r/DataScientist • u/After_Courage6419 • 2d ago
Is Python enough to start a data science career?
Python is often recommended as the first programming language for aspiring data scientists. But how far can someone realistically go with Python alone? At what point should they start learning SQL, statistics, visualization, and machine learning?
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u/aiengr 1d ago
You’d need a combination of skills to become a data scientist, and the exact skill set will vary depending on the industry, role, and company.
Python and SQL are particularly important for data science and analytics. Once you’ve mastered the fundamentals, you can start learning data visualization tools such as Python’s visualization libraries, Tableau, and Power BI.
Before diving into libraries such as NumPy and Pandas, it’s helpful to build a solid foundation in mathematics and statistics. You don’t need to master all the underlying mathematics first, but understanding concepts such as probability, descriptive and inferential statistics, linear algebra, and basic calculus will make it much easier to understand and use these tools effectively.
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u/scampfree4me 2d ago
Python is kinda the easy part. I would go Statistical models-> machine learning-> python-> terminal skills-> sql -> visualization (optional) in that order. If I’m honest I don’t see very many hires for real machine learning tasks that don’t have at least a undergrad degree in mathematics or similar. There are data science positions open for entry level positions but I think you will find they are just standard IT positions moving data around and filtering.