Introduction

When applying for a position as a Data Scientist, you may see a variety of skills required in the job description section. You scroll down and then see even the education required is different between postings. Most importantly, you see an overview that summarizes the role, and although the title of the position is the same, the section varies considerably. This change is due to the varying types of Data Science positions that are available. However, I have noticed that these roles are taking on new names as companies understand their specialization in Data Science. Those two popular branches of Data Science are Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Computer Vision. Depending on the company you are eventually going to work for, or currently do work for, some positions will still be titled Data Science, but have the focus on NLP or Computer Vision, while some positions will be overall Data Science. I will be highlighting both NLP and Computer Vision so that you can find out more information on what it means to be either, along with expected respective salaries, and which role is ultimately a better specialization for you.

Data Science

Data Science is an extremely broad term that is oftentimes disputed amongst people, especially in technology. Current Data Scientists can have some bias on what they think Data Science really is based on what they have experienced at their first job, but then will later come to realize that Data Science is really a blanket term for several disciplines. These disciplines include or surround Natural Language Processing, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Statistics, Mathematics, Programming, Data Analytics, Product Management, and Business Intelligence. It is really up to both you and the company you work for to decide what specific path you want to go down, or perhaps be generalists in all of these facets. A benefit of specializing in NLP or Computer Vision is that you will know what you are getting into, and can focus on learning and improving on those specific skills required by each, respective position.

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