How to Write a Winning Data Scientist Resume: a Comprehensive Guide

The term "data science" has become popular recently with the implementation of technology in every corner of our lives. It's a fusion of algorithms, tools, and machine learning principles that extract information from hidden patterns in its raw data form. Data scientists "wrangle" big data to make relevant discoveries for businesses, helping them achieve their goals. In addition, they combine programming, statistics, analytics, and math to create algorithms, design data modeling processes, and build machine learning pipelines to better understand their customer base and competitors.

Despite how skill-related a data scientist's job is, just having the skills is not enough. A precisely tailored data scientist resume is also essential to ensure that you stand out among other applicants and leave a good impression on hiring managers.

Table of Contents

Before You Start Writing Your Resume

Before you enter your "job-hunting mode," it's important to note several elements to take note of and know to enhance your overall resume writing experience.

Step 1: Understand the Differences Between a Curriculum Vitae (Cv) and a Resume

Data scientist CV and data scientist resume, are there any differences? Although both are interchangeable terms in some instances, it's vital to know the differences to avoid submitting the wrong kind to your prospective employer.

A data scientist CV:

  • is more detailed and has a simple structure
  • is over 2 pages long
  • and mostly used in academia, medicine, or science fields

A data scientist resume

  • emphasizes more on relevant information for a specific job and has various layouts
  • is within 2 pages long
  • and primarily used for a job application

💡 Pro Tip: Double-check if the job ad has requested a data scientist CV or a data scientist resume. Format them accordingly before submitting your document.

Step 2: Choose the Right Data Scientist Resume Format

They say that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but a hiring manager WILL judge you by your resume. For your data scientist resume, there are different data scientist resume formats that you can use: chronological, functional, hybrid/combination, and targeted. Ensure that the format of your picking is suitable for both your data science-related experiences and the job itself.

Step 3: Look Up Data Scientist Resume Templates & Examples Online as References

If you're unsure of how to start writing your resume, you can look up resume templates and data scientist resume examples online as references. Remember to keep a lookout for both the strong points to emulate and weak points to avoid in these data science resume examples.

Don't copy and paste these references' content, adjust it to your own specific experiences and the job description itself.

Step 4: Tailor Your Resume for the Data Scientist Job

Your data scientist resume should never be a "one-size-fits-all" resume. Thus, it's best not to use an entry-level data scientist resume for a position that requires you to possess extensive experience.

Your past resumes can be a starting point, but you should always continuously add your relevant data science-related responsibilities and achievements to your resume. By the time you're close to the top of your career ladder, you should be able to build an experienced data scientist resume.

Step 5: Don't Forget to Add a Data Scientist Cover Letter

Similar to your resume, tailor your cover letter for a data scientist position instead of making a general cover letter.

A cover letter is your chance to showcase your enthusiasm and explain why and how your profile and data science skills make you a great fit in their company's data scientist role.

Step 6: Proofread

As tedious as proofreading may be, it's a necessary extra step that you should take to ensure that no careless spelling or grammatical mistake exists on your data scientist resume.

What Should Your Data Scientist Resume Look Like?

data-scientist-resume-2
Created by Cake

1. Resume Profile (Personal Information)

Before you write any other sections, adding your personal information at the beginning of your resume so that the recruiters know how to contact you.

Always Include

  • Full name
  • Professional title can give your prospective employer an idea of how experienced you are as a data scientist.
  • E-mail address 
  • Phone number
  • Address (city, state, and country)

You should not do these:

  • Current salary: Putting out a number too early may lessen your bargaining power when discussing your salary. 
  • Social Security number/National Insurance Number: Only required AFTER you get hired.
  • Private information (e.g. sexual orientation, race, photograph): Your private life is irrelevant to the job position; exclude them to avoid potential hiring bias or discrimination.

2. Resume Headline for Data Scientist

A data scientist resume headline is a one-line and concise description to quickly inform the hiring manager of who you are, your strengths and relevant experience, and why you're the perfect fit for the position. Use keywords that you may find in the job advertisement.

