In 2010, I outlined a list of 10 jobs of the future. Number 3 on the list was “data analyst.” In today’s Wall Street Journal, it was reported that business schools across the country are “unveiling analytics electives, certificates and degree programs, and other courses and programs” in the field.
The reason is obvious. In May, a study from McKinsey found that by 2018 the U.S. will face a shortage of 1.5 million managers who can use data to shape business decisions.
If you’re hoping to be gainfully employed for the next decade, the field of data mining is a good choice. Why? Because there is gold to be found in the coming data deluge but we’ll need plenty of “miners of the future” to help sift through all of data to find the real nuggets.
P.S. To understand the potential of data mining, it helps to understand that fashion companies are already using it to examine consumers historical buying patterns and find insights into future clothing purchases, while food chains are using data from their loyalty programs to increase online order sizes.
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