How Data Science Roles vary across the Tech Companies

More than a decade ago, an article was published in Harvard Business Review (HBR) titled as “Data Scientist: The Sexiest Job of the 21st Century” by DJ Patil and Thomas Davenport. At the time, the title Data Scientist was defined as “a high-ranking professional with the training and curiosity to make discoveries in the world of big data.”

Fast forward today, the Data Scientist title has evolved in so many directions that it has become one of the most misused and confusing job titles in the data industry. The interview process for Data Science is the messiest of all time. One of the main reasons for not having a clear, concrete or streamlined interview process is the confusion around the job titles vs. responsibilities expected from the role.

In this article, I will try to unbox what the Data Scientist as a job title means in the top four tech companies- Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta (formerly known as Facebook). I will also highlight the top skills needed for those roles.