Top 3 Big Data professional profiles in the highest demand in Spain
24 de February de 2020
24 de February de 2020
What profiles are in the highest demand in the field of Big Data? Gustavo Ramírez, the Director of the Master in Big Data & Analytics, tells us all about it in this interview.
In my opinion, the Big Data boom started in 2010 when Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google) said in a conference: “Every two days now we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003”
What is Big Data really? When and why did this fast rise come about? What is the situation in Spain and what profiles are companies demanding? To gain a more in-depth insight of this disruptive trend, we talk to Gustavo Ramírez Pérez, the Director of EAE’s Master in Big Data & Analytics, who explained and analysed the most important aspects of the technology that is transforming the world of business and the Internet.
In your opinion, is Big Data the big star of the digital age? Why?
Data is the undisputed protagonist of the digital age and the ability that it gives companies to make decisions based on it is what makes it so powerful. Big Data in itself is the result of having lots of information sources, providing data companies consider potentially useful.
When did the Big Data boom begin?
When companies (mainly technological: Google, Facebook, etc.) realized that they were capable not only of gathering lots of data from their customers, but also of using its to generate personalized recommendations and advertising. This is when they first understood that they were sitting on a goldmine. However, there were two problems. Firstly, the technologies at the time did not have the capacity to process such a volume of data and, secondly, this volume would continue growing and never stop.
In my opinion, the Big Data boom started in 2010 when Eric Schmidt (CEO of Google) said in a conference: “Every two days now we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003”. Everybody was constantly talking about Big Data from that point onwards.
“In reality, Big Data can be used for any purpose if you use it properly and have a sufficient volume of data to back it up”
Briefly, how would you define and explain the scope of Big Data? What are its key uses?
Big Data is a concept that has become very popular and which is commonly used to talk generally about anything related to the use of data in a company (although the term is far more specific).
In reality, Big Data can be used for any purpose if you use it properly and have a sufficient volume of data to back it up. Traditionally, it has been used in environments in which there is a lot of customer information in order to segment the market and personalize advertising campaigns. It has also been used a great deal in relation to banking risks and fraud, as well as forecasting demand at both a commercial and operations level. But I must emphasize that the potential uses are endless.
In terms of professional profiles, which are the most important? Which are currently in the highest demand on the market?
The implementation of a portfolio of technological projects and a data culture require a wide diversity of profiles, each of which is crucial at a certain point of the implementation.
I will highlight 3 types of profiles, but there are many more:
1. Businesspeople with technological vision: Directors of marketing, supply chain, finance, etc., who understand the potential added value to existing products and services and the opportunities for improving processes. They are the ones who control the budgets and will manage to sell this kind of projects to the management team.
2. People with a data translator profile: This is a mixed profile, with experience in business areas but who also understands how technological tools work. This profile has a solid understanding of the needs/opportunities within all the business areas (Marketing, HR, Finance, etc.) and transforms them into projects and tasks for the technical team.
3. Developer profile: Anybody able to carry out these projects involving the different technologies and programming language. These profiles include different mixes of technical skills and business know-how.
“At a business, there is a great need for this mixed profile, who will lead the digital change within the different business areas”
What is the status of the Big Data industry in Spain? How does it compare to countries like China and the USA?
China and USA are the countries that has invested most in technology at a global level. Therefore, it is to be expected that they are a step ahead. They share another important characteristic: companies in China and USA generally have a much higher turnover than their Spanish counterparts, so their investment capacity and volume of data is also greater. In Spain, there are several companies doing some really interesting things, and the market is gradually heading in that direction, but there are still lots of places that still approach Big Data like it is science fiction.
In terms of training, what do you need to become an expert in Big Data and Analytics? What key skills would you highlight?
As I mentioned earlier, it all depends on the profile and the role that you are looking to play in the world of data. At the moment, at a technological level, there is a lot of demand for Data Science profiles (Python, R, Dataiku, etc.), data management profiles (Data warehousing, ETL, etc.) and data visualization profiles (PowerBI, Qlik, Tableau, etc.).
At a business level, there is a great need for this mixed profile, who will lead the digital change within the different business areas. In my opinion, this is one of the hardest profiles to find.
What areas can a Big Data & Analytics expert work in nowadays in Spain?
Anywhere, the need to transform the traditional style of decision-making into a data-based approach will affect every single sector, company and area. As always, some are more advanced than others, but they will all get there in the end.
“At EAE, we believe that the combination of technological and business skills is essential”
What can you tell us about the Master in Big Data and Analytics? What are the main subjects that the Master focuses on?
At EAE, we believe that the combination of technological and business skills is essential. Around 40% of the tuition plan is made up of business-focused courses (always from a technological perspective). “A perfect technological project that doesn’t respond to a business need is no use at all”.
The technological subjects covered on the Master are divided into two categories:
1. Data Management & Analytics, which focuses on the more “traditional” side of Analytics: Data warehousing, ETLs, Data Visualization, etc.
2. Big Data & Data Science, in which we work with the most cutting-edge technologies in the world of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, as well as mass data management technologies (Big Data).
How can the skills and knowledge acquired on the program be applied by the students in their professional life?
It depends on the professional life that they are looking for. At a technological level, all the topics and technologies covered on the Master are in great demand on the market and any company that is developing this type of project will be overjoyed to take on somebody with this knowledge.
At a business level, there are lots of positions that require mixed profiles like those I mentioned earlier, from Project Managers, right through to BRMs and Business Partners
To finish, give us three reasons why you would recommend students to take the Master in Big Data and Analytics.
Do you want to find out more about the Master in Big Data & Analytics? Don’t hang around any longer and click here!