Building the foundation of your career, while still studying, is a secure road to a gratifying career. In a populated and competitive country like India, experienced and equipped job applicants are more likely to get hired.
According to 365 Data Science, the first thing to ensure is choosing the right background or major. Here’s an illustration of the popular degrees that machine learning engineers usually pursue –
Source: 365 Data Science
If you want to pursue your dream field of Machine Learning and get a machine learning job, read on to know the 6 things you can do while you’re still studying!
1. Understand and Learn To Land A Machine Learning Job
Machine learning is about creating dynamic algorithms. It is sure to put your programming and software development skills to test. Engineering courses have an ever-piling workload and can get monotonous. Because of this, machine-learning students often put-off learning the topics they do not like. As a result, they have no idea about the basics even with a degree in their hand.
Unlike other professions, understanding the basic math, the alternative technology and technicalities of the system is very important for students of machine learning since they will be required to apply this knowledge in real life too.
2. Gain Practical Knowledge of the Subject
Theoretical, as well as practical knowledge, is necessary to be the best at what you do. Practical knowledge leads to a much deeper understanding of the concepts as one figures out how things actually work.
Building your own machine learning models, practicing algorithms, improving your programming skills, working and learning fundamentals that are necessary for machine learning are all necessary actions one needs to take to understand the field better. You can also check out how other people have implemented machine learning algorithms. Then, get started on your own projects that illustrate your understanding of machine learning algorithms and theories.
You can start with Kaggle. Afterward, you can start doing challenges by yourself on sites where you can find lots of machine learning datasets, such as the UCI Machine Learning Repository.
3. Sign up For Online Courses To Land A Machine Learning Job
In addition to increasing your experience and knowledge, online courses will also add weight to your resume. Online courses are outcome-centric with hands-on practical knowledge. These courses are for a shorter duration than offline ones. They are ideal for students pursuing other courses alongside. Signing up for an online machine learning course means equipping yourself with the theoretical and practical skills needed in this field. Another reason why online courses are a boon for machine learning students is because they are exposed to a demonstration of various applications. You can view the best online courses for machine learning here.
4. Develop Good Communication & Interpersonal Skills
As a machine learning engineer, you will need to understand the ecosystem you are designing the software for. For this, you will need to have good interpersonal skills that will help you communicate with other developers. Most Machine Learning students are well-versed in their programming and data modeling skills. Unfortunately, not all can articulate them well for a job interview. Every employer wants a combination of soft skills along with technical skills. You need to develop both skill sets to have an edge over the others.
5. Participate in Events, Meetups, and Conferences
Learning never stops, especially in technology. Participating in events and conferences would help you stay updated on what’s going on in the world of machine learning, which direction is the industry going, who are the key players, etc.
You can also join research clubs like Must – MUST Research Club – Data Science, which has Data Science and Machine Learning projects where you can interact, share ideas, and work together on projects or doing research with other professionals who’re interested in machine learning.
Lastly, if there are any meetups happening, definitely participate. Not only will you be learning a lot, but you’ll also be networking and making connections that might lead to exciting opportunities in the future. Machine Learning India organizes several in different Indian cities. Check them out here – Machine Learning India | Fostering data science and machine learning in India
6. Opt for an Internship
Apart from gaining experience, internships help you gain confidence. Internships give you the opportunity to apply what you’ve learned in your classroom. As an intern, you’re allowed to make a few mistakes.
Apply for internships using websites such as Internshala.com, LinkedIn etc. as they provide exposure to different Machine Learning job opportunities. Also, your internship will also give you a sneak-peek into how your life will be if you want to make a career in the field and find a machine learning job. This way, you’ll have a better idea if you like the idea of pursuing this field beyond your classroom.
Wondering how to get an internship in machine learning? Click here!
Don’t restrict your goals to being a good machine learning engineer. Instead, try to be a well-rounded individual. That way, you’ll find more takers for your skills than you thought possible.
Now that you are here, take a look at Machine Learning Applications we bet you didn’t know!
