I think a data scientist is someone who can manipulate large data sets to analyze data to gain insight from the data to solve problems and make business decisions. A data scientist’s educational background should include mathematics and statistics and computer science. Key skills include programming and analytical skills. Major duties of a data scientist include data cleansing, preparation, and analysis. Data Scientists and Statisticians roles are similar in some ways but there are also some differences. The roles are similar in that both require programming skills and knowledge of statistics. A data scientist may only need an understanding of applied statistics; whereas the statistician will need a deeper knowledge of statistics to include applied statistics as well as statistical theory. A statistician may not work with large complex data sets. A data scientist would be comfortable working with large complex data sets. I have a background in business and have completed some statistics and programming courses. I don’t have a strong background in statistics or computer programming, so I see myself as a Data Analyst which is considered the entry level position prior to becoming a Data Scientist.