Ask HN: Finding data science and analysis contract work

7 points by TBDMark 11 years ago | 6 comments

Background: I am an entrepreneur with a relatively successful, small, first-year consulting firm. In addition to running the day-to-day business and selling, I constantly want to grow my knowledge and keep challenging myself with the next set of in-demand skills. I have worked with databases/SQL for almost 10 years and am six months into learning R.

Goal: I would like to find additional work in data analysis and data science fields, but am unsure where to look. Contract work is preferable - I have tried oDesk and Elance in the past but was disappointed in the listings and expected pay. I love staying busy and much of my current gig is cyclical, so I want to prepare for any downturns.

Question: What's the best advice for beginning the search for contract work? Is it worth reaching out to local recruiters in the area as a "consultant"? Get back on oDesk and do some small jobs? Browse Kaggle constantly for the white whale?

akg_67 11 years ago |

What type of consulting do you do? Are you familiar with any specific industry vertical? How do you get clients for your consulting business? Acquiring contract work in data science is no different that selling in your business. It is same as selling any other consulting services.

In my experience, it is very difficult to get data science and analysis work (except in tech/web analytics) unless you understand a specific industry segment. I have been able to get data analysis contract work by focusing on a specific industry niche.

Identify a niche, do data analysis in that niche on your own, share your findings with the people working in your niche, participate on forums in your niche. Stay patient, keep diving in data analysis for your niche, and leads will come to you. Clients need to know you exist, you know their business, and you have unique/interesting insights that can help them in their business.

Become a data-backed industry specialist instead of just a generic data scientist/analyst. Kaggle, Elance and oDesk are not worth spending time on for data analysis work unless you see a project in your targeted niche.

TBDMark 11 years ago | |

I'm currently in a niche vertical and am one of a small group of firms who service the industry. My goal is to move beyond this sector into others, to broaden my client base. Most of my clients do come from personal/word of mouth networking.

Good advice on doing some independent work in the niche I'm interested in. I'll look further into that. Thank you!

aggieben 11 years ago |

This is a medium-term investment of time, but my advice is to network. In my experience, personal connections are the best way to find the kind of work you want consistently. Show up to user groups, recruiting events, conferences, seminars. Work with recruiters to get started if you need to, but be sure to make connections with every client with whom you come into contact (posting on HN counts as networking too, I think).

TBDMark 11 years ago | |

Agree - I'm involved in the local data analysis and statistics groups and take advantage of those whenever possible. They happen monthly or so and have proven to be a decent method to meet folks.

One thing I may try in the future - during intros at those events, ask to stand up and announce I'm available for contract work. Companies often announce jobs at these, so why not announce my availability?

mjhea0 11 years ago |

Email me. I could def. hire you for a few small jobs - michael at realpython dot com.

TBDMark 11 years ago | |

Great, will do. Thanks Michael.