Data Scientist Resume — Resume Headline Examples

  • Highly Experienced Data Scientist with 10+ Years of Experience in the Healthcare Industry
  • Detail-Oriented Senior Data Scientist with Experience in Data Mining

3. Data Scientist Resume Summary

A data scientist resume summary is a continuation of your resume headline. Ideally, it's around 2-3 sentences highlighting your data science skills, experience, and qualifications.

Data Scientist Resume — Resume Summary Example

Business-minded data scientist with the ability to deliver insights via data analytics and mining. Achievements include creating models to predict stock prices with 30% more accuracy than the historical average, increasing investment returns by 23%.

4. Career Objective for a Data Scientist 

    What is your career objective as a data scientist? Your resume objective should answer this in 2-3 sentences. You can incorporate this in your resume summary.

Data Scientist Resume — Career Objective Example

Experienced data scientist with robust statistical analysis and research skills. Seeking for the position of Data Scientist with XYZ Inc., offering 4+ years of experience utilizing statistical modeling and machine learning techniques.

5. Skills for a Data Scientist Resume

Your skillset is one of your main selling points as a data scientist candidate. The skills that you possess serve as an indicator for the hiring manager of your potential fit for the position. Your listed skills for a data scientist resume should be relevant and be kept short. If you're still unsure, you might find it helpful to look online for a data scientist resume sample or refer to the job description.

You might find plenty of companies requiring candidates to be proficient in programming languages such as Python for a data science entry-level job, and an understanding of NLP for a data science senior level job; these are keywords that you should include if you do possess said skills to make you more valuable as a candidate.

Data Scientist Resume — Skills Section Example

  • Programming Language: Python, C++, R
  • Data Visualization: Tableau, Power BI 
  • Communication skills: Presentation, Public Speaking

6. Work Experience

The experience section is definitive proof of your suitability and qualifications for the role, especially for a senior data scientist resume. Include your previous organizations' names, job titles, brief descriptions of responsibilities, achievements, and employment period in your data scientist resume. 

Data Scientist Resume — Work Experience Section Example

Junior Data Scientist, XYZ Inc., Jan. 2012 - Apr. 2019

  • Enhanced data mining processes, reducing the time required to extract actionable insights from customer data by 27%, enabling faster development of targeted marketing campaigns and strategies.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to design and implement predictive models, improving decision-making in customer segmentation and campaign optimization.
  • Utilized statistical analysis and machine learning techniques to identify trends and patterns, driving data-driven strategies for customer engagement and retention.
  • Developed and maintained dashboards for real-time data monitoring, providing key stakeholders with timely insights to support business objectives.

📚 Further reading: Data Analyst vs Data Scientist: Which Career Is Right for You?

7. Education

Your education is formal proof of your skills and credentials; this is especially crucial if you're building a data science student resume, a data science intern resume, a data science fresher resume, or a data science resume with no experience. Combined with experience (if any), it can make an entry-level data scientist resume look even better.

💡 Pro Tip: Include your school, degree, major, coursework, year of graduation, honors and awards, GPA, and extracurricular activities (if applicable).

Want to get into data science? Read this article — How to Get Into Data Science: Skills & Tools to Learn, Career Options, Salary Guide 2025.

8. Additional Information: Certification

Although your data science skills are mainly attested by the projects you have done and/or your previous work experience, there are data science certifications that can help you stick out from the crowd. Including certifications can help improve your data science resume. Some certificates that you can consider are:

  • Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Scientist Associate
  • SAS Certified Data Scientist
  • Open Certified Data Scienti st (Open CDS)
  • Data Science Council of America

📚 Further reading: Data Scientist vs Data Engineer: What’s the Right Career Choice for You?

