A data scientist resume is one of the first things you'll need if you want to land a tech interview. Recruiters spend very little time sifting through thousands of resumes. As a result, creating a well-structured data scientist resume is critical to succeed on the first try.
You must understand the proper format and style for creating a data scientist resume. The right resume keywords and ATS (Applicant Tracking System) compatibility can put you ahead of the competition.
A data scientist resume should highlight your key skills and persuade the hiring manager that you are the best fit for the job. Continue reading to learn how to create an impressive data scientist resume.
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In this article, we'll show you how to write an ATS and recruiter-friendly resume. To create a flawless data scientist resume, follow the step-by-step guide.
Here's what we'll cover:
- How to Choose the Best Format to Create a Data Scientist Resume?
- Which Sections Should You Include in a Data Scientist Resume?
- Data Scientist Resume Sample
- How to Write an Entry-level Data Scientist Resume?
- Easy Tips to Make Your Data Scientist Resume Stand Out
- FAQs on How to Create a Data Scientist Resume
How to Choose the Best Format to Create a Data Scientist Resume?
If you are a data scientist looking for a tech job, particularly at a FAANG+ company, you must include relevant information in your resume. A recruiter will be impressed if you include information about your previous projects, team collaborations, difficult tasks, and conceptual knowledge. It is essential that you present this information in an appropriate format that catches the recruiter's attention. There are three basic formats for data scientist resumes:
- Traditional/Chronological Resume format highlights work experience in a reverse-chronological format, ideal for experience holders.
- Functional Resume Format emphasizes skills, while work experience comes later. It is not usually ATS compatible, and often recruiters don't find them impressive.
- The Combination Resume format worked well with both freshers and experienced software engineers.
It is essential to choose the right resume format as per your experience level and the industry you are applying to. For example, for an entry-level data scientist resume, a combination resume format highlights the key skills and experiences. On the contrary, for an experienced data scientist's resume, the chronological format is a better choice.
Which Sections Should You Include in a Data Scientist Resume?
Only relevant sections must be included, and each section must be labeled with a commonly used title. The most important sections should be placed first and prominently. A data scientist resume should include the following sections:
- Header (name, designation, contact information)
- Summary/Profile
- Work Experience
- Skills
- Education
- Certifications
You can add more relevant sections to your resume, such as awards and honors, projects, volunteer work, publications, and more.
Learn How to Write a Professional Resume here!
Data Scientist Resume Sample
The relevant sections and formatting are shown in this data scientist resume sample. Check out the data scientist resume sample PDF and make sure to follow the pattern and structure to make a good first impression on the interviewers.
How to Write an Entry-level Data Scientist Resume?
If you are a fresh graduate with no experience searching for a job, you should include:
- Course projects: Little projects, your contribution, and knowledge matter. Add the data science coursework and assignments you did during your graduation.
- Internships: Add all the training you have undertaken. It will display your communication skills, practical skills, hard work, etc.
- Volunteer work or side projects: You might have been offered volunteer work during graduation; if not, try to do some.
Also read: How to List Experience on a Software Engineer Resume.
Easy Tips to Make Your Data Scientist Resume Stand Out
A recruiter of a FAANG+ company receives hundreds of applications for one data scientist position. Here are some pro tips that will make your resume outshine others.
Write a Customized Summary Statement
Often, recruiters consider the objective in a data scientist resume to be outdated. It is better to create a customized data scientist resume summary. You can follow these guidelines to create an outline that hooks the recruiter:
- Begin with your years of experience as a data scientist or other relevant position.
- Emphasize what value you can bring to the company and the role. Avoid stating your expectations from the job.
- Use action verbs, keywords, and skills (both technical and soft skills).
- Consider including information about your long-term goals in the field.
Create an Impactful Experience Section
Data scientist resume experience section incorporates a brief description of the jobs you have done in your career as a data scientist. You must ensure that it looks organized and easy to understand.
- Include your company name, designation, and duration of employment.
- Under every position, add a list of critical actions you performed in bullet points.
- In every bullet point, follow the problem, action, result rule. Firstly, state the problem you came across, followed by the effort you took to resolve it and the final result.
- Quantify your experience. Make use of numbers wherever possible.
- Begin every bullet point with strong action verbs such as compute, regulate, troubleshoot, liquidate, and more.
