When you walk into an actual library, how do you find what you need...quickly?
Someone has cataloged, organized and filed it so that you (the user) can find it.
Taxonomy is the hottest new career to hit High Tech. There is so much data out there, Taxonomists are basically librarians for big data.
In the last several years, Vettanna has placed more Taxonomists with our clients than any other job category.
Take the library example. You can search by: author name, author gender, genre, subject, decade written, decade subject matter, award winner, best seller, trending.
With big data those are the low hanging fruit, but you also must know about the target demographic that is doing the searching and the "language" they speak. Language is in quotes because it's more than just English or French. It's also the pop culture language and slang.
Interested? Here's a blog that demonstrates this using Netflix as an example.
Would you make a good Taxonomist?
Do you have:
Intense attention to detail?
Fabulous written and verbal skills? Love of words!
Can you organize and categorize data in multiple ways? Including using the pop culture lingo of different age demographics and cultures?
Bonus: Do you speak/read multiple languages?
Next time you are surfing around on Netflix, Amazon, Zappos or eBay pay attention to how the data is grouped and categorized. It's brilliant and also frustrating.
For example, try searching Netflix for "Academy Award...winners, nominees, directors, actors etc" They haven't grouped by this and especially right before the Academy Awards this is what I look for...every year. Their taxonomists are missing a search opportunity and their marketing team is missing a huge tie in to Academy Awards parties and predictions.
All the best!
Jennifer