Extra Tips for Writing The Best Data Science Resume

  • Tip 1—Customize the resume for data scientist positions: You shouldn’t use the same resume for every application, even if the positions are of equal standing. Adjust your data scientist resume accordingly to the job description to exclude irrelevant details.
  • Tip 2—Quantify results in your data science resume: Use numbers and statistics to show your achievements as a data scientist instead of putting them in a qualitative format to make your accomplishments seem more apparent and more convincing.
  • Tip 3—Choose an ATS-friendly resume layout: No matter how pretty some fancy data science resume formats may be, it's best not to use them as applicant tracking software (ATS) cannot identify templates with too many visuals.
  • Tip 4—Adopt resume action words (verbs): Action verbs can instantly provide information about you in an employer's mind.
  • Tip 5—GitHub is your best friend: Your past projects are an asset as it's a testament to your data science skills; it lets the prospective employer know that you know what you're doing. Uploading your relevant projects to GitHub can strengthen a data science fresher resume or even a data science resume with no experience.

6 Data Scientist Resume Templates & Samples

1) Entry Level Data Scientist Resume Sample

MELANIE LITTLE

[email protected] | 555 5555 5555 | Rochester, NY

Detail-oriented data science graduate with a strong foundation in data analysis, seeking to leverage technical expertise to make data-driven decisions. 

SUMMARY

Entry level data scientist with experience in data visualization software and programming languages. Successfully finished projects in data mining and machine learning techniques. Holds certifications from IBM and Microsoft. Skilled in acquiring actionable insights to support data-based decisions. 

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Data Visualization: Tableau, Power B
  • Programming Languages: Python, SQL, R
  • Databases: MySQL, SQLite
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Data Wrangling

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Data Science Intern, The Retail Place, New York, June 2022 - June 2024

  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams to build predictive models for customer attrition analysis using logistic regression.
  • Analyzed customer data using SQL to inform decisions that reduce customer churn. 
  • Designed visualizations in Tableau to track customer trends and allow monitoring in real time.

PROJECTS

Retail Sales Projections (2024)

  • Developed and executed a forecasting model to project monthly retail sales, using SARIMA in Python.
  • Created detailed data visualizations predicting sales trends and projections. 
  • Presented actionable insights to enhance inventory planning. 

Real Estate Prices Predictive Modeling (2023)

  • Created a machine learning model to predict housing prices based on conditions like location and size. 
  • Used Polars to preprocess data and address missing values and outliers. 

Product Recommendation System (2023)

  • Created a filter-based system to recommend products based on shopping cart item similarities and user demographics. 
  • Used hyperparameter tweaking and data preprocessing to improve algorithm efficiency and accuracy. 

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Science in Data Science
Vassar College, New York
Sept. 2018-June 2022

CERTIFICATIONS

  • IBM Data Science Professional Certificate (2022)
  • Azure AI Fundamentals (2023)

2) Mid-Level Data Scientist Resume Sample

Elena Merril

[email protected]
989 989 9888
Rochester, NY

Data scientist with 5 years of experience developing data integration for large healthcare corporations. Successfully implemented predictive models to identify high-risk patients and improve post-surgical outcomes. Collaborated with healthcare administration and data science teams to meet project goals. 

Professional Experience

Data Scientist, RealHealth Data, Phoenix, AZ, May 2019 - January 2023

  • Developed and implemented predictive models using logistic regression to identify high-risk patients and reduce post-surgical readmission by 17%.
  • Used Cloud platforms including Vertex AI to monitor patient health trends. 
  • Conducted A/B testing for a variety of patient compliance projects like appointment reminders. 
  • Maintained patient confidentiality and ensured compliance with regulatory healthcare privacy standards. 

Data Science Intern, My Health Data, Phoenix, AZ, July 2017 - April 2019

  • Performed sentiment analysis on patient satisfaction using survey data, creating actionable insights to improve patient fulfillment. 
  • Assisted data science team in automating data cleaning pipeline for patient health data. 
  • Developed data dashboards in Tableau to visualize patient outcomes and resource management. 

