need to be machine studying engineers.
I get it.
It’s an amazing job, with fascinating work, nice pay, and total, it’s very cool.
Nevertheless, it’s undoubtedly not a stroll within the park to change into one. On this article, I intention to supply my unfiltered and candid recommendation to aspiring machine studying engineers.Â
This shall be extra of a pep discuss, offering you with clear expectations of what it takes to change into a machine studying engineer and whether or not it’s one thing you actually need to pursue.
Study each week
If you wish to change into a machine studying engineer, then it is advisable dedicate no less than 10 hours every week to finding out exterior of your on a regular basis tasks.
I’m sorry if that upsets you, however once more, if you wish to land a job within the highest-paying tech career, it is advisable put in additional effort and time than different folks. There may be merely no means round it.
With out sounding smug, I be taught one thing new in machine studying each single week, although I work full-time, create YouTube movies, train 5 occasions every week, and have mentoring and training purchasers. If I could make time, so are you able to. All of it comes all the way down to priorities.
Nearly every little thing I’ve achieved in my profession comes from constantly finding out and documenting my studying exterior of labor. I’ve written over 150 technical articles on Medium on matters akin to:
…and plenty of extra. You may see the whole checklist here.
This isn’t to boast however to indicate the extent of dedication required to change into a machine studying engineer.
Consider this career in the identical class as legal professionals, docs, or accountants. These fields demand years of examine and observe. The identical is true for machine studying; it’s not usually seen as that resulting from its relative newness.
I usually say:
 All the things is straightforward, however exhausting.
It’s simple to know what it is advisable do however exhausting to do it constantly over time. There isn’t a secret; you must take the lengthy street.
So, choose one thing you need to be taught and stick with it till the top; then, recycle this course of repeatedly. That’s all there’s to it.
Lengthen your time horizon
Even with probably the most very best background, it is going to nonetheless seemingly take no less than two years to change into a completely certified machine studying engineer at a high firm.
Don’t fall into the lure of considering that just a few on-line programs and tasks are sufficient to land a job in one among right this moment’s highest-paying tech roles.
On-line certifications make it easier to be taught the content material in knowledge science and machine studying, which could be very priceless. Nevertheless, they hardly ever will let you get employed these days, particularly in our tough job market.
I don’t say this to discourage you however to set practical expectations. I’ve spoken with many individuals who attempt to shortcut their journey, and I’ve but to see it succeed.
To change into a machine studying engineer, you want strong foundations in:
- Arithmetic
- Statistics
- Machine Studying
- Software program Engineering
- DevOps
- Cloud Techniques
A few of these expertise can solely be developed by means of real-world expertise. That’s why I normally suggest folks begin as knowledge scientists or software program engineers first after which pivot to machine studying engineers, because it’s not an entry-level function.
Accepting the truth that it is going to take you just a few years to change into a machine studying engineer is liberating and takes the stress off you.
Take your time to be taught issues deeply, actually examine, and your data will construct over time. I promise, ultimately, you’ll be prepared for that ML engineering function when the time is correct.
Cease chasing AI
Newsflash: A machine studying engineer is not an AI engineer. So cease considering that calling a chatbot API like ChatGPT or Claude makes you a machine studying engineer.
As a machine studying engineer, you’re anticipated to deeply perceive how fashions/algorithms work and have a agency grasp of statistical studying principle and all the basic arithmetic.
Meaning realizing core algorithms like:
In and out.
Most individuals declare to know them, however you’ll be shocked at how little you really know.
I’ve mock-interviewed numerous candidates, and plenty of can’t even clarify gradient descent from first ideas utilizing calculus.
Once more, I’m not attempting to be harsh however to indicate you the truth I’ve seen.
I at all times inform folks to cease dashing to be taught flashy matters like NLP, laptop imaginative and prescient, or generative AI.
Your first few years must be about mastering the basics; mastering them totally so you’ve a strong understanding for a lot of machine studying principle interview.
The truth is that the majority machine studying engineer roles primarily give attention to classical supervised studying. Your job is usually much less about constructing unique fashions and extra about tailoring well-understood algorithms to unravel particular issues. That’s why a deep understanding of the fundamentals is important.
If you wish to take a look at your elementary data, I supply mock interviews based mostly on actual questions I’ve confronted in precise ML job interviews. Be at liberty to verify it under.
Mock Interview with Egor Howell
Customised for your particular role and interviewtopmate.io
It is very hard
Let’s end with something that might seem a bit obvious: becoming a machine learning engineer is just hard.
As I’ve said throughout this post, the role demands expertise across a wide range of disciplines. You’ll need strong foundations in maths, statistics, and programming, plus real-world experience as a software engineer or data scientist first (which are tough jobs in their own right). Additionally, you must commit to continuous learning throughout this entire period.
Even with the most perfect background — a STEM master’s or PhD — it’s still a long, difficult journey. If you’re coming from a non-traditional path, it’s even harder. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but it is more difficult, and you need to decide if the challenge is worth it for you.
I often say:Â
Anyone can become a machine learning engineer — but that doesn’t mean everyone should, or even wants to.
It takes sustained effort for at least a few years.
You have to be honest with yourself about whether you’re willing to invest 2–3 years minimum (and, in most cases, 4–5 years) to break into the field.
That’s a long time.
For me personally, giving up four years for a decades-long career doing work I love is absolutely worth it. But that’s a calculation only you can make.
In fact, I find it liberating that it’s so hard, as it makes me feel better about struggling through it.
I am someone who doesn’t sugarcoat anything, and you might have noticed that most of my points boil down to two key factors: time and effort.
Anything worth doing often requires consistent effort over a long period. That is the secret to becoming a machine learning engineer.
If you are serious about becoming a machine learning engineer, then I recommend checking out the below article, where I detail my roadmap:
Link.
One other factor!
I supply 1:1 teaching calls the place we are able to chat about no matter you want — whether or not it’s tasks, profession recommendation, or simply determining the next move. I’m right here that can assist you transfer ahead!
1:1 Mentoring Call with Egor Howell
Career guidance, job advice, project help, resume reviewtopmate.io
