So, what is a data engineer and what does a data engineer do? As the name suggests, a data engineer essentially engineers solutions out of raw data. "So what does that involve?" I hear you ask. A data engineer develops, constructs, tests, and maintains data architectures.

Common task for data engineers is transforming data into a format that can be easily analyzed by other people. As a data engineer, you're likely going to be responsible for finding trends in data sets and developing algorithms to help make raw data more useful to your colleagues and customers.

It's an IT role, which is more likely to report into the IT team, rather than say, a business role that might sit within the analysts and program or product managers.

So let's not shy away from the fact that you will be working with raw data a lot. So you need to be sure that that is something you enjoy. If you already know you are comfortable with that, perhaps you are already working with SQL, or perhaps you have some experience with databases already, then this is going to be an easy decision.

Now, if you're not sure about that yet, don't worry, we're gonna build up slowly so you can get a feel for the type of tasks and work that are required for this role. And remember, no one is born a data engineer, it is all learnt. Being hands-on with data means you are very valuable to everyone around you. And what I like most about that is that this a true superhero enablement role.

Business teams really respect the fact that you can convert raw data into insights they can use. Data scientists really respect the job that you do for them to help them prepare data in a way that can then turn into insights. It has a lot of value as you are a doer, the person who can bring all this data to life.

Lectures

Introduction - Data Engineer vs. Data Scientist - Data Engineer vs. Database Administrator - Key Skills of a Data Engineer - Key Traits of a Data Engineer - Is This Role Right For Me?