How Miguel Couto Got More Data Science Job Offers Than He Could Handle

Couto decided to shift his career and teach himself data science using Dataquest, an online platform.

Learning with Dataquest

“It really helped me a lot,” Couto said, praising Dataquest's projects and community. He also utilized other resources like Medium, Youtube, DataCamp, and Codecademy, but found Dataquest to be the most helpful. To learn effectively, Miguel took on ambitious projects, even those that seemed too difficult. He advised others not to be afraid of taking on challenging tasks, emphasizing the importance of hands-on experience.

Becoming Job-Ready

After completing 50% of Dataquest's data scientist path, Couto applied for jobs despite feeling unprepared. To his surprise, he received several positive responses and ultimately accepted a Data Analyst role with a division of WPP. He credits his advertising knowledge and Dataquest experience for securing the job, rather than his PhD.

Advice for Other Data Science Learners

Miguel's advice for job-seeking students includes over-preparing for interviews and aiming higher than they think possible. He spent only 250 euros on Dataquest, compared to the 8,000 euros he could have spent on the bootcamp, and he encourages others to explore online learning options. “You don’t really need to spend 10,000 dollars on a bootcamp . . . You can learn that online as well,” he said, “and you can still get a job.”