A data engineer is a professional who plays a critical role in the world of big data. Let’s dive into what data engineers do, their skills, and how you can become one:

  1. What Does a Data Engineer Do?

    • Data engineers design and build systems for collecting, storing, and analyzing data at scale. Their work ensures that data is in a highly usable state by the time it reaches data scientists and business analysts.
    • Key tasks of a data engineer include:
      • Acquiring Datasets: They gather relevant datasets aligned with business needs.
      • Data Transformation: Developing algorithms to transform raw data into actionable information.
      • Database Pipeline Architecture: Building, testing, and maintaining database pipeline architectures.
      • Collaboration: Working with management to understand company objectives and ensure compliance with data governance and security policies.

  2. Difference Between Data Analysts and Data Engineers:

    • Data Analysts: Analyze data sets to glean insights and knowledge.
    • Data Engineers: Build systems for collecting, validating, and preparing high-quality data for data scientists to use in promoting better business decisions.

  3. Skills Needed to Become a Data Engineer:

    • Programming Languages: Proficiency in languages like Python, Java, or Scala.
    • Big Data Technologies: Familiarity with tools like Apache Spark, Hadoop, and Kafka.
    • Database Management: Knowledge of SQL and NoSQL databases.
    • Data Modeling: Understanding data structures and designing efficient schemas.
    • Cloud Platforms: Experience with cloud services (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud).

  4. Career Path and Salary:

Remember, data engineers are the architects behind the scenes, ensuring that data flows smoothly and empowers data-driven insights!

AWS Certified Data Engineer Associate

The AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate is a certification offered by Amazon Web Services (AWS). This certification validates your knowledge and skills in core data-related AWS services.

Here are some key details about the AWS Certified Data Engineer - Associate exam:

The exam tests your ability to utilize best practices to implement data pipelines, monitor and troubleshoot issues, and optimize cost and performance.
The exam format includes 65 questions, which can be either multiple choice or multiple response.
The exam duration is 130 minutes.
The cost of the exam is 150 USD. This certification is recommended for individuals with 2–3 years of experience in data engineering and 1–2 years of experience in AWS services
Certification: DEA
Training Center: ICS
Course Hours: 60
Product: AWS
Job Role: Data Engineer
Certification Exam: DEA-C01
Course Level: Intermediate
Course Last Updated: 8 May 2024
Course Price: $2,999.99
Course Price with Credit Card: $3,119.99
More Information: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/certified-data-engineer-associate/

Microsoft Certified Azure Data Fundamentals

The DP-900 certification exam focuses on core data concepts related to Microsoft Azure data services. As a candidate for this certification, you should have familiarity with the self-paced or instructor-led learning material for Exam DP-900. This certification is designed for individuals who are beginning to work with data in the cloud. Here are the key points about the DP-900 certification:

Core Data Concepts: You’ll need to understand concepts related to relational and non-relational data.
Data Workloads: Familiarize yourself with different types of data workloads, such as transactional or analytical.
Azure Data Fundamentals: This certification serves as a foundational step for other Azure role-based certifications, like Azure Database Administrator Associate or Azure Data Engineer Associate, although it is not a prerequisite for them.
Certification: MCF
Training Center: I3
Course Hours: 40
Product: Azure
Job Role: Data Engineer
Certification Exam: DP-900
Course Level: Beginner
Course Last Updated: 8 May 2024
Course Price: $1,999.99
Course Price with Credit Card: $2,079.99
More Information: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-data-fundamentals/

Microsoft Certified Azure Data Engineer Associate

The DP-203 certification, also known as Microsoft Certified: Azure Data Engineer Associate, validates your expertise in designing and implementing big data analytics solutions using Azure Data Services. As a candidate for this certification, you should have subject matter expertise in integrating, transforming, and consolidating data from various structured, unstructured, and streaming data systems into a suitable schema for building analytics solutions.

Your role as an Azure data engineer involves the following tasks:

Data Exploration: Help stakeholders understand the data through exploration.
Pipeline Building: Build and maintain secure and compliant data processing pipelines using different tools and techniques.
Data Store Design: Use various Azure data services and frameworks to store and produce cleansed and enhanced datasets for analysis. The data store can be designed with different architecture patterns, including modern data warehouse (MDW) and big data lakehouse architecture.
Operationalization: Ensure that data pipelines and data stores are high-performing, efficient, organized, and reliable based on business requirements and constraints. Troubleshoot operational and data quality issues.
Data Processing Languages: Solid knowledge of data processing languages such as SQL, Python, and Scala.
Azure Services Proficiency: Proficiently use Azure services like Azure Data Factory, Azure Synapse Analytics, Azure Stream Analytics, Azure Event Hubs, Azure Data Lake Storage, and Azure Databricks.
Certification: MCA
Training Center: ICS
Course Hours: 60
Product: Azure
Job Role: Data Engineer
Certification Exam: DP-203
Course Level: Intermediate
Course Last Updated: 8 May 2024
Course Price: $2,999.99
Course Price with Credit Card: $3,119.99
More Information: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/credentials/certifications/azure-data-engineer/