As a Data Scientist, How to Become More Visible at Work

If you are a data scientist, an AI engineer, or in any skill-driven profession, you know that just having technical skills might not be enough to differentiate you in a competitive environment. Today, we'll discuss how you can stand out from your peers and increase your visibility at work.
Let's start by discovering your unique value in your workplace. What is your unique value? Your unique value is a particular skill or an ability where you excel beyond your colleagues. Your unique value is your personal competitive advantage in your workplace.
To identify your unique value or your competitive advantage, ask yourself four questions:
• What data analytic techniques are you exceptional at?
• What complex data can you analyze to simplify your company's decision-making process?
• Which machine learning models have you tailored beyond standard practice?
• What complex tasks does your company struggle with, and how well-equipped is your expertise to tackle those tasks?
The four questions are specific to data science and AI-related jobs, but you can tailor them to determine your competitive advantage in any domain.
The answers to these questions will help you identify your unique values and, hence, your competitive advantage.
Once you know your unique value, it is crucial to showcase it. If your strength is creating predictive models, volunteer to lead a workshop for your colleagues to teach them predictive modeling. If you excel in natural language processing, propose a project that leverages this skill to improve your company's customer interactions. Ask to take leads on projects where you have your unique value.
All the discussions can be down to four strategies to increase your visibility. One of these four strategies is quite controversial.
*Strategy number 1.* Engage in Visible Projects: Take on projects that allow you to showcase your unique value. For instance, if you've developed a technique for reducing model training time, seek out projects that will benefit from this innovation.
*Strategy number 2.* Highlight Your Unique Value in Reviews and Interviews: Always highlight your unique values during performance reviews or job interviews. Prepare stories illustrating how your unique skills have driven success, like when your model significantly increased revenue or efficiency.
*Strategy number 3.* Assist Your Colleagues Using Your Unique Value: Help your peers with your unique values. If you are great at data visualization, assist a team member struggling to present data effectively. This not only showcases your skill but also builds your reputation as a collaborative and helpful colleague.
*Strategy number 4.* Exceed Expectations. This strategy is controversial: The strategy is to try to deliver more than expected. For example, when asked for a visualization of a project's time series data, provide additional insights that aren't simply data visualization. For instance, forecasting can be provided from the time series data. Such additions will immensely benefit the client, and at the same time, your unique value will become more visible. Why is this strategy of over-delivering controversial? Exceeding expectations does not come without a price. Additional efforts require additional time and energy, which comes from your budgeted work time. That is why this strategy to exceed expectations is a bit hard and, hence, controversial.
Standing out as a data scientist or AI engineer or any skilled professional isn't just about being great at your job. It's about being visibly great. Use your unique skills to make a noticeable impact. That way, you'll not only advance your career but also help shape the future of your organization.
Dr. Shahriar Hossain
computing4all.com

[@babaabba9348]

I think the unique value is the ability to implement logic and knowledge in order to be creative and to solve complex tasks. However for common cases, being unique is bringing more money to the company.

[@C4A]

That is great explanation! Thank you for contributing by your comment.