Are you looking for a career that’s exciting, rewarding, and constantly evolving? Data engineering could be the answer.
Today’s businesses run on data, and Data Engineers are a critical part of that process. The tools that help organizations get value from their data need support from humans to perform effectively—and that’s where Data Engineers come in.
Let’s take a look at what makes a career in data engineering such a great choice, and how you can get your new career up and running in less than six months. Yep, you read that right—just six months!
What does a Data Engineer do?
A Data Engineer’s job is to ensure tools that analyze business data have the clean, organized, and relevant data sets needed to operate effectively.
Ever heard the phrase “garbage in, garbage out”? Even the most advanced data analysis tools can only generate valuable insights if the data that’s fed into them is of good quality. Data comes in all shapes, sizes, and formats, and often needs to be cleansed before it can be analyzed to ensure it’s both accurate and complete. A Data Engineer helps collect, sort, and standardize this data so that it’s usable, meaning their organization can get actionable insights and maximum value from it. Data Engineers are also responsible for maintaining the infrastructure used to manage and store data from across the business.
In a typical day-to-day, tasks might include:
- Liaising with a range of stakeholders to determine data strategy and priorities
- Creating business intelligence reports
- Implementing data analytics systems
- Developing algorithms to transform raw data into easy-to-process information
- Ensuring compliance with data security and data governance best practices
The growing demand for Data Engineers
Since the recent explosion of generative AI, there’s barely a business in the world that’s not thinking about how to employ data to boost their productivity, efficiency, or competitive edge.
Fueled by the adoption of AI tools and the big data solutions that power them, the data analytics market is booming. The market is on track to be worth more than $346 billion by 2030, with a hefty annual CAGR of 30.7%.
The rising use of data-related tools—and the need for people with data management skills to work with them—has consistently put Data Engineer among the fastest-growing job titles over the past few years, and that demand is only growing. Just last year, LinkedIn put the role at number 13 on its Jobs on the Rise list.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the growth rate for Database Administrators and Architects (which includes data engineering roles) at 9% between 2023 and 2033, faster than the growth rate for other jobs, which sits at 4%.
Demand for those with specialist skills will only increase as more businesses look to make their data go further by adopting data management and analysis tools, making data engineering a career choice with great potential for long-term growth and progression.
Why choose a career as a Data Engineer?
As well as emerging as a highly sought-after field due to the exponential growth of data and a heavier reliance on data-driven decision making, there are even more compelling reasons why data engineering a great career choice in 2024.
Competitive salaries: Increased demand translates into competitive salaries for experienced professionals as businesses look to recognize the skills involved and contend for the best talent.
Invigorating challenges: Data engineering involves working with complex datasets, designing efficient data pipelines, and implementing innovative solutions. This intellectually challenging environment can be really rewarding for those who enjoy problem-solving and developing technical solutions to business challenges.
Career advancement opportunities: With organizations continuing to invest in data infrastructure, the role of Data Engineers is becoming increasingly strategic. This opens doors for career advancement, with opportunities to move into leadership positions or specialize in areas like data architecture or machine learning.
Impactful work: Data Engineers play a crucial role in helping organizations extract valuable insights from their data; their work can have a significant impact on business outcomes, driving innovation and improving efficiency in a real and tangible way.
Diverse skill sets and development potential: Data engineering requires a combination of technical skills (like programming, database management, cloud computing) and soft skills (communication, problem-solving, collaboration, etc.). By pursuing this career, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a diverse and transferable skill set that can set you up for a variety of career paths.
How to fast-track your Data Engineering career with Revolent
If you think a career as a Data Engineer could be a good fit for you, there are plenty of ways to get started. For example, there’s plenty of online content and self-paced courses you can get stuck into to start building your data know-how.
But if you want to jump-start your career with expert training, support, and a paid role at a leading company, Revolent’s fully funded Data Engineer Careers Program can help you get there faster.
With its unique, industry-leading training and placement scheme, Revolent can help you build valuable skills, earn official certifications, and land a paid role, all in less than six months.
How it works
When you join the Revolent program, you’ll get in-depth training from data engineering experts who’ll help you build in-demand skills in your chosen data technologies and pass industry-leading certifications.
You don’t need any prior experience with data engineering or cloud data platforms to apply. The only prerequisites required are at least a year of basic programming knowledge (Python or Scala are preferred), basic SQL knowledge, and some experience with Git.
Expert training
Throughout the training portion of the program, you will:
- Learn at least three leading data technologies that are popular with businesses
- Develop consultancy skills like effective communication and stakeholder management
- Gain experience with data ingestion, orchestration, destination, transformation, and modeling, with at least 50% of training time spent on hands-on application
Paid work placement
Once you’ve completed your training, you’ll start your full-time role with a leading tech or business brand for a two-year placement. During this placement, we’ll continue to provide training and mentorship to help you advance your skills in data engineering, generative AI, or machine learning.
A world of opportunity
When your time with us is complete, you’ll be an experienced, certified, and well-rounded Data Engineer, free to join your placement company as a permanent employee, stay with Revolent and progress onto a more senior role, or begin your own journey in tech.
5 reasons to choose the Revolent Data Engineer Careers Program
Industry-recognized certifications
Fully funded training and a paid work placement
Support and guidance throughout
Whether you’re in training or on the job, our team will be there to provide one-to-one support to help you develop your skills and advance your career.
Data Engineer and Revol, Karson Richardson, credits Revolent with helping him start and continue to grow his career. “Revolent’s Data Engineer training program helps Revols like me to establish functional knowledge of new technologies through carefully curated course content,” he said.
“I feel fully supported by Revolent’s expert trainers, as they are readily available to answer my questions and offer a venue for feedback on course content. For me, this paved the way to achieving official certifications. I will undoubtedly continue to recommend Revolent’s training programs to others.”
Practical, relevant skills
The skills you’ll learn throughout the program have been specifically selected to make sure they’re relevant and practical, so you can get right to work on your placement.
“Although it’s been intense, I’ve enjoyed my time on Revolent’s training program!” said Data Engineer and Revol, Philip Cesani. “The course was up-to-date and very relevant to modern data engineering, and my instructor was phenomenal, explaining concepts easily. He was very approachable and available, which made asking questions feel like a breeze! If you’re looking to get into data engineering, I would definitely recommend Revolent’s Data Engineer Program!”
Connections that accelerate your career
As part of a cohort of other budding Data Engineers, you’ll build useful connections and a great support network of peers. You’ll also reap the benefits of our industry-wide connections with leading businesses, giving you access to the best placement and career opportunities.
“I really appreciate the supportive culture at Revolent, which is especially important in a remote environment,” said Soohyun Yoon, Data Engineer and Revol. “I love training with industry experts like Jim Burnham who was so open and candid when sharing his experience.
“And it’s great to be part of a cohort of professionals from diverse backgrounds who motivate and inspire me! The combination of training and industry connections has definitely accelerated my career, and I would recommend this program to others.”
