Hi ,
The average person changes careers 5-7 times during their working life.
Yet many data scientists still follow "slow and steady wins the race" when building their
careers.
My dad worked for the same organisation for almost 40 years. That gave him ample time to build his career.
By the time he retired, his workmates called him "the Guru" - he still has the sign they gave him at his retirement party to prove it.
I've worked for 8 organisations in my working life - never for longer than 5 years - and my career is only half done.
"Slow and steady wins the race" was good advice for my dad. But when my dad retired, ChatGPT didn't exist.
In today's reality of constant change, that advice has become a recipe for obsolescence.
If you wait until your technical skills are perfect:
- the industry has moved on;
- your stakeholders have changed; and
- the opportunities you wanted are long gone.
Speed is no longer a career advantage - it's essential to survive.
So how do you accelerate your career growth without sacrificing quality?
Three mindset shifts make all the difference:
Mindset Shift #1: Follow the 80/20 Rule
Stop trying to be good at everything. Start being
exceptional at the things that matter.
Yes, technical skills still matter. But do you really need to learn that cutting edge algorithm "just in case" it one day comes up?
20% of the data science skill set creates 80% of your career value.
Master the technical foundations and then focus your energy on:
✴️ Building relationships with decision-makers
✴️ Understanding business priorities and context
✴️ Communicating insights that drive action
The other 80%? Technical perfectionism that nobody notices and skills you can pick up along the way.
Mindset Shift #2: Fast is Better Than Perfect
Data scientists love to wait for perfect. But perfectionism kills
careers.
While you're perfecting your model, someone else is shipping a solution that solves the real problem.
While you're polishing your presentation, someone else is influencing the decision.
Ship good solutions quickly. Get feedback. Iterate.
Speed builds trust and momentum. Perfect builds nothing.
Mindset Shift #3: Everything is an Experiment
You don't know what a perfect solution looks looks like for your stakeholders. And your stakeholders probably couldn't tell you either.
So stop trying to plan for perfectly. Start experimenting instead.
Treat every stakeholder interaction, communication approach, and project scoping decision as an experiment.
The faster you try new approaches, the faster you discover what actually works in your specific situation.
Here's the thing...
These mindset shifts turbo-charged my own career growth from technical expert to strategic advisor.
They're simple concepts, but the impact is profound.
Pick one shift and try it this week.
Your future self will thank you.
Talk again soon,
Dr Genevieve Hayes.
