Recent content by Locrian

From 2016 to 2022 there were definitely some actuaries who moved to data science outside the insurance industry - I was one of them. Today, I can only see actuaries moving to data science roles within insurance. It's hard to describe just how flooded the DS market is right now - ten thousand...

I don't think anyone in this thread has mentioned actuarial work. It's also hard to break into, but it's worth adding to your list. Pass a few exams and you have a small but real shot, and if you get the job you'll have a stable, well paying career. And honestly, I think you would be better...

Well, scratch consulting off your list then. I jest, but consulting is first and foremost about confidence, and the line between a confident man and a con man* is razor thin. I led a data consulting team for a few years, and the principal I reported to was completely non-technical. If a client...

My personal take, which is similar to others here: 1) In my experience the biggest indicators of success for a new hire is having succeeded at difficult things in the past and having an interest in succeeding again. There's nothing magical about physics, but most physics PhD's are hard, so it's...

So first let me say I think the demand for CS is so ridiculously high that ageism isn't a thing until you're 65. And maybe not then. That's just my opinion, and is based on second hand experience. I wouldn't mention it except I want to tell a story. The story isn't even CS, but I do think it...

I got a physics degree, and then subsequently changed careers twice. I currently work as a data scientist. I agree with answers in this thread to your second question: this job is unlikely to be much help getting into your PhD program. However whether it's beneficial to your career (your first...

Two CS classes doesn't tell you anything about whether you'd enjoy or be good at any number of jobs that require programming. I'm not interested in trying to get you to become a software engineer, but I do want to see if I can get you to think differently about programming. I've done a tiny...

Saw this and thought of this thread: https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-jobs-no-college-degree-necessary-11649371535

Depends on the company, of course. POV: I'm a data scientist at a tech company and my impression from the SWEs I work around is that their degree means zero to their career there. Nobody cares and it doesn't matter. Maybe having a BS is still helpful in getting the job (though much less so than...

Just for fun, let's take two examples. Is your alternative to this to instead go $40k in debt getting a journalism, public health, or other low value degree where you can be worked to the bone for low salaries in crummy locations? Or is your alternative instead to leverage the programming...

I think the answers you've gotten have been very good. My personal experience is that it was worth it for me. It took me about 1.5 years and was paid for + I got a stipend. It opened a few doors - nothing amazing, but it synergized well with my other work experience. I bet there are better...

I agree with jedishrfu that analytics is an area you can work your way into. These days the online seminars and courses have very little value by themselves, but I think they synergize very well with your PhD/BS - you've already shown you can do the really hard stuff, and the online courses...

This is true. It should vary for lots of other reasons as well, such as what their skills and experience are like and what industry they're applying to. I also think ChrysPhys point about noting whether the work is full or part time is a good one. However, when it comes to order, there is no...

I think it's sadder that there are folks who, decades later, are still defined by their degrees. Would you have gotten those internships while getting a creative writing or public health degree? Would you have the same skills you have now with those other degrees? I'm not saying there's...

Nice! That's the thing about Python - when it comes to run speed, it's super janky. Two different methodologies that look, at face value, identical can have speed differences of 50, 150, 1000 times. What you did for speed was important and I'd include a bullet point on it. As for savings I think...