Getting a job as a Machine Learning Engineer (MLE) can be tough, but with the right guidance, you can increase your chances of success. As someone who has interviewed over 1,000 MLE candidates over 15 years, I’m sharing my top tips to help you land your dream job.
Get the Right Education
If you want to be an MLE, go get yourself a degree. Ideally, you need an MS (or PhD) in CS or CE. Personally, I feel EE is also ok. DS or stats are probably ok, but those folks are generally more interested in being data scientists. I do not advise getting a math or physics degree.
BS is Okay, But…
If you don’t have an MS, then BS will be OK, but understand that you probably may not be able to get a top-tier MLE job. However, you might be able to land a job at a ML startup (small startup, pre-seed, seed, or Series A probably). You might be able to get a ML job at a non-tech focused company.
Internships Matter
If you have ML-related internships over the course of your BS, then for sure it’s possible to get a good MLE job right out of the gate.
What I Look for in a Resume
When it comes to a resume for new grads, I’m looking for education (which school, what degree, and your GPA), experience (internships and other relevant work), any peer-reviewed publications is huge, followed by any major achievements like competition win, awards, presenter at a conference, etc.
Get into the Best School You Can
Try to get into the best school that you can, get internships while you’re there, and hang out at the research lab where you may be able to collaborate on some research projects and get yourself published. Or become good friends with your professor(s).
Projects Don’t Help (Much)
Projects do not help you land a job, unless you won some sort of distinction (see previous point). I look at projects as an indicator of what your interests are. So don’t sweat about it too much. Just do projects that interest you.
Don’t Apply to Job Sites
Don’t apply to job sites. They are a black hole. Get creative and try to talk to a human. Ask your friends for referrals. Go to events like career fairs. Cold email recruiters and hiring managers. Build a network and try to connect to recruiters on LinkedIn.
Prepare for Interviews
Prepare for interviews like it’s a job. Don’t assume coursework alone will prepare you for ML interviews. There are many resources out there, including ML interview books on Amazon, there’s no excuse not to spend the time. I would say you should spend at least 50-100 hours preparing for interviews.
Don’t Give Up
Even if you get rejected, keep trying (even at the same company!). Lot of companies, especially big ones, will be open to bringing you back for interviews at least once a year, if not twice a year (unless there were some real red flags).
I hope these tips help you in your journey to becoming a Machine Learning Engineer. Good luck!