Data engineering combines elements of software engineering and data science and is one of the fastest-growing roles in IT. According to Indeed.com, data engineers develop and maintain the architecture used in data science projects. They are responsible for ensuring that data flows between servers and applications uninterrupted.

Data engineers must be familiar with a range of operating systems and databases and able to write and program software. They are experienced with data warehousing and data analysis and must possess excellent critical thinking and communication skills. Data engineers may learn their skills through a combination of education, on-the-job training, and ongoing certificates. Indeed notes that acquiring a certification is an excellent way to showcase abilities and move ahead in the field.

To find out what’s involved in becoming a data engineer, we spoke with Lance Miles, a data engineer at unitQ.

Continue reading on InfoWorld, where this article was first published.