No second thoughts to the fact that today, the world runs on data. Irrespective of whether you want to create something or come up with better decisions, the dependence on data is insanely high. Well, data doesn't stop there. It continues to rise, way beyond one's imagination. Simply put, this data is humungous – thanks to the technology rich world that we are living in. gone are the days when data in petabytes was addressed. Now is the era of zettabytes. Just about a decade ago, the data across the world was limited to a few zettabytes. But, today we've crossed a century already!

Data forms the backbone of every possible field that you can think of. Companies and industries rely on data to formulate their business strategies. Following this, they carry on with their day-to-day operations. Where to invest, how much to invest and why to invest – all of this revolves around data. It is only by virtue of data that companies are able to apply the right marketing strategies that makes it possible for them to align with what the customers expect. Doing so, not only increases their customer base but also helps them in creating value and making profits at the same time. Healthcare, finance, education, defence, you name it and you learn how each and every sector relies on data to draw meaningful insights. Since, it is impossible to think of a life without data and how critical it is to lead our lives, the scope that this field has is immense, without a doubt. The rising demand for data-related jobs is hence not surprising.

This is where 'data scientist' as a job comes into picture. When Harvard Business Review itself has termed the role of a data scientist as "the sexiest job of the 21st century", is there any other validation required?

Data scientists are concerned with transforming the raw, unstructured data into a form that it is possible to draw meaningful insights from the same. The data obtained should be such that the company is in a position to take better decisions and take the business to new heights. But, what is observed across the globe is that there is a huge gap between what the organizations demand and what the candidates are capable of delivering. It is because of this that the number of vacancies in these jobs is huge.

All this throws light on how can one get skilled to be able to fit in the role of a data scientist. Yes, it does require some effort to be put in. But, all this would be worth it, for sure.

Here's everything that could help you grab the sexiest job of the century

• Usually, graduation in the field of engineering, computer science, statistics are given importance to. But, on the bitter side, a degree alone might not be enough.

• You need to understand what sets a data scientist apart from the rest, what are those unique skills that are required.

• Companies are more interested in the skill-set that the candidates possess. A clarity on the skills desired and working on the same is the key here.

• Yes, coding skills are critical but what you need to understand here is that data scientists typically need to be adept at programming languages such as Java, Python, SQL, R, and SAS.

• Techniques such as decision trees, neural networks, clustering, etc. play a pivotal role in the day-to-day activities of a data scientist. Hence, a sound knowledge about them helps.

• How can one not talk about Big Data frameworks while talking about data scientists? A good knowledge about Big Data frameworks such as Hadoop, Spark, and Pig, to name a few would help you land a job faster.

• Data scientists should also be familiar with technologies like deep learning, machine learning, etc.

• Since, technology keeps improving daily, it is expected that data scientists are in line with what's happening on the technological front.

Since, it is evidently seen that data is growing exponentially, the dependence of the companies on data will continue till eternity. Data science is meant to stay and this is why the requirement of the right people who'd manage this humungous data in the best possible manner is the need of the hour. All that needs to be done now is to stay updated and skilled in the relevant areas that'd pave the way for the sexiest job of the 21^st century.