How to Become a Big Data Engineer – A Career Guide

Do you want to become a big data engineer? Do you know the roadmap of a big data engineer? Do you know the skills needed to become a professional big data engineer? So, here you will get all the answers related to ” How to Become a Big Data Engineer.”

In today’s world, Big data demand is growing exponentially. The large amount of data being generated is increasing rapidly, So many companies need to store the data. It’s used to gain insight into customer behavior, analyze market trends, and improve business operations. any businesses become aware of the potential of big data, the demand for big data professionals is growing.

A Big Data engineer is one of the most in-demand tech jobs of the 21st century; as the world of technology expands. A Big Data engineer responsible for building data pipelines and systems that can efficiently process large amounts of data. A big data engineer handles designing databases, developing efficient algorithms and data structures, and optimizing the performance of your data systems.

If you’re interested in finding creative ways to solve complex issues, then a career as a Big Data engineer might be for you. With the right skills and experience, you can enjoy a rewarding career with a great job and the best salary.

How is Big data different from traditional data?

So, what actually is big data? Is it the same old traditional data but in a higher amount? This statement is partially correct. Big data is actually huge, so huge that handling it becomes harder. It is not even in the same format as your traditional data follows. It does not follow the same trends as that a traditional one. The data here is not structured to save in the old databases. Old databases are built to store the data in a certain format with limited fields.

Handling this data is a little difficult as compared to traditional data. Technologies and processes to handle big data are very much different. Planning business strategies, performing analysis, and product performances can be done using the data.

You might have heard of data scientists too. Well, data scientists and data engineers are two different professions. Data scientists perform their analysis on the collected data. Based on the data they present their strategies and provide useful insights. Data engineers work on building, sorting, presenting, and arranging data. The data is clubbed together based on common grounds. Then is passed to a data scientist for review purposes.

Roadmap to Becoming a Big Data Engineer

The field of big data has a lot of opportunities. There is a cloud data engineer, a senior data engineer, and a big data engineer. If you are planning to become a big data engineer then you must follow the below-mentioned steps:

1. Professional Degree

You can start by getting a professional degree in the field of IT. It is recommended to take a bachelor’s degree in engineering, IT, CS, or any computer-related branch. If you are planning to work in the IT field then having a professional degree can take you one step closer to your goal. You will clear all your basics and learn new technologies and tools to be used. You can look up any certified course along with your degree. Try to learn more about databases, data structures, queries, and algorithms.

 2. Project or Internship

You won’t be able to learn everything theoretically. You need to have hands-on experience. In your professional degree, there is a high chance of you being asked to build a project. You can work on a project related to big data.

To build a project, you can refer to many books, research papers, and online content. You can even work in an internship. There you will learn even more by working on any live and relevant project. You will get to learn about the tools that are actually in work. It is also possible that there will offer you a chance to work with them as an employee. But nothing comes easy; you will need to put effort into working and learning.

3. Learnings and Certifications

Learnings are a big part of growing in a profession. You can learn from many documents or courses online, some of the technologies like Hadoop, NoSQL, AI, R programming, etc. You can look for courses that have certifications. Using that, getting into the field would be easier for you. Certification is proof of what you have learned from the course. You won’t be needing certifications if you have enough skills to showcase.

4. Get an entry-level job

 I do not wish to break down your hopes in any way, but a reality check is required. It is not necessary that you will get the job for as much pay as you want. Not every company offers the same salary; some will pay you high, while some will pay you enough. Experience and skills speak a lot.

Even if you don’t earn enough, gaining some experience in the same field becomes necessary. On average, a big data engineer earns 7.5 Lakhs per annum. The pay scale ranges from 4.5 LPA to 21 LPA. Money is not that important in your first job but experience and learnings are.

5. Higher Education and Certifications

After your first job, you can look up to growing further. You can opt for higher education, the specialization being big data. A Master’s degree in engineering or IT field will be helpful. This will help you learn more about the field and its workings. Many big companies like Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, etc. offer certifications in this industry.

Not all these certifications are worth your time and experience. Consult your mentors and teachers to help you shortlist the ones that can help you further. Completing all this will make you worthy enough to earn more. Now you can expect a good hike in your salary. With proper certifications and education, you will be able to crack your dream company and salary.

Also, Read!!

Small Data vs Big Data: What Are The Main Differences?

Conclusion

Big data is a big field since managing data comes almost in every domain. Thus, there is a big demand for data professionals throughout the industry. We have tried our best to cover everything needed to become a big data engineer. If you are planning to join this big data industry, then this article can help you a lot.

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