AI/ML Engineer path - The Harsh Truth

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"companies just throw terms around." The most important sentence for any applicant to understand for almost any job.

I hold a Master’s in AI. I struggled to find an internship to complete my degree. I have been working for 6 months and most of the jobs in Canada required 3+ years of experience. It’s like there are almost no junior roles. Edit: I got hired where I did my internship. After months of hard work, my manager found that my work was outstanding and supported me until they agreed to hire me. What a great woman!

Following the current inflation rate, FIRE and Retirement plans should be out of the options with seasonal job layoffs included! at this point having a job doesn't mean security rather people should join a business trade and build more streams.

AI is all that Wall Street can talk about. Every company is supposedly investing in AI. So why is it so hard for people to find jobs in AI?

I am a retired "Information and Computer Scientist" (It says that on my diploma). In over 42 years I have been a Compiler Writer to a Space Flight Software tester (think SLS) with side trip into Systems Engineering. I liked what she said. You need one or more degrees with experience. I was Co-Op in school which was help. I always treated AI a side interest but kept my day job. I have lived through the AI Summer-Winter cycles in 1970's and 1980's. So I saw those AI PhDs get jobs and then get laid off. Don't put all your hopes in being an AI only person. Each time I see a report of another AI Hallucination, I feel the cold chill of winds of another AI Winter.

I think you are right, but the confusion level on job postings is not just limited to ML/Ai. I see the same pattern of confusion postings on the rest of IT: from NOCs to Sys Admins to Net Engineers. Clarity on the hiring end would definitely assist in hiring process and employee retention.

Job descriptions are a joke

Valuable advices! Thank you for sharing! :popcorn-yellow-striped-smile: We also see much perspectives in ML engineering. In our last video our colleague who is a Machine Learning Engineer explained his job through an example of the latest AI project he completed at Jelvix. He even shared his work schedule :fish-orange-wide-eyes: Also quite handy to know or to compare

You're right. Here's how I did this. Got a job on the lowest rung of a tech company in basic support. Then started learning data science...learning grew, curiosity on how to fix things grew, did projects at the company to solve problems...Basically, you're paying yourself to learn in a way. The first step is what is counter-intuitive...which most people want to skip.

Thanks! Very useful and realistic advice. As a self-taught developer, I am getting ready to land a job as a web dev, get some experience, and then try to move to ML. I think this makes more sense than trying to enter a market with such complexity as ML.

Jean, I am a Mechanical engineer by degree. You said it right, getting your foot inside is really important. I recently joined an IT industry where they are using ML to automate mechanical simulations. In my team, they only do it manually. I need to shift to the ML/Automation team because that is my passion wholeheartedly. I talked with the manager as it's been only 15 days since I joined the project. I am planning to do Masters in AI/ML. Your video gave lot of interesting insights. Tysm.

One of the best videos...whatever you said is 100% true...because now-a-days there are many YouTube channels, courses and other bootcamps who claim that one can learn AI and get a job right away

Never go to school to get a job and don’t expect to be employed in the field you went to school for. The world is changing so quickly that it’s just not predictable. Go to school for the business that you want to create.

I can totally resonate with Jean; it's challenging to secure AI/ML positions in 2023, even with experience from major tech companies. If someone is considering a career in AI, pursuing a Master's degree can expedite the job search process. I, personally, transitioned to a career in Rust software engineering after facing difficulties in finding opportunities in the machine learning field.

You know what? Job hunting is not worth my mental health. I'm sick of never being 'good enough' in the eyes of employers and if I die having never landed a job in AI or ML then so be it. I don't care.

Fantastic video .. exactly my thoughts at the moment, trying get into AI after being a full stack for more than a decade

Very pleased you took the hard path of sharing a hard truth. I could safely say we would never hire anyone who just took a few courses, boot camps, or certifications; they would expect pretty much what you showed - a master's degree at a minimum, a very strong math background, and significant industry experience. So many phenomenal graduates from solid programs, why would they settle for less than that? They wont. Better for aspiring engineers to find out what employers will want to see than investing a lot of money in skills or certifications that just won't be competitive.

If you don’t have at least a masters degree ( most likely a phd) in CS, Math, Stats, data science, Electrical Engineering, don’t bother trying to get into AI 😂.

You can delude yourself by telling yourself that education does not matter because you want to hide your insecurities. However, videos like this will always remind you that those who meet the educational requirements will always be at the top. It is not about learning HTML, CSS and JavaScript and calling yourself a software engineer; you must do what is required if you want outstanding results. As the old saying goes, you cannot have your cake and eat it.