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Going by the influence of big data, it is possible to say that the world was something before it and it will be something else after big data has become exhausted as a field of innovation and research, such is the force of it. From smart devices and sensors to Internet of things, automated cars to aircrafts, manufacturing systems and instruments- every single device nowadays relies on big data to produce some kind of data later to be used by a host of other apps.
In short, every device is a reservoir of information regarding operational environment, system health as well as efficiency. With the proper tools applied on these sets of data, it can reveal insights about certain qualities and situations that remained shrouded in mystery until now. In fact, it can accelerate inventions and discoveries like no other as with so much insight, machines are bound to become more intelligent.
Not a layman’s job
While so much data and such potentially path-breaking insights may sound exciting, and so much data can even empower small businesses to gain unexpected grounds, the most important aspect of big data is to control this vast amount of data and store it efficiently. There are bad sectors of data that you need to clean, redundant sectors you need to get rid of, store this vast amount of data in an efficient manner so that it can be called back and forth easily.
Hadoop offered a great file system in this regard initially, but it is evolving at every moment. Even classic mathematical tools such as MATLAB are now accommodating big data in their operations and most importantly, scientists and engineers who now possess some kind of big data skill and experience are proving to be invaluable in this regard.
A pervasive demand
While data science was once restricted to IT, it is no longer so. Hence, every other field is recruiting big data scientists and engineers to gain further insights about their product, customers and growth. Simple manufacturing problems are revealing compelling insights about cost reduction in various fields. Be it mining, automobile or textile- everyone is after saving time and money.
Big data provides this opportunity and hence, data engineer is now the most sought-after job in this world. Very simple insights can save a big name millions of dollars. For example, knowing where the next maintenance issue can occur can be a huge bonus for a company that continuously deploys maintenance team in all sites. More such insights can rapidly change what it means to invest capital optimally and big data is the most powerful tool in this quest.
Data is large, so is the potential
Big data is all about large and unstructured data sets being organized and processed into insights. Currently, there are a number of databases that can help you process big data including Hadoop and NoSQL. However, more such forms of databases are being researched right now and surely, something more efficient may come up anytime. Data engineers are committed to provide precisely this kind of service where bigger data sets can be handled with faster methods.
Since the potential of big data is immense, data engineers are refusing to bow down to the volume. With tools like MATLAB leading the charge, engineers may have a competitive advantage because of high degree of scalability of such software. Since small businesses can benefit the most from big data, the probability of data engineers becoming more important to them is higher and hence, remotely working data engineers become a lucrative and exciting job for many. Not only does it offer you a great paycheque, but also a great opportunity to work on a wide range of data.