# Is career gap with 8 years without IT experience is bad to get Data science jobs?

**URL:** <https://forum.guvi.in/t/is-career-gap-with-8-years-without-it-experience-is-bad-to-get-data-science-jobs/345>\
**Category:** Career\
**Tags:** ai-ml, python, data-science, career\
**Created:** [January 19, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.guvi.in/t/is-career-gap-with-8-years-without-it-experience-is-bad-to-get-data-science-jobs/345 "2026-01-19T16:01:24Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![thulasinakshatra68967](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@thulasinakshatra68967](https://forum.guvi.in/u/thulasinakshatra68967)\
**Post date:** [January 19, 2026, 4:01pm UTC](https://forum.guvi.in/t/is-career-gap-with-8-years-without-it-experience-is-bad-to-get-data-science-jobs/345/1 "2026-01-19T16:01:24Z")

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I’m so confused. Is it starting data science course in late 2025, for 2015 passed out with 3 years of non IT experience is a bad choice?

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**Author:** ![jaishreework12303602](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a9a28c/32.png) [@jaishreework12303602](https://forum.guvi.in/u/jaishreework12303602)\
**Post date:** [January 20, 2026, 8:06am UTC](https://forum.guvi.in/t/is-career-gap-with-8-years-without-it-experience-is-bad-to-get-data-science-jobs/345/2 "2026-01-20T08:06:34Z")

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No, starting a data science course in late 2025 as a 2015 pass-out with non-IT experience is **not a bad choice** , as long as you approach it realistically. Data science is still a skill-driven field, and companies care far more about what you can _do_ with data than when you graduated. Many professionals transition into data roles after years in non-technical domains, especially because business understanding, problem framing, and decision-making context are valuable assets in data science roles.

That said, the landscape has changed. Data science is no longer an “easy switch” or a certificate-based career move. The biggest risk isn’t your graduation year or non-IT background, but entering the field with shallow skills and unrealistic expectations. To be competitive, you’ll need strong fundamentals in Python, SQL, statistics, and hands-on project work that shows end-to-end problem solving. If you’re willing to invest time (often 12–18 months) in deep learning and portfolio building, your background won’t hold you back.

**Key points to keep in mind:**

- Focus on **practical skills and real projects** , not just course completion.

- Start with roles like **Data Analyst / Junior Data Scientist / BI Analyst** , not senior titles.

- Use your **non-IT experience** to your advantage by solving domain-relevant data problems.

- Consistency and depth matter far more than age or career gaps.

In short, it’s not a bad choice — it’s only a bad choice if done casually.

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**Author:** ![vsvishnuvarathan86](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e36b37/32.png) [@vsvishnuvarathan86](https://forum.guvi.in/u/vsvishnuvarathan86)\
**Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 10:23am UTC](https://forum.guvi.in/t/is-career-gap-with-8-years-without-it-experience-is-bad-to-get-data-science-jobs/345/3 "2026-02-01T10:23:17Z")

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career gap is a big problem absolutely