Why there's not one "best way" to land a data science job
"What Is The Best Way To Land A Data Science Job?"
You've done a bit of statistics, mathematical modeling, and programming so data science seems like a field you would enjoy working in. Being the pragmatic and thoughtful person you are, one of the first questions you asked yourself was "What is the best way to land a data science job?" Which was all well and good until you started asking people the question and got so many different answers that somehow made the whole data science job search process seemed more and more mysterious with each additional answer.
Reframing the question to make it more personal will help you get a data science job faster
The way the "What Is The Best Way To Land A Data Science Job?" is stated assumes that there is one and only one best way to get a data science job that works for everyone, regardless of background, and job, regardless of industry and position level. This is a flawed view of the world because doing a job search is a highly personal and nuanced process. By reframing the question to make it much more personal, you'll be able to use the advice other people give in a way that will make more sense to you.
Rather than "What Is The Best Way To Land A Data Science Job?" you should ask "What Is The Best Way For Me To Land A My Dream Data Science Job". The first change (addition of "For Me") points to the fact that there are job hunting strategies and tactics that you will be more likely to use and succeed with than other people. The second change (remove "A", add "My Dream") points to the the fact that there are some jobs out there that will be a great fit for you and some that will not be a great fit for you. The combined changes reframe the question so that the answers are very clearly defined to your specific situation.
Making the question about "your best way" will help you find a data science job faster
By reframing the question and making it about your strengths, you will be able to find a data science job faster. For some people this might involve doing a large amount of cold-calling to data science hiring mangers. For other people this might involve doing a large amount of public speaking about past projects they've done and new projects they're in the middle of doing. For other people, this might entail going to a significant number of networking events. For others still, this might involve developing an effective website that showcases a data science portfolio full of data science projects. Depending on your skill set and inclinations, you will be better at some of these strategies and tactics than others. So by focusing on "your best way" rather than a generic "best way", you'll be able to do the process faster and use it to a great advantage.
Making the question about "your dream data science job" will help you find a data science job faster
By reframing the question and making it about what your dream job would entail, you will be able to find a data science job faster. Rather than looking at all the different types of data science jobs in different industries in different locations in different countries with different role titles and different pay scales, if you think about what it is that you want, you'll be able to narrow down the possible data science jobs you will look at, research, and try to get. If your job search entails being a "data scientist anywhere in the world", you'll have to look through thousands and thousands of job postsing to see if they are interesting to you. However, if your job search entails being a "data scientist in the ad-tech industry in London with a title of Data Scientist who works with Scala", you'll have a great deal less positions to look through, but those that you find you'll be better able to articulate why you are the perfect fit for them.
Rather than finding the best way for everyone to find a data science job, find the best way for you to find the data science job you want
When people give you advice about "What is the best way to land a data science job?" you'll get so many different answers that the whole data science job search process will way more mysterious than it really is and can be.
Reframing the question to make it more personal will help you think through what is the "best way" for you to find a data science job as well as what type of data science job will be your "dream data science job". This way not only your research but the answers you receive from other people will help guide you to achieve your goal of getting a data science job sooner than later and with way less pain.
So keep asking for advice and keep thinking of how to best find a data science job, just make sure you do it in the most personal way possible. So the next time you get an answer, read an article, or see a job posting, think about how it would personally apply to "your best way" and your "dream data science job". Good luck!