Hi everyone, I started my university major in Electrical Engineering but found that I had no interest in the field, so I dropped out partly because I couldn’t afford the tuition. I taught myself how to code in Python because it was fun, and then I came across one of a video by Andrew Ng where he talked about ML concepts. I instantly fell in love with it. So i push myself to learn math, and the more I learned, the more excited I became.
I took a course in DSA because i knew it could help me, followed by a data science course where I learned how to collect, clean, and preprocess data. After mastering the fundamentals, I took Andrew Ng’s popular Machine Learning specialization and am now close to finishing the Deep Learning course. I’ve built several projects and have a solid foundation in ML/DL.
However, when I look through job postings, I feel discouraged because they often require at least a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Now, I sit on my bed wondering if I should change to another field after all the effort I’ve put in (I literally obssesed with ML/AI for 10 months straight).
Is there anyone here who got a job in this field without a degree? If you’re in the same boat, maybe we can connect and share our experiences.
I can’t really give you any advice because I don’t know you, I don’t know the job market that you are in, and I have no idea about the recruitment culture that you are in. Also, I have a degree, so my personal experience probably is not relevant for you. However, I don’t see things in the “normal” way, and I believe I am not the only one in this world. Below is what I am thinking:
Since you have devoted 10 months already and developed interest in the field, your effort and passion does deserve to be seen. You said you were discouraged by job postings, but did you apply? I don’t really mean to ask for your answer, but I would like you to consider to try to apply and just ignore the degree requirement on the job ads. While your resume would show your effort, a cover letter may help to also show your passion and the journey you have gone through. If there is anything you can showcase, a personal website or a kaggle profile or other popular medium/platform in your country may be helpful.
I know, you know, and we know the degree might impact, but that should not stop you from applying, just like nothing could have stopped you from learning ML in the first place. (Well, some application system might require you to fill in a degree or it won’t proceed, and in that case, maybe you can reach out to the hiring manager on LinkedIn?)
I just hope that you would not change to another field without trying. You have spent 10 months so far, and I think a little more time is not unreasonable. In fact, this also wouldn’t stop you from planning for the switch if that is the rational choice considering your own situation. You can plan for the switch and try to apply at the same time, and if your next field still has something to do with AI/ML (given that every field should seriously consider how to make the most of AI/ML), you can just keep trying and never have to give up.
@harry3007, I wish you all the best in your search, and we always welcome you to discuss and learn ML/AI with us here.
As I said, I don’t see how I am in any position to give you advice, but if I were you, I would consult people who know me. I probably wouldn’t ask that person what I should do, instead, just to share my thought, info I have collected and preparation I have done.
Sometimes, even we are just going through everything we get, it would already be tremendously useful because we will re-think and we might get new inspiration.
I generally avoid giving career advice, because I don’t work in a “machine learning” field.
But what I did was find ways to solve problems at my current job by applying machine learning methods.
Machine learning is a great tool in any situation where there is a lot of data available but it isn’t being used effectively. Collecting data is much easier than using it effectively.
This is a useful way to expand the scope of a job you may already hold.
When I retired I had a job in the Watson part of IBM. I did some hands on coding and some solution architecture design, but a lot of what I did was fly around North America and Europe explaining how ML ensembles could be organized to address customer business needs. I have a degree in Economics. So is it possible to work for a top company in this field without an Engineering degree? It was for me. However 1) I notice that you are 12 timezones from me, so I have absolutely no idea what current hiring practices are like for you and 2) when I talked to colleagues that I worked closely with about joining them at IBM Research it went nowhere because I didn’t have a PhD. Every situation can be different.
My observation is that you are on a non-traditional path now, so you might need to think outside the traditional “how-to-apply-for-a-job” box. Sending in a CV in response to a top company’s job posting is maybe not fruitful, and it may very well be an AI that bounces your application right out. So don’t do that. Or at least don’t do only that. Seek out smaller, more local companies and learn about their business. Stalk their employees on LinkedIn or other social media and see what they are commenting on. Understand and then advertise how your knowledge can be used to improve those types of business challenges. Look for opportunities to actively contribute to virtual communities where you can get noticed. Look for freelance opportunities that align with your skill set. Be willing to work towards your goals incrementally as you build experience. Consider applying for a technical sales job instead of a straight engineering job, where you use your understanding of how ML works to translate between business and engineering teams. If there isn’t a node in a traditional organization chart that maps directly to what you can do today, imagine a new node, or an area that I call an interstitial space, and visualize how to get there. Lots of ways to earn a living in this world, limited pretty much only by your imagination and initiative. Boa viagem
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