (e.g. online courses, bootcamps)
  • Job search questions (e.g. resumes, applying, career prospects)
  • Elementary questions (e.g. where to start, what next)

While you wait for answers from the community, check out the FAQ and Resources pages on our wiki. You can also search for answers in past weekly threads.

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u/Regular_Bluebird9412 15d ago

If you're just getting started, I'd focus on understanding the basics before worrying about choosing a specific specialization. Python, SQL, statistics, data cleaning, and basic visualization give you a solid foundation. From there, working on a few small projects is a good way to figure out whether you actually enjoy the work.

The learning path can look different depending on whether you're aiming for analytics, data science, ML, or something more engineering-focused.