PuneITJobs

Step-by-step guide to becoming a Data Scientist.

Phase 1: Build Core Foundations (Data Analyst Overlap)

Step 1: Excel & Data Hygiene

Skills: data cleaning, conditional formatting, basic aggregation (SUM, COUNT), Pivot Tables, and lookup functions (VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP).

Step 2: Database Language Mastery

Skill: SQL. Concepts: efficient query writing, database schemas, SELECT, FROM, WHERE, GROUP BY, ORDER BY. Advanced: JOIN types (INNER, LEFT, RIGHT, FULL) and Window Functions.

Step 3: Foundational Statistics

Skills: descriptive statistics (mean, variance, median, mode), data visualization (histograms, box plots). Concepts: probability (conditional probability P(A|B), Bayes' theorem).

Phase 2: Master the Programming & Math Toolkit

Step 1: Python Programming

Skills: core Python (control flow, functions, classes) and Jupyter/Colab notebooks.

Step 2: Data Stack Libraries

• NumPy — efficient array/matrix operations.
• Pandas — DataFrame creation & manipulation (loading, filtering, merging, groupby) for EDA.
• Visualization — Matplotlib & Seaborn for scatter, heatmap and time-series plots.

Step 3: Applied Mathematics

Linear Algebra: vectors, matrices, dot products, eigenvectors (useful for PCA). Calculus: derivatives and optimization (gradient descent).

Phase 3: Machine Learning (The Core Skill)

Step 1: Supervised Learning

Regression (linear regression, ridge/lasso), classification (logistic regression, KNN, SVM).

Step 2: Unsupervised Learning

Clustering (K-Means), dimensionality reduction (PCA).

Step 3: Model Evaluation & Improvement

Metrics (MAE, MSE, RMSE, R²; accuracy, precision, recall, F1, ROC-AUC). Techniques: train/test split, k-fold CV, hyperparameter tuning (GridSearch, RandomizedSearch).

Step 4: Advanced Ensemble Methods

Decision Trees, Random Forests, Gradient Boosting (XGBoost, LightGBM).

Phase 4: Portfolio & Communication

Step 1: Project Building (3–5 projects)

• Project 1: EDA & statistical analysis on a large public dataset.
• Project 2: End-to-end supervised learning (e.g., house price prediction, churn classification).
• Project 3: Advanced project using deep learning (see Phase 5).

Step 2: Version Control & Code Hygiene

Use Git and GitHub to manage and showcase project code.

Step 3: Data Visualization Tools

Learn at least one BI tool: Tableau or Power BI to create interactive dashboards.

Phase 5: Deep Learning & Deployment (Specialization)

Step 1: Deep Learning Fundamentals

Frameworks: TensorFlow/Keras or PyTorch. Concepts: neural networks, activation functions (ReLU), optimizers (Adam).

Step 2: Specialization Tracks

NLP: RNNs, word embeddings, transformers (BERT). Computer Vision: CNNs and image classification.

Step 3: Model Deployment (MLOps Basics)

API frameworks: deploy models using Flask or Streamlit. Cloud fundamentals: basic knowledge of AWS S3, Google Cloud Storage, or Azure Blob for storing data and models.

Phase 1: HTML & CSS Fundamentals

Step 1: HTML5 Mastery

• Semantic HTML elements (header, nav, main, section, article, footer)
• Forms and validation
• Multimedia elements (video, audio, canvas)
• SEO basics and meta tags

Step 2: CSS3 & Modern Layouts

• Selectors and specificity
• Flexbox and Grid layouts
• Responsive design with media queries
• CSS variables and custom properties
• Animations and transitions

Phase 2: JavaScript & Programming Concepts

Step 1: Core JavaScript

• Variables, data types, and operators
• Functions and scope
• DOM manipulation
• Event handling
• Async programming (Promises, async/await)

Step 2: Modern JavaScript

• ES6+ features
• Modules and imports
• Array methods and destructuring
• Local storage and session storage

Phase 3: Frontend Frameworks

Step 1: React.js

• Components and JSX
• State and props
• Hooks (useState, useEffect, custom hooks)
• Context API and Redux
• React Router

Step 2: Build Tools & Package Management

• npm/yarn package management
• Webpack/Vite bundling
• Babel configuration
• ESLint and Prettier

Phase 4: Advanced Topics

Step 1: Performance Optimization

• Code splitting and lazy loading
• Web performance metrics
• Browser devtools mastery
• Caching strategies

Step 2: Testing & Deployment

• Unit testing with Jest
• Integration testing with React Testing Library
• CI/CD basics
• Deployment platforms (Vercel, Netlify)

Phase 5: Essential Skills & Tools

Step 1: Version Control

• Git fundamentals
• GitHub/GitLab workflows
• Collaborative development

Step 2: Portfolio Development

• Personal website
• 3-5 showcase projects
• GitHub profile optimization
• Technical documentation

Phase 1: Foundation (Month 0–2) — Understanding Sales Basics

🎯 Goal:

Learn the fundamentals of sales, communication, and customer psychology.

