Data Science Chicago

Name: Data Science Bootcamp
Start: 2014-07-10T23:30:00Z
Location: Matilda

Data Science Bootcamp

Jul 10, 2014 · 6:30 PM
Matilda

We're excited to host Laurie Skelly!

Data Science Bootcamp: like the regular kind of bootcamp but with data science instead of running and pushups.

The best data scientists are insanely curious people who are good at thinking in systems, are comfortable with the quantitative, and aren't intimidated by new things. They write code. They know stats, machine learning, and all the relevant languages, tools, and packages (or at least they know how to google the doc pages). If that weren’t enough, they also have a knack for communicating results and for understanding and resolving poorly-posed questions, usually involving some combination of talent in verbal and visuospatial communication. Making new, high-quality data scientists is a non-trivial endeavor.

Recently Datascope has been in cahoots with Metis (part of Kaplan) to develop and launch a data science bootcamp, a 12-week training program to get new data scientists ready to hit the job market, land a job, and survive and thrive in their new careers. Metis Data Science Bootcamp is only the second data science training program using the bootcamp model, and we’re really excited about what we’ve created. Laurie Skelly will share some of the choices and models her team has made to determine who to admit, what to require, what to teach, and what to blow off. She will discuss the relative merits of bootcamps vs master’s degrees, MOOCs, and self-teaching, and she'll answer your questions.

If you already have questions you can post them below, or check the Metis faq.

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milti

interesting but not feasible

0 · July 11, 2014
- View all 9 replies
- Steve R.
  
  Why not?
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
- milti
  
  first this calls for me to have $14k off the bat, then another $8k (if im lucky) to pay for 3mos of rent in NYC. after that I still have to eat and pay for transportation. forget about emergencies. thats an expensive 12w for an unsure outcome. if you have hiring partners, why wasnt this structured simply as an internship training program?
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
- Steve R.
  
  Fair comment. I submit that $22k all in is less money and time than a two year MS program, and much more focused on specific employer-demanded skills, so a better deal at the entry level if what you seek is employment in the field, which were spelled out during the QA. A paid internship would be nice, but would not require as much 'skin in the game' by students.
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
- milti
  
  but if this is an industry need, why isnt industry investing as it would for any other resource? industry will *invest* for gaining clients and marketshare but not in its own infrastructure? if you want to talk business then lets do so. refuse to invest in infrastructure and your business withers. stop pushing infrastructure costs onto resources. this is just another why to avoid investing in workers. its lateral to the current industry *crisis* about paying interns. and 'skin in the game' is already there: paying rent, eating, positioning to support families (if not currently doing so) etc. that is a false statement with nothing to back it up. and bootcamps prove worthless if not immediately followed by practical applications. anything quickly gained can be quickly lost. youre $22k in the hole then, with nothing to show for it. because credentials mean little without background as many ppl find out in the job market.
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
- Laurie S.
  
  Really interesting comments. I'd just pipe in with one point -- hiring partners subsidize some of the cost of running the program (for everyone), but graduates are not obligated to work with those partners. Many of our students will be learning about what kind of data scientist role they would be happiest in as they progress through the training, and the course and the placement staff will provide support for students seeking jobs either with hiring partners or elsewhere. Committing to a particular company up front in exchange for free training is a different model, which would have higher security but lower freedom for the graduate. The training would also undoubtedly be more narrowly tailored for the company paying the bill. Some people might prefer that, but many would not.
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
- Katarzyna S.
  
  I think meetings provide opportunities for companies to introduce their products. I'd prefer to be clear before meeting about its goals. What I'm looking for is practical use, sharing experiences & networking. I'm focused on 7 based on Hadoop technologies. It's nice to know others exits, might get familiar with them either in spare time. // Milti: in regards to costs: recently I completed Big Data classes in Chicago area. I think price was affordable for working people, not working had different type of grands. With cs/it background, degree & new introduction I feel strong enough to move forward by myself. Just search for them.
  
  1 · July 11, 2014
- Steve R.
  
  Milti, I do not disagree with your opinion, but currently in this and in every other realm of education in the US, it is the job seeker who must take charge of their own development, whether that means go to college for a BS or higher degree, or seek out vocational training or attend specialized trainings like the Boot Camps. Like it or not, that is the market here. To Lauras point, if it was lower cost but more restrictive, you might find yourself locked into a job afterward with lower pay than you would like, or that you might not want, else be on the hook for the cost of the class. My employer currently pays for my grad work, but if I leave within 4 years of graduation, I have to pay it back. Makes sense - why pay for an employees education if when they are done, they can just walk away to a better paying job?
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
- Katarzyna S.
  
  Laurie: this is no general rule. To have freedom of interesting education, research & employment is possible as long as we stayed at universities. Not having specific skills for business creates thousand unemployed MS.C. & Ph.D.
  
  1 · July 11, 2014
- Laurie S.
  
  I just try to avoid thinking about this in extremes. One can develop a fairly specific set of skills for a fairly well-defined family of jobs, and in the process learn about the jobs that exist within that family and which are most personally appealing. In a job that is a good fit, one is better able to thrive and succeed in the long term. To me, this is a more robust kind of training, from the perspective of the trainee. It separates the interest of the companies from the interest of the trainee, and as such creates value for the trainee. These interests should overlap, but they are not identical. I imagine my perspective pertains mostly to people who find data science stimulating and interesting on its own merits, beyond the salary. I feel that I do have freedom in interesting education, subject matter, and employment, as much or more so than I did in academia, and skills that are valuable to businesses. In my experience it was not necessary to compromise on this.
  
  0 · July 11, 2014
Laurie S.

Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out to the meetup last night. You were a great audience, your questions were awesome, and I am really glad that I got to meet so many of you afterwards. Please feel invited to reach out to me here, on twitter, or by email... or just come find me at the next meetup!

2 · July 11, 2014
Steve R.

Excellent overview of what professional data scientists see as critical skills and personal attributes for successfully developing data scientists.

1 · July 11, 2014
Steve R.

Excellent talk. I came primarily to get insight into what 'real' data scientists look for in aspiring practitioners, and this was a great overview. Wish I could actually attend the bootcamp, but will have to get there by other means.

0 · July 11, 2014
Matt D.

I really liked how Laurie presented this. Very creative.

0 · July 10, 2014
A former member

sorry guys. this came too late for me.

0 · July 10, 2014
Kevin (VN Uma Sankar K.

Just got the confirmation . Cannot make this time

0 · July 10, 2014
Katarzyna S.

I received confirmation at 6:12 pm of available spot on meeting. Unfortunately I'm too far away to make it :-(

0 · July 10, 2014
Lorena M.

Just updated - cannot make it this time around. Will this be recorded by any chance?

1 · July 8, 2014
- Mike S.
  
  No, not this time. If Laurie makes slides available, I'll make sure to add a link.
  
  1 · July 10, 2014
Brett B.

Something came up last minute. I updated my RSVP to 'no' so someone on the wait list can take the spot.

0 · July 10, 2014
Ella R.

The website has the current program based in New York City right now. Any plans for bringing it to Chicago?

0 · July 7, 2014
- Laurie S.
  
  A Chicago class is not slated for the immediate future, but if the first classes are successful I think expansion to new cities would be fairly likely. I have no idea what the timeline might be like for that, though.
  
  2 · July 7, 2014