Who Needs Formal Credentials for Data Visualization?

I'm "self-taught" in data visualization. I put that in quotes because I'm really not "self-taught". I'm "community-taught". There were people doing this before me on whose coat-tails I rode.

I'm not talking about Florence Nightingale, Charles Minard, and William Playfair. Although they also had an influence on me, of course! I'm talking about people like Alberto Cairo , Nathan Yau, Cole Nussbaumer Knaflic , and many more, whose books, blog posts, and videos I consumed as I was immersing myself in this field.

But I have ZERO official credentials to do this work. Would I get past the resume filters to be called for a job interview? I don't know. Would anyone hire me based on my credentials alone, ab-so-lute-ly NOT.

So one thing I do know, for sure, is you don't need credentials or formal training to do this work. Experience, a portfolio to show, and some grit, and luck, and the other usual intangibles can definitely get you where you want to go.

Of course that doesn't mean you should NOT get credentialed. I just means that if you aren't credentialed, don't let that hold you back - get to work, build your portfolio and you can succeed in this field!

Lesson: DataViz Credentials

Listen: DataViz Credentials with Sarah Nell-Rodriquez

Hear someone who has lived, written, and thought long and hard about what it means to be credentialed (or not) to work in data visualization. You won't find a better example of someone who built a career in data visualization in an unexpected and yet completely logical way. And she not only works in this field, but leads, inspires, and teaches data literacy, which is one of the most important skills to have, even if you don't need credentials like a degree in statistics.

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