

Ask HN: Finding data science and analysis contract work - TBDMark

Background: I am an entrepreneur with a relatively successful, small, first-year consulting firm.  In addition to running the day-to-day business and selling, I constantly want to grow my knowledge and keep challenging myself with the next set of in-demand skills.  I have worked with databases&#x2F;SQL for almost 10 years and am six months into learning R.<p>Goal:  I would like to find additional work in data analysis and data science fields, but am unsure where to look.  Contract work is preferable - I have tried oDesk and Elance in the past but was disappointed in the listings and expected pay.  I love staying busy and much of my current gig is cyclical, so I want to prepare for any downturns.<p>Question:  What&#x27;s the best advice for beginning the search for contract work?  Is it worth reaching out to local recruiters in the area as a &quot;consultant&quot;?  Get back on oDesk and do some small jobs?  Browse Kaggle constantly for the white whale?
======
akg_67
What type of consulting do you do? Are you familiar with any specific industry
vertical? How do you get clients for your consulting business? Acquiring
contract work in data science is no different that selling in your business.
It is same as selling any other consulting services.

In my experience, it is very difficult to get data science and analysis work
(except in tech/web analytics) unless you understand a specific industry
segment. I have been able to get data analysis contract work by focusing on a
specific industry niche.

Identify a niche, do data analysis in that niche on your own, share your
findings with the people working in your niche, participate on forums in your
niche. Stay patient, keep diving in data analysis for your niche, and leads
will come to you. Clients need to know you exist, you know their business, and
you have unique/interesting insights that can help them in their business.

Become a data-backed industry specialist instead of just a generic data
scientist/analyst. Kaggle, Elance and oDesk are not worth spending time on for
data analysis work unless you see a project in your targeted niche.

~~~
TBDMark
I'm currently in a niche vertical and am one of a small group of firms who
service the industry. My goal is to move beyond this sector into others, to
broaden my client base. Most of my clients do come from personal/word of mouth
networking.

Good advice on doing some independent work in the niche I'm interested in.
I'll look further into that. Thank you!

------
aggieben
This is a medium-term investment of time, but my advice is to network. In my
experience, personal connections are the best way to find the kind of work you
want consistently. Show up to user groups, recruiting events, conferences,
seminars. Work with recruiters to get started if you need to, but be sure to
make connections with every client with whom you come into contact (posting on
HN counts as networking too, I think).

~~~
TBDMark
Agree - I'm involved in the local data analysis and statistics groups and take
advantage of those whenever possible. They happen monthly or so and have
proven to be a decent method to meet folks.

One thing I may try in the future - during intros at those events, ask to
stand up and announce I'm available for contract work. Companies often
announce jobs at these, so why not announce my availability?

------
mjhea0
Email me. I could def. hire you for a few small jobs - michael at realpython
dot com.

~~~
TBDMark
Great, will do. Thanks Michael.

