“One of the things that many data scientists undervalue is software development skills. Yes, data scientists build models and do statistical analysis, but models will have to get integrated with a company system. Your development skills can have a massive impact on whether a project is successful.”
Alta Saunders’ career, moving from academic pursuits into a focus on machine learning and analytics, illustrates the value of a data scientist expanding their skills beyond data modeling. Coupled with a PhD in Forestry and a determined attitude, it has secured her career path and even helped her win a Zindi competition.
It started with a love for the outdoors
Growing up in Cape Town, South Africa, Alta loved the outdoors and studied Conservation Ecology for her bachelor of science degree at Stellenbosch University. Alta’s continuous love for nature drove her to study Botany as a master of science. During this time, Alta found herself getting into some statistical and modeling work, she enjoyed it and started focusing on developing these skills and was keen to learn more.
After completing her MSc, Alta found work in the agricultural industry. However, her desire to expand her programming skills led her to continue self-learning after work hours.
Joining Zindi
After two years, she returned to Stellenbosch University to pursue a PhD in Forestry, focusing on data modeling. Within that period, Alta enrolled in a year-long part-time certification at Explore Data Science Academy and was a part-time Python lecturer. It was here that she first encountered Zindi, around 2018. Alta started to develop her skills with several Zindi challenges, providing her with invaluable experience working on real-world data and problems.
“Zindi provides a space to practice. The problems are always diverse, which means I can focus on many different things and gain some experience in them. The problems are often also following industry-relevant topics and trends, so I stay up to date with new models and techniques,” said Alta, in a recent interview.
Today, she ranks #9 in South Africa on Zindi’s online leaderboard, which ranks its community of 70,000+ data science and AI practitioners worldwide on their performance in solving real-world problems. Alta has won one such real-world challenge: she helped Absa, one of the largest diversified financial services in Africa, create a machine learning solution to predict a customer’s income based on their transaction history.
Perseverance pays off
Alta’s academic background was a particular challenge she faced in breaking into the data science space. Many companies preferred candidates with traditional backgrounds like computer science, so it was difficult to get a foot in the door. Because of her forestry background, she recognised her knowledge gap when it came to data science and coding practices. It was then Alta spent more time taking online courses, reading relevant materials, and engaging more with her keyboard for coding practice.
She dedicated her time to building a strong portfolio showcasing her skills, and her willingness to take on internships helped her gain practical experience.
As a data practitioner, Alta shares she has not faced any challenges related to her gender — she finds there are more bursaries and funding opportunities for women in tech compared to men. “Women are treated with respect in the industry. Companies are more concerned with one’s ability to perform the work rather than one’s gender.”
Pathway to success
Today, Alta works full-time as a data scientist at Praelexis, an AI and analytics consultancy based in Stellenbosch, South Africa. Applying her skills to solve complex problems and contribute to the field, Alta says, “I enjoy the Zindi platform as it is a great way to build skills and get to work on real-world data and problems.”
Alta advises others in the field, particularly women and those from different academic backgrounds, to constantly learn, practice through projects on Zindi, and develop new skills. “There are so many resources available online, but it is up to you to put in the effort. Also, take every opportunity you get. Apply for funding to attend tech conferences, attend local community tech meet-ups, and reach out to mentors,” she stresses.
Alta is just one of the thousands of aspiring female data practitioners from Africa and all over the world who are using Zindi to grow, succeed, and thrive in the fields of data and AI.
