Information technology (IT) is highly reliant on math. IT specialists must understand binary math (1s and 0s), algebra, statistics, calculus, and discrete math.
Let’s focus specifically on the science of statistics. Does being good at statistics give you a leg up in the IT industry? Yes, it does!
First, we will examine exactly what statistics is and how it relates to information technology.
Then, we will look at two ways statistical skills can heighten your IT job prospects – creating personal statistics for your resume and demonstrating the use of statistics on the job.
What Is Statistics?
According to the Computer Science Degree Hub, “Statistics is a form of math used in computer science that uses quantified models, representations, and synopses for a provided collection of experimental data or actual studies.”
In other words, statistics as a science involves collecting large quantities of data. That data is then analyzed to find proportions or patterns, which are in turn used in a variety of ways – to inform decisions, create a better product, educate the public, etc.
We often encounter statistics in everyday life – “x percent of people do such-and-such.” Such findings are often invaluable to various businesses.
Since data analysis is highly technical and may require the use or writing of computer programs and the algorithms that drive them, IT technicians are in a good position to fill this niche.
Statistics As A Key Performance Indicator
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are somewhat important in the area of recruitment too. You can use your background in statistics to formulate compelling KPIs to be included in your resume.
KPIs are often expressed in terms of discreet statistics and include four main categories when related to workplace achievements:
Your Contributions To Company Growth
This is a good place to use that statistics expertise. For example, you can cite the percentile of growth the company experienced – growth which you helped actuate. You can also cite stats on increases in production or sales, or decreases in expense.
Company Time Saved
Again, cite stats showing how you helped with improved efficiency, such as the percentage growth of projects completed on time.
The Number Of People Served
This can include others on the staff, customers, vendors, etc, and could be demonstrated in numbers per hour, day, month, or year.
The Number Of Tasks Or Projects Completed
These can be listed within a given time frame.
From the above, you can see that KPIs are similar to resume keywords but are more personalized to you as an individual.
Thinking in terms of KPIs may be unfamiliar to many job seekers. If you are still scratching your head, you can find out more about including KPIs on resumes here.
KPIs can be especially useful (and possibly expected by hiring managers) in IT fields such as technical support, analysts, data entry, software testers, app, software, or full stack developers, and video game or software designers.
Statistics As A Skill
Statistics play a major role in computer science. The Michigan Technological University notes that “statistics is used for data mining, speech recognition, vision and image analysis, data compression, artificial intelligence, and network and traffic modeling.
A statistical background is essential for understanding algorithms and statistical properties that form the backbone of computer science.”
Consider a real-world example. Imagine that you are an information technology specialist for a sports analytics company.
You may be asked to write programs that can organize and store sports data, as well as perform statistical data analysis functions.
To do this, you will need to understand the principles of qualitative and quantitative data. You must also be able to recognize patterns in the data presented.
In fact, analyzing data to look for trends is important in computer science fields across industries.
Businesses want to be able to organize data, learn from it, and make predictions that lead to effective business decisions.
The application of statistics in computer science or IT may include data acquisition, “noise” reduction, data exploration, analysis, modeling, visualization, creating simulations, and reporting.
Examples might include modeling errors to improve software performance or analyzing data to solve real-world problems.
Again, to do these things, you should “understand algorithms and statistical properties of computer science.”
You may be able to include many of these skills in your resume Skills section.
You should also endeavor to demonstrate their usage in your bulleted job description list.
Key Takeaways
Understanding statistics is important when working in computer science and information technology fields.
You must understand algorithms in order to analyze and manipulate data sets, perhaps even writing programs to perform these specific functions.
You can also put your statistical expertise to work in the form of key performance indicators on your resume, such as formulating and including percentage growth statistics in your bulleted resume job descriptions.