Add Relevant Certifications
You must include any certifications that are mentioned prominently in the job description. Create a separate certifications section on your data scientist resume to highlight it. Some useful certifications include:
- Microsoft Professional Program Certificate in Data Science
- GCP - Google Certified Professional Data Engineer
- CHDA - Certified Health Data Analyst
- Cornell Data Analytics Certification (Online)
- CAP - Certified Analytics Professional
Highlight Relevant Skills on Your Data Scientist Resume
One of the most important sections of your data scientist resume is the skills section. Include a mix of soft and technical skills to stand out. Include abilities in these sections -
- Summary statement
- Bullet points of your experience section
- Skills section
Make sure you mention the skills listed on the job descriptions of the FAANG+ companies or other tech companies. These serve as keywords, drawing the employer's attention. Here is a list of technical skills that can be used by software engineers, data scientists, software developers, engineering managers, tech leads, and other related professionals.
Maintain Consistent Formatting
- Fonts: Use common fonts like Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, Georgia, and Helvetica. Make section headings such as experiences, education, and so on bold and large, but no more than 14. The rest of the content should not be larger than size 12. Throughout your data scientist resume, use the same font style and size.
- Spacing: The resume should have single line spacing. This format ensures that your resume is easy to scan and read, and there are no extra white blank spaces between the texts.
- Margins: Set single-inch margins on all four sides.
Create An ATS Friendly Resume
FAANG and other tier-1 tech firms use ATS (Application Tracking System) to find the best software engineers, software developers, and other tech positions. A resume that hasn't been optimized for ATS is rejected in the first round. To make your resume ATS-friendly, you must:
- Add data scientist resume keywords: Look for data scientist resume keywords in job descriptions. Official FAANG job advertisements include job descriptions that outline the essential requirements. Job descriptions include specific skills and requirements that serve as resume keywords. Make sure to include the exact keywords in your data scientist resume. The keywords are searched for in the resume by the ATS.
- It is preferable to submit a data scientist resume PDF in order to preserve all formatting. Furthermore, the data scientist resume PDF is ATS-compatible.
Learn more about How To Make Your Resume ATS Friendly here.
Add a Customized Cover Letter With Your Data Scientist Resume
Include a cover letter with your resume for an entry-level data scientist. Recruiters look for candidates who go above and beyond to write a personalized cover letter. The cover letter will assist you in conversing with the recruiter.
Demonstrate that you have done your homework on the company and give them a taste of your intelligence. Demonstrate your interest in the position and persuade them that you will be a valuable asset. Remember, if you don't have time to write a personalized cover letter, don't include it.
This completes our guide on how to write a perfect data scientist resume. With the basic idea of creating a data scientist resume, it is time to prepare for the next big step. Learn more about How to Get a Data Science Job here! Ace your coding interview or any other tech interview prep with Interview Kickstart!
FAQs on How to Create a Data Scientist Resume
Q1. Is a cover letter essential with my data scientist resume?
When you include a personalized cover letter with your data scientist resume, it strengthens your application and makes you stand out. It demonstrates to the recruiter that you have done extensive research on the company and the position.
Q2. What is the standard length of a data scientist's resume?
To have a significant impact on the interviewer, a resume should be one page long and contain properly structured information. Two pages can be used by data scientist professionals who have been in the field for more than 5-10 years. However, unless the company requests a CV, experts advise not to go beyond two pages.
Q3. What certifications should a data scientist resume have?
Certifications are not required. A data scientist, on the other hand, can add the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate, the MIT Data Science and Statistics Certification, and any other certification from prestigious institutions that add value to the resume.
Q4. What skills should I list on my data scientist resume?
A resume for a data scientist should include both technical and soft skills. You must incorporate them into all sections of your resume, including the summary statement, experience section, and skills section.
Q5. Is a summary better than an objective on a data scientist resume?
Most recruiters believe that resume objectives are out of date. As a result, including a customized summary/profile on a data scientist resume is preferable.
Q6. Which extra sections can I add to my data scientist resume?
You can enhance your data scientist resume with technical certifications, volunteer work, publications, honors, and other accomplishments to make it more appealing to the interviewer.
How to Ace Your Next Tech Interview
Land your dream data scientist job at a FAANG+ company by preparing well on all grounds. Not only should you have a stellar data scientist resume, but you also need to have an application strategy, interview prep plan, and salary negotiation strategy.
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