Data bears an intrinsic value, but it is of no use to us until the ‘value’ is discovered and realized. Today, the world generates an incomprehensible amount of data every second containing structured, semi-structured and unstructured data - together, this is termed as Big Data.

Big Data is so big that it is beyond the traditional processing methods. Thus, to unravel the innate value of Big Data, or rather the insights hidden within it, Big Data technologies have been developed. With the help of Big Data technologies, businesses can collect, clean & organize, process, analyze, and interpret massive amounts of raw data to facilitate smart and innovative decision-making. Insights gained from Big Data are also used to develop Machine Learning and Advanced Analytics applications.

The need and importance of Big Data have grown manifold not only in the business sector, but also in healthcare, finance, education, and even Governance. As a result, job opportunities in Big Data are growing at an unprecedented rate. Most Big Data jobs come with the promise of fast career growth and high-end salaries - the two primary attractions of the field. In fact, Big Data jobs pay much higher than the average market pay scale.

So, there’s no time like now to take advantage of this opportunity and gain the requisite skills for Big Data for business.

Thanks to Big Data Analytics, businesses and organizations can now leverage large volumed of data to uncover useful insights. Unlike conventional BI tools, Big Data Analytics can offer instant solutions to various issues. Using the extracted information, organizations can identify new business opportunities, make smart business decisions, enhance work productivity, create data-driven products/services, and gain a competitive edge in the market. As productivity and efficiency increases, it boosts the ROI and also customer satisfaction quotient.

Applications of Big Data are gaining a strong foothold across various industries. For instance, Big data analytics has made it possible for healthcare providers to offer personalized medicine and remote monitoring. Also, by mapping healthcare data with geographical data sets, Big Data Analytics can help predict potential epidemic outbreaks. Another use case of Big Data is in Governance. Government wings use real-time Big Data Analytics for cyber-security and intelligence, crime prediction and prevention, tax compliance, weather forecasting, traffic optimization, and much more. In the banking sector, Big Data Analytics plays a pivotal role in detecting and preventing fraudulent transactions, money laundering, and misuse of credit/debit cards.

To become a Big Data Analyst:

Apart from degrees, you must possess the following skills to become a successful Big Data Analyst:

Here’s a list of the top career options in Big Data:

Big Data Engineers design, develop, test, evaluate, and maintain Big Data solutions for businesses/organizations.

Data Architects design and build and maintain complex database systems for businesses/organizations.

Data Scientists are professionals who are well-versed in Mathematics, Statistics, and ML. They must uncover the hidden patterns in large datasets and interpret the data in ways that can benefit businesses.

A Big Data Analyst’s job is much like that of a Data Scientist, as in, they also have to analyze data from disparate sources to identify new business opportunities, ways to enhance business operations, increase customer satisfaction factor, and so on.

Data Warehouse Managers handle everything associated with the design, implementation, maintenance, and support of data warehouse systems and data repositories.