Many experts say that data science is the right job for people with critical thinking, math, and programming. However, others insist that more than the necessary skills are needed to help you have a smooth career.
Accordingly, you can face many challenges and difficulties in this fast-changing field. So, is being a data scientist stressful? How do you reduce stress when dealing with data for many hours? This post below will help you answer the questions.
Is Data Science a Stressful Job?
Data science is a stressful job because of its requirements and challenges.
Well-paid data scientists can work in many fields and have good career opportunities. But they are also people who face stress every day.
People who do this job must deal with algorithms and programming languages daily. They also have to work as a developer, where they are often responsible for systems, software, and data processing models.
These jobs put pressure on data scientists. Even the results they produce can change the company’s operations.
So, they must always understand and communicate the work results correctly. This strict requirement puts them in a state of anxiety and stress. Because of these reasons, they may experience the following health problems:
- Cardiovascular disease: Data scientists are prone to high blood pressure, heart attack, or stroke.
- Eating disorders: Prolonged stress causes data scientists to lose their appetite and weight.
- Gastrointestinal problems: People who are constantly stressed are susceptible to gastritis and ulcerative colitis.
- Mental health issues: Some data scientists admit that while working, high pressure makes them anxious or even depressed.
Why is Data Science a Stressful Job?
Data science is a job that can cause you a lot of stress. Accordingly, workspace, competition, and the job nature make it one of the most stressful jobs today.
1. Difficult Troubleshooting and Problem-Solving
Data scientists need to handle collecting data for different purposes within the company. During this process, they must always find mistakes and correct them.
In case you have tried to fix the problem but still cannot resolve the error, you will face severe stress.
In addition to data errors, you must demonstrate your problem-solving skills while working with stakeholders. When faced with many incidents in different fields, overload, and stress are unavoidable.
2. Stressful Work Space
Data scientists can work in teams, but they usually handle the problem alone in most tasks. Each individual’s working time lasts longer than in traditional jobs.
In particular, when there are large projects to complete, they must focus on handling the work. This makes them no longer have free time for themselves.
Also, not all data scientists work smoothly in all cases. For example, they must debug when working with a dataset that is not performing as expected.
They must find out the error’s root cause to fix it thoroughly. In the worst case, even with continuous work, they cannot find a solution to the problem.
These persistent incidents inadvertently burden and pressure data scientists to deal with their day-to-day work.
3. High Competition
Data scientists often have high incomes, a perfect working workspace, and many chances for career advancement in the future.
All these advantages have attracted a lot of attention from young students. However, it also witnessed the fiercest competition. Every year, millions of students graduate in data science or related fields.
Only the ones who update new knowledge and have a good attitude can receive the desired salary. In contrast, the candidates who are not qualified will hardly get the company’s appreciation.
4. Soaring Expectations
The best data scientists are eager to mine the company’s data, complete multiple development plans, and more.
It is these expectations that make data scientists feel stressed all the time. They must accept their work downsides and focus on solving their problems well.
How to Avoid Stress When Doing Data Science?
If you’re into this fast-paced and challenging job, here are some tips to relieve stress. Scroll down for useful tips.
1. Great Work-Life Balance
Although data science is rated as a stressful job, it ranks 3rd on the list of the best jobs for work-life balance.
According to statistics by Glassdoor, many data scientists believe this job has created conditions for them to organize their time better.
Data scientists often have to deal with multiple projects in a row. Yet, you can get short breaks between assignments if you know how to organize your time.
To arrange the work, you must discuss it carefully with your partner. If your partner has many strict rules, you may have little free time when you go to work.
2. Versatility
To minimize the pressure, you will need to have the freedom to choose the correct position and be able to try out many fields. And data science is a job position that meets the above requirements well.
Becoming a data scientist, in addition to analysis and system development, you also have many other job opportunities. You can work in health and education, NGOs, and nonprofits.
Only a few jobs give you the time and workplace flexibility like data science. If you know how to take advantage of it, your work will be less stressful.
Conclusion
We have helped you answer the question: “Data Scientist – Is it a stressful job?”
The answer is yes. You may often feel exhausted and need more time while pursuing this career. Yet, the excellent salary and good career development opportunities are also factors worth considering for you to choose.
If you have any questions or related questions, don’t forget to leave them in the comments section below so I can help you answer them as soon as possible.
I hope that you always make the correct choice to develop your career smoothly. Thanks for taking the time to read this!