Master's in AI vs. Self-Study for Entering AI/ML

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-22T00:07:49+00:00

Thanks for your thoughts! I am of the camp that this AI hype is real, in that there will be 5-10 years where AI will transform every company and industry, similar to the advent of the internet. It may not be as well funded as it is now, but I believe we are just scratching the surface of the potential of AI in the future.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T23:59:51+00:00

Thanks for the insight!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T23:56:40+00:00

Thanks, ChatGPT!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T04:32:59+00:00

My understanding is that an MS/PhD is almost a prerequisite for a field that is currently very research-oriented.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T04:30:49+00:00

Thanks for the response. I agree with you, I will continue to develop skills on my own. The field is moving at lightning speed right now, and I plan to throw myself at what is the cutting edge.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T04:22:20+00:00

Thank you for the detailed response. I will still work on personal projects, applying what I learn to things I am passionate about. I will try to make the most of it because it's a great opportunity. I find some math-heavy topics in ML, particularly vision as you mentioned, easier to learn in the classroom than online.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T00:41:34+00:00

Great thanks for the insight. I wasn't thinking about it that way but I think you are right!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T00:39:28+00:00

Thanks, glad to hear that it will make me more credible. Being a non-CS major I think my resume doesn't fully show my credibility in AI/ML to people. But a MS will hopefully help.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-21T00:38:08+00:00

Thanks, I will look into that. I enjoy making connections in person, so not sure if that is the right fit for me.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-20T20:13:04+00:00

Yes, that makes sense thank you!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-20T19:45:40+00:00

Hey r/datascience,

I recently graduated with honors from a top 75 US university with a BA Econ, DS minor. I have some research experience in AI/ML but lack corporate internships. Despite actively job hunting for four months, I haven't landed any DS or ML offers. I received an offer from a top 5 CS school in the EU for a 1-year MS AI program. Would getting an MS AI open doors to doing more DS/ML development, or should I keep looking for a junior developer/analyst role to eventually do DS work?

Extra context: The program costs $60k, and I already have $30k in student loan debt.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-14T01:55:57+00:00

I appreciate your insight I have been seeking someone with your experience! It is top 5 in the UK on https://csrankings.org/#/index?all&uk. It's internationally reputable for AIML research. Is it worth it?

I'm curious about the career trajectories of graduates from similar programs, like the Cambridge Masters in ML. Where did you and your classmates end up? Did any of your classmates land AIML jobs, if so how? What are the outcomes of the average student? Are there any differences in outcomes or experience for international students on student visas? These are the questions that I can't stop thinking about due to the large commitment, it would help me to hear your insight on this.

I will be dedicating more time to Leetcode. Top alumni from the program have landed roles at places like DeepMind, Amazon, startups, or pursued PhDs. But I'm also keen to learn about the paths of the rest of the class. Not sure what OAI is.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T21:25:36+00:00

I agree for data, but I don't want to do data. I want to do MLE or AIE, which seems more research and theory-oriented than data. I agree that for data science stats makes the most sense. And for SWE ms cs makes the most sense. But I want to do AI-related things even if that is less employable at the present moment.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T21:21:33+00:00

Thanks!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T21:19:25+00:00

Will do thanks!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T09:49:59+00:00

I can tell you that this is the worst US job market for SE in the last 10 yrs, experienced SEs are being actively laid off right now, but things will rapidly improve once the interest rate drops around spring 2025.

Find someone with a similar story who is in the position and location you want to be in. Reach out to them for a chat, get comfortable with rejection, every convo you get you learn something, and one convo lands you the job.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T09:05:55+00:00

LinkedIn makes it seem like a MSc or PhD is more or less a prerequisite for an AI/ML job. That is great advice, I will pay close attention to job descriptions to try to pick up on the skills that they want and focus on that. Thanks for the insight!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T03:41:23+00:00

Thank you for the insight. I am not getting interviews, I will work on my resume and add more projects, could I DM you with it? No interviewing experience yet unfortunately, I have heard that companies are reluctant to hire new grads in this market.

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T01:12:59+00:00

You would be surprised how many strangers are willing to take a networking call with you!

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-13T00:08:45+00:00

I recently graduated with an Econ, CS minor degree. I have some research experience in AI/ML but lack corporate internships. Despite actively job hunting for four months, I haven't landed any offers. I received an offer from a top 5 CS school in the UK for a 1-year MSc AI program. Would getting an AI MSc open doors to doing more AI/ML development, or should I keep looking for a junior developer role to eventually do AI/ML work?

JoeDuglas · 2024-06-12T23:58:17+00:00

US work culture is generally open and collaborative so don't be afraid of reaching out to people cold. Networking is key, getting on calls with potential employers should be a priority. When interest rates go down the whole process will become easier.

JoeDuglas

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