Enormous opportunity to explore in big data

IN the age of IT and Internet of Things ( IoT), you might have heard the hype on big data analytics but have you ever considered a career in this goldmine of a field?

Described as the process of collecting, organising and analysing a big volume of data, the application of big data analytics is used to uncover patterns, unknown correlations, market trends, customer preferences and other useful information to give companies a competitive edge.

The data, which can be both structured and unstructured, is gathered from various sources such as social networks, videos, digital images, and digital transaction records.

Presently, there is a steady inclination towards big data among analytics professionals as more and more organisations are using big data and related analysis applications as a way to gain more information in developing effective business strategies and decisions.

According to the latest Worldwide Semiannual Big Data and Analytics Spending Guide from International Data Corporation (IDC), the worldwide revenue for big data and business analytics will grow to more than US$ 203 billion in 2020.

This means that the demand for professionals with big data analytics skills is also increasing alongside investments in big data due to the evolving nature of analytical needs and the influx of data from various resources.

Sarawak is no exception to this disruptive change as it is striving to develop its digital economy, including the big data analytics field, thus leaving endless opportunities for youths to explore.

Driven by specialised analytics systems and software, those pursuing a career in big data analytics must possess both technical skills such as statistical and analytical skills, software programming, and data visualisation, as well as business skills such as communication, creativity, problem identification, and solution approach.

While the technological field currently accounts for most of the job prospects in data analytics, there are other areas using data analytics application as well, including marketing, corporate, consulting, healthcare, financial services, government, banking, manufacturing and gaming.

The big data field has a wide variety of career paths to choose from, such as data analyst, data scientist, big data engineer, database administrators and big data architect.

The shift towards a data-driven culture within society and the new generation of technology available have created a number of opportunities for IT professionals with data analytics skills to exploit.

So, if you do have an interest in statistics, numbers and programming, now is the right time to consider pursuing tertiary studies and eventually a career in this field as there is great demand for big data professionals from companies in various sectors globally.

This is a weekly column by SarawakYES! – an initiative driven by Faradale Media-M Sdn Bhd and supported by Angkatan Z am an Mans ang(Azam)S arawak – to provide advice and stories on the topics of education and careers to support Sarawakians seeking to achieve their dreams. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.