For 2017, I have a mission for the data industry: the 3k Challenge. For those of you opt for a more sedentary lifestyle, don’t worry – it doesn’t require you to go out and buy a pair of running shoes. Instead, it is a quest for data talent: to attract an incremental 3,000 new candidates to the data and analytics industry every year.
While companies like Google or Facebook might have that many people banging down the doors to work for them every time they post a new vacancy, the truth is that most of us do not have that luxury. Not to mention the budget to attract sort of data wrangling genii who command big number salaries.
However, while most organisations would benefit from a data scientist, in reality they have just as much need for those at the start of their careers – the sort of person with the mindset to adopt new analytics and data management practices. We need to encourage and cultivate this talent, building their skills and knowledge of what is required from the sector.