"AI is the new electricity. It will transform and improve all areas of human life." Andrew Ng
Recently, a new book on building a career in AI was released in December 2022, featuring insights from Andrew Ng, the founder of DeepLearning.AI. I found the book particularly useful as it broke down the career steps in AI into three major categories, namely:
Learning about AI and gaining new skills
Working on relevant projects
Look for jobs accordingly
Learning about AI and gaining skills
Develop a Strong Foundation in Math and Coding Skills: A strong foundation in mathematics, particularly in linear algebra, calculus, and statistics, is essential to understanding and implementing AI algorithms. Familiarity with crucial programming languages such as Python, R and C++ for building and deploying AI models.
Learn the Latest Technologies: AI is a rapidly evolving field, and it's important to stay up-to-date with the latest technologies and best practices. This includes familiarizing yourself with popular deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, and Caffe, and understanding the latest advances in areas like computer vision, natural language processing, and reinforcement learning.
Working on relevant projects
Get Hands-on Experience: One of the best ways to learn about AI is by working on projects. You can gain practical experience by participating in online competitions, hackathons, and open-source projects. This will help you to understand the process of building and deploying AI models, and it will also help you to build your portfolio.
Specialize: Decide on a specific area of AI that you want to specialize in and focus on it. This could be computer vision, natural language processing, reinforcement learning, or anything else. The more you specialize, the more you will be able to differentiate yourself in the job market.
Look for jobs accordingly
Network: Connect with other professionals in the field by attending conferences, and meetups, and joining online communities. This will help you to stay informed about the latest developments in AI, and it will also help you to build your professional network.
Get certified: Consider obtaining a certification in AI to demonstrate your expertise to potential employers.
Overcoming the IMPOSTER SYNDROME
While completing the book, highlighted one of the critical aspects of the success in the AI community, which is IMPOSTER SYNDROME. It is quite common among the people of the community despite being accomplished individuals in their field. It emphasizes that this feeling is common and normal. They encourage newcomers not to be discouraged by these feelings and remind them that everyone struggles with difficult concepts and challenges in AI at some point, but with practice and determination, they will be able to overcome them.