Why — and How — This Local Data Scientist Keeps Her Coding Skills Sharp

LOS ANGELES, April 25, 2023  Thirty six percent. That’s how much the data science field is projected to grow between 2021 and 2031, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Considering the rapid change that defines the sector, data scientists are expected to continually hone their skills, especially those related to coding.

According to Xi Wang, lead machine learning scientist at System1, programming is an essential aspect of data science, enabling teams to work efficiently with large datasets. That’s why she strives to learn new languages and familiarize herself with tools that can help her improve her team’s workflows, write code more quickly and accelerate her work performance.

Wang said the company makes it easy for her and her teammates to refine their coding skills by providing a learning and development stipend. She used this reimbursement to take part in a Udemy course about Kotlin; a language her team recently adopted in order to write code more quickly and efficiently.

For Wang, this level of support is reflected in the company’s culture, which empowers employees to take charge of their growth.

“We have a flexible working environment, so I can make time to learn and progress,” she said.

Built In LA caught up with Wang to learn why — and how — she has made time to strengthen her coding abilities.

Read the entire profile on BuiltIn.