How to Get Started as
a Data Mining Specialist
Refine Your Skills and Remain Relevant
Data mining specialists analyze large data sets in search of useful information. For instance, a company can use data mining to learn about its clients’ consumption patterns. A data mining analyst plays an important role in helping a company boost its profits.
If you’re wondering how to become a data mining specialist, our complete guide below will show you the way.
What Is a Data Mining Specialist?
A data mining specialist is a professional who uses different techniques to collect and analyze data in search of relevant information. After collecting data from a company’s database, the specialist analyzes it with the help of statistical software.
Once the data miner does their work, their analysis can help the company develop business strategies. The data mining specialist can also use algorithms to predict the outcome of the data they are analyzing.
How Does Data Mining Relate to Data Science?
Data science is a major field that encompasses many processes involving the use of data to generate insights, and data mining is one of them. Data mining is mainly focused on developing techniques to dig through datasets in search of valuable information.
How Long Does It Take to Become a Data Mining Specialist?
It depends on where you’re starting from. If you already have a career in data science, it can take you between 14 weeks to eight months to become a data mining specialist.
Now, if you’re in a field that doesn’t involve data analysis, or if you’re starting from scratch, it will take you longer than that. Before becoming a data miner, you will need to gain various skills that are essential for working in big data.
Where to Study Data Mining
Where you study will depend on what your goals are. If you already have some knowledge of data analysis, you can take online courses to learn more about the theory behind data mining.
In case you’re trying to become a data scientist or data analyst, you have the option of pursuing an undergraduate degree. You can also enroll in a data science boot camp that features data mining modules.
Below are some options for getting your data mining education.
Data Mining Community Colleges
There aren’t many community college courses specifically geared towards data mining, but the topic will be covered in a data science or data analytics program. Community colleges are usually more affordable than universities, and you’ll only study for approximately two years to earn an Associate Degree in Data Science.
Data Mining Universities
You can also attend a university to become a data scientist. If you pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or Information Systems, you can take courses related to data mining. These courses will teach you the basic skills required to become a data miner.
Enrolling in university is a good option for professionals who want to learn about other subfields of data science in addition to data mining.
Data Mining Bootcamps
Bootcamps are ideal for professionals who are looking to switch careers. Their short-term programs are popular among adult learners. For career-oriented training, you can check out which of the best data science boot camps offers programs that cover data mining tools and techniques.
Data Mining Online Courses
If you want to become a data mining specialist, one of your best options is to look for data mining online courses. Several massive open online courses (MOOCs) focus only on data mining. These courses are ideal for learners who have to juggle their education with other responsibilities.
MOOC providers like edX, Udemy, and Coursera offer these courses, which can last from eight weeks to two months.
How to Become a Data Mining Specialist A Step-by-Step Guide
To become a data mining specialist, you’ll need to learn about statistics, data analysis, business intelligence, computer programming, and more. You can learn about most of these topics at college. You can also learn about them in online courses and boot camps.
There are many ways to become a data miner, but you can follow the steps below to get started.
Pursue an education
Even though it’s not necessary to go to college to become a data miner, you’ll learn a great deal about this field in an undergrad program, and even more, if you pursue a Master’s Degree in Data Science. You can also study at boot camps or with online courses.
Gain experience
Becoming a data mining specialist is not something that will happen overnight. Before you’re considered an expert, you’ll need to master the craft of data mining. Our recommendation is to practice data analysis and programming on your own as often as possible.
Study constantly
Technology is constantly evolving, and so should a professional working in big data. To become a data mining specialist, you need to update your knowledge of statistics, business intelligence, and data analysis as often as you can.
Interact with other data miners
Regardless of how much you study, there will always be some topics that you know little about or that you may have a hard time understanding. A great way to learn new things is by interacting with other data miners online. This is also a great way of building a strong network.
Apply for jobs
The average data mining specialist needs to have at least a couple of years of experience in this field. Once you’ve studied and practiced data mining on your own, you can apply for jobs and start or advance your career in data.
Entry-Level Data Mining Specialist Job Requirements
An entry-level data mining specialist needs to have a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field. In some cases, a certificate from a boot camp or a MOOC platform might be enough.
Data mining specialists should also have deep knowledge of programming languages like R or Python, statistics, operating systems, algorithms, machine learning, data sets, data analysis, and business intelligence.
Data Mining Specialist Salary and Job Outlook
According to ZipRecruiter, $66,500 was the average salary of a data mining specialist in the United States in April 2021. However, salary estimates in this field vary greatly depending on the company you’re applying for and the location where you’re based. The state of California, for instance, has some of the best job opportunities for data miners.
According to the Data Science Program at Southern Methodist University, an experienced data mining analyst can earn over $100,000 working for tech giants such as Microsoft.
Regarding job growth, Zippia predicts that by 2028, there will be 20 percent more data mining jobs, which is a much faster growth rate than the national average.