Key Skills

  • Python, SQL, R
  • Data visualization, including Tableau and Power BI
  • Cloud computing, including Hadoop and Spark
  • Machine learning

Certifications

  • Certified Analytics Professional (2020)

Education

Master’s in Machine Learning
Arizona Western College, AZ
September 2017 - June 2019

Bachelor’s in Applied Computer Science
University of Michigan, MI
September 2013 - June 2017

3) Senior Data Scientist Resume Sample

JACOB BARKER
[email protected] | 543 543 5435 | Tampa, FL

SUMMARY
Results-driven senior data scientist with over 10 years of experience in improving business outcomes using statistical analysis and machine learning. Expertise in natural language processing and predictive modeling. Implemented a customer segmentation and personalized marketing optimization project using insights from consumer data. Experienced in leading cross-functional teams and mentoring junior data scientists.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

SENIOR DATA SCIENTIST
CustomerWise, Tallahassee, FL
March 2017 - August 2022

  • Designed and scaled data pipelines to analyze consumer transaction data using Hadoop.
  • Designed product recommendations algorithm for a major retail brand that increased sales by 14%.
  • Created and presented data visualizations and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
  • Participated in company mentoring program to coach 6 junior data scientists by offering feedback and guidance, nourishing a culture of collaboration.

DATA SCIENTIST
Realtime Data, Denver, CO
September 2014 - February 2017

  • Optimized marketing campaigns through customer segmentation models, leading to higher conversion rates.
  • Performed sentiment analysis on social media engagement using NLP techniques.
  • Collaborated with marketing team to conduct A/B testing of email marketing campaigns and analyze customer engagement metrics.

JUNIOR DATA SCIENTIST
DataMine, Denver, CO
March 2012 - July 2014

  • Preprocessed consumer telecommunications data using data cleaning and reduction.
  • Collaborated with cross-functional teams on the development of machine learning models for predicting customer churn.
  • Prepared data reports and presentations for senior data team meetings.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Machine learning
  • Data visualization
  • Data engineering
  • Programming languages

EDUCATION

MASTER’S IN DATA ENGINEERING
Northwestern University, IL
January 2015 - December 2016

BACHELOR’S IN DATA SCIENCE
University of Chicago, IL
September 2007 - June 2011

CERTIFICATIONS

  • Open CDS
  • SAS Certified Data Scientist
  • TensorFlow Developer Certificate

4) Python Data Scientist Resume Sample

SAUL FERREL
[email protected] | 123 123 1234 | Houston, TX

SUMMARY
Data scientist with 6+ years of experience leveraging Python to optimize data-driven decisions. Proficient in Python for machine learning and data analysis. Experienced in using big data tools, including Apache and Hadoop, to handle large datasets. Expertise in designing predictive models and automating workflows.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Python, SQL
  • Hadoop, Apache
  • Tableau, Matplotlib
  • Machine learning
  • Google Cloud

WORK EXPERIENCE

DATA SCIENTIST
The Data Place, Houston, TX
January 2021 - May 2024

  • Used Python to develop a fraud detection system that reduced fraud-related financial losses by 22% over 3 years.
  • Designed interactive dashboards on Tableau to visualize sales trends and predictive modeling for company stakeholders.
  • Automated data preprocessing pipelines using SQL.

DATA ANALYST
Define Data, Austin, TX
August 2018 - November 2020

  • Implemented time series forecasting models using Python for inventory management, reducing inventory shortages.
  • Conducted EDA and created visualizations to demonstrate findings for key strategic management.

JUNIOR DATA SCIENTIST
The Big Data Company, Little Rock, AR
March 2017 - June 2018

  • Developed Python scripts using Pandas to preprocess datasets and reduce inconsistencies.
  • Built a linear regression model to predict sales trends, reducing prediction error by 15% during model testing.
  • Collaborated with senior data scientists to automate data extraction and transformation workflows.

CERTIFICATION

  • Certified Associate Python Programmer (2018)

EDUCATION

BACHELOR’S OF SCIENCE IN DATA SCIENCE
University of Arkansas
September 2012 - December 2016

5) NLP Data Scientist Resume Sample

ISAAC ROBERTSON
[email protected] | 123 456 7890 | Portland, OR

SUMMARY
Data scientist with over 6 years of experience in Natural Language Processing (NLP). Expertise in sentiment analysis and language modeling solutions. Proficient in transformer models and data preprocessing. Led cross-functional teams to deliver actionable insights and NLP recommendations.

