What are some of the most important “soft skills” that data scientists should possess?

One skill which is really important—which I think many data scientists still lack—is communication, both verbal and written. You’re not going to be very valuable for a business leader if you’re not able to communicate with them effectively, so you have to be able to connect the business side of the data signs with the technical and scientific side. You have to share your ideas and goals with the business users and leaders in a way that they understand. That’s a skill that’s so valuable that I think your value increases multiple tens of percentage points if you can master this skill.

You also need to be able to work as a team member, and the communication part helps you with that. As a data scientist, if you’re able to share your insight with business users and non-data scientists in a way that they can quickly comprehend, then you’re likely to draw some connections and conclusions in a universal way. This will help your other employees to understand what you mean.

Adaptability is another important skill. You also need to love your domain. If you love it, you can drive your innovation because you feel the passion and understand the value of your business.