Example Data Mining Specialist Job Interview Questions
- What is your preferred technique in data mining? Explain why.
- What is the difference between data mining and data warehousing?
- Briefly talk about the role of machine learning processes in data mining.
- What are some of the advantages of data mining?
- What are data mining query languages (DMQL) and what are they used for?
What Does a Data Mining Specialist Do?
Data mining specialists dig through large data sets in search of patterns that lead to useful insights. They collect and analyze raw data and create business solutions for companies.
The work of a data mining specialist involves several important responsibilities. Below are three major tasks that data mining specialists perform in their profession.
Collects and Analyzes Data
Perhaps a data miner’s most important task is collecting and analyzing data in large data sets. This data analysis helps specialists find useful patterns, trends, and meanings. Data mining specialists can use their analysis to investigate behaviors and improve a product’s performance, for instance.
Predicts Future Trends
In addition to analyzing and identifying current trends, data miners also predict future trends. They apply their knowledge of statistical analysis and business intelligence to predict future opportunities for the company.
Presents Reports to Shareholders
Once data mining specialists collect and analyze data sets, they can develop business solutions to improve a company’s performance and profit. They create visual reports based on the information they collected and present them to shareholders or clients.
Essential Data Mining Specialist Skills and Certificates
If you want to excel as a data mining specialist, you’ll need to have certain skills. These skills are mostly related to data science and statistics, but you will also need to have social skills.
Like other professions, you’ll also need to acquire new knowledge constantly to remain relevant as a data mining specialist. This profession is growing steadily, so it’s essential that you pursue certificates if you wish to remain competitive in this field.
Below is a list of must-have skills and certificates for data mining specialists.
Data Mining Specialist Skills
Programming Languages
Everything within the field of data science relies on programming. The average data mining specialist should learn R, Python, Java, Perl, and SQL. However, a data miner who wishes to remain competitive should learn other programming languages as well.
Statistical Analysis
Mathematics and statistics are really important in data mining processes. For you to excel as a data mining specialist, you need to know as much as possible about statistics for data science, including regression, clustering, and data interpretation. Having knowledge of statistical packages is also ideal.
Business Intelligence Skills
Business intelligence (BI) encompasses mining, analyzing, and interpreting data for business-related purposes. If a company hires you as a data mining specialist, you may be asked to develop strategies and business solutions based on the data you analyze.
Data Mining Specialist Certificates
Data mining is still a relatively new field, which is why there are no professional certifications available yet. However, certificates are essential to help you remain relevant in this area. There are several online data mining courses that grant certificates upon completion. Below are a few courses you can take to refine your skills as a data mining specialist.
Data Analytics Basics for Everyone | edX
This introductory course offered by IBM via edX is a great way of learning the basics of data analysis, in case you’re not familiar with this field yet. You’ll also learn about big data and how to collect and organize data. It lasts for approximately five weeks and you’ll earn a certificate at the end of the course.
Data Mining Specialization | Coursera
This five-course series is a good option to get started with data mining if you already have experience with data science. Offered by the University of Illinois, it will teach you everything there is to know about this field, including data mining techniques, data visualization, and clustering.
The course lasts for about eight months, but the good news is that you can make your own schedule and learn at your own pace.
Statistics for Data Science and Business Analysis | Udemy
Statistics is essential to data mining. In this profession, you’ll need to apply a lot of mathematical knowledge when analyzing the data. This online course will teach the fundamentals of statistics as they pertain to data science and related fields.
It is an introductory course, thus no previous knowledge is required. Another positive factor is that you can watch all the lectures in one day and earn a certificate of completion.
Reasons to Become a Data Mining Specialist in 2021
One of the main reasons you should become a data mining specialist in 2021 is that this profession is expected to grow a lot over the next decade. In addition to that, experienced data mining specialists can earn an average salary of over $100,000.
The most successful data miners are always up-to-date with the latest trends in data science. Working as a data mining specialist will give you the opportunity to be constantly learning and improving your skills.
Data Mining Specialist FAQ
What is a data mining specialist?
A data mining specialist is a professional who collects data from large data sets and mines them for useful information. Once they have collected enough data, the specialist will analyze and interpret the information in search of patterns and trends that can help businesses.
How do I become a data mining specialist?
You can become a data mining specialist by learning programming languages like Python, R, and SQL, studying the fundamentals of statistics and learning how to analyze data to develop business solutions. You can pursue a degree in computer science or related areas. You can also earn a certificate from an online course or boot camp.
Is data mining a good career?
Yes. Data mining is good for businesses, and businesses are constantly in search of methods to improve their sales performance. In other words, the demand for data miners will grow significantly in the coming years. This is the perfect time to refine your skills and become a data miner.
What skills are required for data mining?
Data mining specialists should master programming languages, have knowledge of statistical analysis, understand business intelligence, and have good communication skills.
