Starting a career as machine learning engineer

[ITmanEU]

Hello,

I am interested in a career as machine learning engineer. Not only because it is a field admittedly in high demand but also because I do like the prospect of being able to establish a new learning curve. However, I am trained as mechanical engineer.

So what would be the best angle of attack for me to penetrate this job market/industry ? I don't mind taking a salary cut and start at ground level.
Some options I already envisaged:

- 1/ Look for freelance projects on freelancing platforms and build up experience / portfolio. How difficult is that?
- 2/ Approach employers directly for entry-level position or internship. How to ? Most of employers I applied to have been non responsive or declined my applications.
- 3/ Enroll into a master or equivalent graduate program from a recognized school. What courses would I need to focus on and what would provide shortest route to employment? I thought about a mix of university courses and self-learning certificates. Would it be sufficient to target mini-programs from universities, means not graduate with a master of bachelor degree but getting a certificate with accredited semester credits ? How would this perceived by prospective employers?

Also - probably a question for the most experienced, I would like to know which skills would be a must for me to learn. As I said I am trained as mechanical engineer so I do have some basic experience in coding. I also do have some modest mathematical background including algebra, statistics which I guess can be transferable but need to be upgraded and extended. How would you go about choosing the set of skills (theoretical and practical: ecosystems/platform to master) which is / will be most aligned to industry needs?

Thanks in advance for any support in this matter.

 

[scylla]

Hello,

I am interested in a career as machine learning engineer. Not only because it is a field admittedly in high demand but also because I do like the prospect of being able to establish a new learning curve. However, I am trained as mechanical engineer.

So what would be the best angle of attack for me to penetrate this job market/industry ? I don't mind taking a salary cut and start at ground level.
Some options I already envisaged:

- 1/ Look for freelance projects on freelancing platforms and build up experience / portfolio. How difficult is that?
- 2/ Approach employers directly for entry-level position or internship. How to ? Most of employers I applied to have been non responsive or declined my applications.
- 3/ Enroll into a master or equivalent graduate program from a recognized school. What courses would I need to focus on and what would provide shortest route to employment? I thought about a mix of university courses and self-learning certificates. Would it be sufficient to target mini-programs from universities, means not graduate with a master of bachelor degree but getting a certificate with accredited semester credits ? How would this perceived by prospective employers?

Also - probably a question for the most experienced, I would like to know which skills would be a must for me to learn. As I said I am trained as mechanical engineer so I do have some basic experience in coding. I also do have some modest mathematical background including algebra, statistics which I guess can be transferable but need to be upgraded and extended. How would you go about choosing the set of skills (theoretical and practical: ecosystems/platform to master) which is / will be most aligned to industry needs?

Thanks in advance for any support in this matter.

Do you know any programming? If so, which languages and do you have beginner or expert knowledge?

Employers are not going to train you. You have to come into the job already having the skills required.

EDIT: Rereading your post it looks like you may have basic programming experience. You need advanced programming experience to be considered for ML roles. If you want to try to make the career switch over, you'll want to focus on becoming an expert in Python, R, etc. This is where you'll need to focus your education and work experience over the next few years. Employers are typically also looking for at least a Master's level education - PhD is preferable.

 

[ITmanEU]

scylla,
Many thanks for your input. Very much appreciated. I do not have skills in Python or R, except basic familiarity with Python. I have solid skills in Fortran which I understand is not marketable as a skill, yet it can help in learning new languages to a certain extent. I have quite good programming skills in vb.net and a good grasp on SQL. I do have a master's degree but again in mechanical engineering so I do not know if that would help.
How long would that take to get a good mastery in Python? It was my intend to start to crack in into Python and Tensorflow through self-learning.
I guess it would never be an experience gained on projects, what would you suggest as a means to prove to employers any newly gained skills?
Thanks

 

[scylla]

scylla,
Many thanks for your input. Very much appreciated. I do not have skills in Python or R, except basic familiarity with Python. I have solid skills in Fortran which I understand is not marketable as a skill, yet it can help in learning new languages to a certain extent. I have quite good programming skills in vb.net and a good grasp on SQL. I do have a master's degree but again in mechanical engineering so I do not know if that would help.
How long would that take to get a good mastery in Python? It was my intend to start to crack in into Python and Tensorflow through self-learning.
I guess it would never be an experience gained on projects, what would you suggest as a means to prove to employers any newly gained skills?
Thanks

I think you would need to dedicate a few months of serious study if you are already quite comfortable with programming. From what I know of the industry, you probably won't be able to get a job in machine learning directly. You would want to secure a job in analytics for a while, gain experience there and then move into ML.

 

[coder_immigrant]

I think it also depends on your status in Canada and if you have Canadian experience and how much of it.

But regarding your question, judging from the website announcements, you need to have at least a Masters in Quantitavie field with 2 years of work experience. Maybe they have also some entry level jobs or internships, but this is what I gather. Also, I thought ML field is hot in Canada, but it is not. Your better bet is to find job in web development.

Furthermore, in ML, it is best if you have some publications in world's top conferences.

 

[Joseph_cf15]

Hello,

I am interested in a career as machine learning engineer. Not only because it is a field admittedly in high demand but also because I do like the prospect of being able to establish a new learning curve. However, I am trained as mechanical engineer.

So what would be the best angle of attack for me to penetrate this job market/industry ? I don't mind taking a salary cut and start at ground level.
Some options I already envisaged:

- 1/ Look for freelance projects on freelancing platforms and build up experience / portfolio. How difficult is that?
- 2/ Approach employers directly for entry-level position or internship. How to ? Most of employers I applied to have been non responsive or declined my mygiftcardsite applications.
- 3/ Enroll into a master or equivalent graduate program from a recognized school. What courses would I need to focus on and what would provide shortest route to employment? I thought about a mix of university courses and self-learning certificates. Would it be sufficient to target mini-programs from universities, means not graduate with a master of bachelor degree but getting a certificate with accredited semester credits ? How would this perceived by prospective employers?

Also - probably a question for the most experienced, I would like to know which skills would be a must for me to learn. As I said I am trained as mechanical engineer so I do have some basic experience in coding. I also do have some modest mathematical background including algebra, statistics which I guess can be transferable but need to be upgraded and extended. How would you go about choosing the set of skills (theoretical and practical: ecosystems/platform to master) which is / will be most aligned to industry needs?

Thanks in advance for any support in this matter.

Hello,

As a machine learning engineer, you'll be at the forefront of AI opportunities, and you'll maintain a prosperous job outlook well into the future. If you enjoy problem-solving, geek out over data, and consider yourself an effective communicator, a career as a machine learning engineer may be a great fit.