KEY SKILLS

  • NLP Tools: Hugging Face Transformers, Gensim
  • Programming languages: SQL, R, Python
  • Machine learning: TensorFlow, PyTorch
  • Data Visualization: Matplotlib, Plotly
  • Cloud Platform: Google Cloud, AWS

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

LEAD NLP DATA SCIENTIST
Linked Science, Portland, OR
July 2020 - October 2024

  • Built a sentiment analysis model to measure product reviews on major retail sites.
  • Implemented topic modeling with LDA to analyze customer feedback and better inform marketing strategies.
  • Used BERT to create a text classification model aimed at identifying customer requests in support tickets, reducing issue resolution time by 20%.
  • Set up NLP models using Docker and AWS SageMaker to handle large-scale data and deliver results in real time.

DATA ANALYST
Loosely Data, Portland, OR
February 2018 - June 2020

  • Conducted EDA on customer data and applied keyword extraction algorithms to identify trends.
  • Used Python to automate the process of extracting business insights from customer chat logs.
  • Presented text analytics findings and data visualizations at stakeholder meetings.

EDUCATION

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN DATA SCIENCE
Portland State University, OR
September 2018 - June 2020

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN DATA ENGINEERING
University of Washington, Seattle, WA
September 2014 - June 2018

6) Associate Data Scientist Resume Sample

JAMES SIMPSON
[email protected] | 222 222 2222 | Baltimore, MD

SUMMARY
Innovative associate data scientist with a foundation in data analysis, predictive modeling, and machine learning. Skilled in transforming and cleaning raw data and implementing machine learning algorithms to resolve business challenges. Experienced in programming languages and cloud technologies.

WORK EXPERIENCE

ASSOCIATE DATA SCIENTIST
DataSetting, Baltimore, MD
July 2019 - November 2022

  • Performed feature extraction and data preprocessing on datasets to enhance model performance.
  • Built and deployed machine learning models to refine marketing strategies, boosting customer engagement by 20%.
  • Conducted A/B experiments to evaluate the impact of new features, improving conversion rates.

ASSOCIATE DATA SCIENTIST
Good Retail Data, Baltimore, MD
March 2017 - May 2019

  • Improved customer retention by 13% over years by applying machine learning models to predict customer churn.
  • Cleaned, preprocessed, and analyzed large datasets using Python and SQL.
  • Developed and implemented predictive models for sales forecasting using time series analysis.

DATA ANALYST INTERN
Learn Data Science, Philadelphia, PA
April 2016 - January 2017

  • Performed exploratory data analysis and model development using Python.
  • Collaborated with data engineers to create predictive models and automate data pipelines in AWS.
  • Used Tableau to create interactive data visualizations and reports for key stakeholders.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

  • Machine learning
  • Query Languages: Python, SQL
  • Libraries: Scikit-learn, TensorFlow
  • Tools: Jupyter, PyCharm, Excel, Tableau
  • Databases: SQL Server, MySQL

CERTIFICATIONS

  • AWS Certified Solutions Architect (2020)
  • Data Science Professional Certificate, Coursera (2019)

EDUCATION

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
September 2012 - June 2016

Want to write a data scientist cover letter? Check out this article of ours.

Key Takeaways

When writing a data scientist resume, it's important to tailor it to each specific role, highlighting relevant skills and experiences that align with the job description. Showcase key technical skills such as Python, R, SQL, and machine learning frameworks, along with data visualization tools. Quantify the impact of your work with metrics, like "improved customer retention by 15%," to demonstrate your contributions. Focus on how your work solved business problems and drove decisions, and use strong action verbs like "developed" and "analyzed" to describe your achievements. Highlight continuous learning by listing certifications or relevant courses, and keep your resume concise—one to two pages of impactful information. Finally, balance technical skills with soft skills like teamwork and communication, as they are crucial for effectively collaborating and presenting insights.

Remember, your resume is an opportunity to showcase your unique value, so be confident and emphasize how your skills can contribute to business success. You’ve got this!

Cake provides the right data scientist resume templates & formats for data scientist to showcase their skills and experiences. Sign up to create the best data scientist resume with our online resume builder for free!

— Written by Patricia Rosita & Tiffany Quinn —

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