📘 What to Learn:

Basics of Sales

• What is sales? B2B vs. B2C
• Types of sales: Inside, Field, Channel, SaaS, etc.
• Sales funnel: Lead → Prospect → Opportunity → Customer
• Understanding buyer personas and decision-making

Essential Soft Skills

• Communication (spoken + written)
• Active listening
• Empathy and confidence building
• Body language and voice modulation

Sales Mindset

• Resilience and rejection handling
• Goal orientation
• Time management and discipline

🛠️ Tools to Learn:

• CRM basics (HubSpot or Zoho CRM – free versions)
• Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Gmail)
• LinkedIn profile optimization

📚 Resources:

• Book: "How to Win Friends and Influence People" — Dale Carnegie
• Course: "Sales Training for Beginners" (Coursera / Udemy)

Phase 2: Prospecting & Lead Generation (Month 2–4)

🎯 Goal:

Learn how to find potential customers and build a sales pipeline.

📘 What to Learn:

• Lead generation strategies (cold calling, email outreach, LinkedIn)
• Identifying and qualifying leads (BANT, SPIN frameworks)
• Using LinkedIn for lead research
• Crafting effective cold emails and scripts

🛠️ Tools:

• LinkedIn Sales Navigator (or Apollo.io)
• Email finder tools (Hunter.io, Lusha)
• CRM (HubSpot, Zoho)
• Google Sheets for pipeline tracking

🧠 Practice:

• Create a list of 50 mock prospects for a sample product
• Write and test 5 cold emails
• Record mock cold calls with a friend or mentor

Phase 3: Sales Communication & Pitching (Month 4–6)

🎯 Goal:

Master how to present and pitch products or services effectively.

📘 What to Learn:

• Building rapport and trust
• Understanding customer pain points
• Crafting value propositions
• Delivering sales presentations
• Objection handling (common rebuttals and techniques)

🛠️ Tools:

• Presentation tools (Canva, PowerPoint)
• Video conferencing (Zoom, Google Meet)
• Call recording & analysis

🧠 Practice:

• Prepare a 3-minute product pitch
• Handle mock objections ("too expensive," "not interested")

Phase 4: Closing & Negotiation (Month 6–8)

🎯 Goal:

Learn to close deals and negotiate terms confidently.

📘 What to Learn:

• Recognizing buying signals
• Pricing and discount strategies
• Negotiation frameworks (BATNA, win-win)
• Follow-up and deal-closing techniques
• Contract basics and documentation

🧠 Practice:

• Role-play negotiation scenarios
• Simulate a deal closing call

📚 Resources:

• Book: "Never Split the Difference" — Chris Voss

Phase 5: Account Management & Retention (Month 8–10)

🎯 Goal:

Understand how to maintain and grow customer relationships post-sale.

📘 What to Learn:

• Onboarding new clients
• Upselling and cross-selling
• Customer feedback loops
• Building long-term trust and loyalty

🛠️ Tools:

• CRM automation
• Feedback and survey tools (Typeform, Google Forms)

Phase 6: Advanced Sales Skills (Month 10–12)

🎯 Goal:

Transition from beginner to professional with deeper industry knowledge.

📘 What to Learn:

• Sales analytics & performance tracking
• Forecasting and target setting
• Managing a sales pipeline
• Personal branding on LinkedIn
• Basics of marketing alignment (sales + marketing synergy)

🛠️ Tools:

• CRM dashboards and reports
• Google Analytics (if digital sales)
• Email marketing basics (Mailchimp, HubSpot)

Phase 7: Career Growth & Specialization (Year 2+)

🎯 Goal:

Choose your sales niche and start building a personal brand.

📘 Specializations:

• B2B / Enterprise Sales
• SaaS Sales
• Inside Sales / SDR / Business Development
• Account Executive / Key Account Manager
• Sales Manager / Sales Trainer

💼 Build Your Brand:

• Optimize your LinkedIn for thought leadership
• Create content on sales tips, customer stories
• Network with industry professionals