8 Tips To Ensure You Nail Your Data Science Job Interview
8 Tips To Ensure You Nail Your Data Science Job Interview
- Research Your Role
One thing you can do prior to your interview is to research exactly what the role you are applying for entails. Will you be designing and interpreting experiments to test variants of the product, or doing deep dives to understand more about how users use your product? Knowing the role inside-out will give you a huge advantage when you are asked about the role in an interview. - Get Ahead!
If you are looking to join a team that designers a product that is readily available, such as on a website, play with the product and see if you can work out the pros and cons of it. If you can point out any flaws in the product that the team haven’t already spotted, you could mark yourself out as an inavailable person for the business - Project Yourself!
Have you been involved with, or taken the lead on, an exciting project in your previous role? if so, tell your interviewer about it. Specifically, mention its aims, successes, what you might have done differently and most importantly, what value your project added to the business. - Know The Basic
If you are applying for a Data Science Position, you should know the basics like the back of your hand. As a rule, make sure you are an expert at probability theory and linear algebra before you go for your first interview, as these are some of the first topics that will be covered in a technical interview. If you were asked, “what is the eigenvalue?”, would you know how to respond? - Don’t Seat Back React!
Firms want to see that you are proactive in wanting to help solve their problems, and might use a whiteboard session with the team as part of your interview. This is a huge opportunity to not only demonstrate how good a Data Scientist you are, but also that you are a good team player and aren’t afraid to get involved. If there’s a whiteboard, more often than not they want you to use it! - Strut Your Stuff
With the influx of Data Scientists into the market, a number of key firms are using a statistical modelling challenge within a set time limit as a way of separating the real Data Scientists from the pretenders. These tests might be set prior to an initial interview, or as part of a technical assessment. - Ready, Steady, Code!
The majority of Data Science interviews will include some sort of technical coding challenge, often under a time constraint. If you’ve told the company that you can code in a particular language or have it tested rigorously. Would you employ someone without knowing how good they were? - Be The Missing Puzzle!
Most Data Science interviews will comprise of an initial HR interview, a hardcore technical assessment and finally, a meet up with the team. This is your chance to show that you belong in the team and that they would be missing out if they didn’t hire you. More than anything, most teams want to hire a normal human being who works hard and fits in. Be that and the job is yours
