Can a data scientist be a freelancer?

Data Science, AI and ML
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#1
Data scientist can definitely work as a freelancer; however, in order to crack a deal, it is important for the individual to have a good repository of projects in his/her GitHub account so that they can be used as proof of concept. In order to enrol as a freelancer, the candidate needs to register in a freelancing portal such as freelancer.com or Upwork and build a proper profile.
Once done, the individual needs to bid for projects which may seem doable and submit the proposal for the same. The bid would then compete against thousand other bids; and then a single bid would be selected by the project sponsor.
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#2
#3

Yes.

2 Likes
#5

a

#6

Of course. In fact, a lot of famous data scientists solely work as freelancers. I personally too have freelanced for a European Retail based client. Make sure you have a good profile on GitHub, Kaggle where the result and the code are optimized and not just generic as others. You should register yourself on a freelancing website. However some prior experience always helps in getting clients. Toptal is one of the best freelancing websites, so if you clear their exam and can get into the community then nothing like that.

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#7

Definitely.

In fact, consulting companies will be happier to hire a freelancer over regular employee as it will allow them to optimize the costs in the periods when no projects are running and not much workforce is needed.

While there is a shortage of data scientists, universities are ramping up undergraduate degrees programs in data science. Based on the current job market that is about one-tenth of the computer science market, there will be many college graduates to fill many of the existing openings at a lower cost.

Most data science jobs deal with confidential information requiring business analysis, and these jobs are rarely farmed out. The job market is really in business analysis that requires more than just data science.

I believe there are too many dynamics to say if you can become a data science consultant. It may be cheaper to hire than to outsource data science jobs.

#8

being a data scientist in 2021 is not easy. Although the demand for data scientists is still high, and the supply is also as high, finding a job in data science can be very challenging and, at times, frustrating. If you’re a data science newbie, who just got done learning the basics, built a few projects, and is ready to apply for jobs, then you know that getting a job is not that easy.
Even entry data science jobs require some experience — I will not get into how that doesn’t make sense. But, to gain the experience required to land a job, you need to have a job or have an impressive project portfolio.
One of the great options for data scientists today, both newcomers and experts are freelancing. Being a data science freelancer gives you a lot of freedom to choose your projects and control your time and wage. It is also a great choice for beginners looking for more practical experience by building real-life projects.
It can also be a great choice for those wanting to be their own boss or those wanting to work remotely in other countries. As a freelance data scientist, you will come across different types of gigs (freelance jobs/ projects) that you can apply for/ bid on based on your preferences and knowledge base.