How to land your first AI job, according to 16 people who have done it
Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI
It's not too late to break into AI — and it doesn't really matter where you're coming from.
That's what Business Insider learned while speaking to dozens of people working in AI, from recent college graduates to mid-career job switchers to those on the cusp of building their own AI companies.
Their stories took us from India and Singapore to Silicon Valley and Sydney, and demonstrate that there are myriad paths into this booming space.
We broke the routes of entry into four categories — graduating, transitioning, pivoting, and DIYing your way into AI — and asked people to share candid advice, fears, challenges, and takeaways they've learned about working with this emerging technology. Below are 16 of their tales to help you chart your own AI career path.
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Graduate into AI
Ready to land a job in AI right out of college? We've got you covered — we spoke to four people who landed their first AI jobs either while they were still students or immediately after graduation.
Transition into AI
Not every job change has to be a drastic one. We spoke to four people who transitioned into AI roles from jobs in tech or after dipping their toes into finance.
Make the pivot of a lifetime
Then again, some career pivots are the pivot of a lifetime. We spoke to people who gave up music careers, medical careers, and walked away from other industries after years of work, all to get into AI.
Build it yourself
Not inspired by any company out there? Go ahead — build it yourself. We spoke to four people who have founded their own AI companies.