A new role that has popped up in the tech space over the past few years is the machine learning engineer (MLE). Some people often confuse MLE with a data scientist; however, there is quite a wide distinction, which I will explain in this article to give you some clarity if you are thinking of making the switch!
Let’s start by defining a data scientist. Having worked as one for over three years, I feel I am adequately placed to do so!
Data science is a broad term nowadays, and it means different things at different companies; it’s ambiguous, to say the least! (I often complain about this)
A data scientist at one company could be doing purely analytical work and setting metrics, whereas, at another company, they could be building and deploying machine learning models.
This is why I always recommend prospective applicants thoroughly read the job description to ensure they understand what they are signing up for and is inline with what they want to do.
Generally, a data scientist will do a mix of analytical and modelling work and be…