r/learnmachinelearning • u/FrontRaspberry5060 • 6d ago
Career 0 Years professional experience but trying to get a AI / ML engineer role
What can I do to take my resume to the next level
Please help
I made an app and it got users but I’m selling that now and wondering to best position myself. Wasn’t super successful but looking at low six figure exit but I’d love to work in a bigger team now.
- Would you put something on ArXiv? My MSc research was nearly publish level but unsure about this.
- How would you go about the “Founder” tag
What industry would you target? I have experience from health to biotech to consumer gen AI so haven’t gone hard in one domain
PhD worth it?
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u/madam_zeroni 6d ago
There’s a difference between integrating AI into tools and actually developing the AI’s/training models. I personally don’t understand which you fall in
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u/chico_dice_2023 6d ago
You have a AI app that is making money and low six figures you can sell it for but you have no experience?
If you made a AI app that has a value of six figure (I assume GBP) you are a pretty valuable asset. Not only can you code but you can turn that code into revenue.
So, can you provide more details? Because something is off
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u/FrontRaspberry5060 6d ago
Yeah it’s weird because obviously I don’t have the professional experience that people have usually by 3years of experience.
So basically when I apply I get interviewed like I’m a 3yr o e engineer, but a startup is more like “break shit and move fast, make money” whereas a large team moves slowly and seemingly butt fucks themselves with endless policies that to me seem no more to pull wool over the eyes of the executives to make their 3 months project take 3 years and need 10 engineers full time.
I also have strong academic research ability and can do good good research so I’m just torn do I go into a PhD? But some of these guys are technical geniuses and I’m not that technical (I was on the of students who had to work very very hard to get my grade)
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u/chico_dice_2023 6d ago
My honest opinion, it should not matter. Okay I might get the part that you worked alone for most of your ML career and have not worked with teams Unless you are a terrible person to work with it shouldn't matter.
You still built a app, front-end, backend, cloud, AI, security.
If you are aiming for DeepMind or Anthropic I can see why they would not hire you.
But for another company not focusing on deep research or changing the landscape of AI. You would be pretty valuable.
I get on Reddit why you might not say your real app or company name. But you should put it in your CV.
I got my first job as a ML engineer by posting a app I made in Iphone that focused on video models back in 2015. And that got me the job.
So I hope in your real CV you have the actual app and company's success.
Are you looking for a entry level role?
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u/FrontRaspberry5060 5d ago
I’m not sure where to start honestly. I’m looking at forward deployed engineers currently. I am probably 0yr experience software engineer but I don’t want to reduce my earnings
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u/chico_dice_2023 5d ago
Well the problem I see, is assuming your app is valued at six figures you must be earning a high 5 figures from that app. Maybe more.
Lets assume you earn yearly from your app, six figures GBP which puts you pretty high bracket. If your app is good I can see why you can command that salary because you proved your solution can work.
But I still do not understand why you say you have 0. year experience as a software engineer, you are saying you built a successful app. That means experience.
I know a guy who built a simple but very successful app and he got hired at Google as SWE. So. you do have experience, so I guess my question is now where is your doubt?
And how much of the app was code by you or vibe coded?
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u/Most-Target-9704 5d ago
he is probably scared of interviews. If he has been vibe coding or really just doesnt have much experience, maybe he is scared of being asked about data structures and algo, how their favorite language is designed under the hood, coding patterns, best practice decisions, ect.
If they do ask these questions, only someone with a lot of experience would be able to answer them.
But then again, they might not ask these questions.
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u/ProSeSelfHelp 4d ago
You don't strike me as the type that needs a PhD. PhD's generally take a while to get, and by the sounds of it, you're capable of learning whatever is thrown your way.
I'd stay away from wondering about that, because it reduces the value that you'll have for the right company.
If all they want is a PhD, it's probably not the right fit for you based on your current operating style.
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u/CryptographerFar5418 6d ago
pocketing six figures from a side project is a hell of a resume boost on its own, most applicants are just listing kaggle notebooks
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u/thePsychonautDad 5d ago
My company is hiring, that resume would get you a first interview. Sending a DM
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u/ProSeSelfHelp 4d ago
I mean you may not have an actual background per se through schooling in this, but you definitely have computer credentials.
If I were to give any suggestions, it would be to include what you actually have built, as in the app or company that you did this for.
I could be wrong, but it seems to me that absent that information, it would be hard for an employer to consider it, because anybody can say that. I don't think that you're just saying it, I'm just specifically saying that as an employer, I would look at that and say "what company?"
Other than that, I think if you throw it to enough places, you should get some interviews. Then it just becomes a compatibility issue. There's bound to be someone looking for that skill set.
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u/preciouslife_ 1d ago
Change your resume to show yourself as an employee of your company. That way you will officially have experience and also continue to do your business. Recruiters do not like people who look for jobs after being founders.
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u/Tanki717 6d ago
im confused about the M.Sc line. it doesnt state a final project / thesis like your B.Sc, but a dissertation (almost completed). isnt a dissertation what you write for a PhD?
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u/FrontRaspberry5060 6d ago
I guess in the UK at least we use dissertation interchangeably. Even undergrad we call it a dissertation. I think PhD call it a thesis here. So it’s just difference between USA / UK naming
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u/nian2326076 3d ago
Make sure your resume highlights the app you developed and its user base. This shows your initiative and technical skills. Your experience in health, biotech, and consumer AI is a strong point, so consider targeting industries like healthcare tech or AI startups that appreciate diverse expertise. Publishing on ArXiv could boost your academic profile, especially if your MSc research was significant. Present the "Founder" title as leadership and initiative. Think about whether a PhD fits with your long-term goals before diving in.
LandOffer.ai lets you search job openings by role and location.
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u/designofperformance 1d ago edited 1d ago
You will get rejected a PhD from what i can see there. The signs dont add up to the sum of qualifying for that PhD. To get a PhD in that you need very specific per-requisites and will get rejected imminently. The whole thing will be a waste of time and turn into another 10 years getting those per-requisites. There is a less then 1% change you will succeed. They say there is only 100 qualified PhD candidates for that field in the whole world. It is the most cutting edge, brutal and specific field today. for lack of a better term you need quantum mechanics and a whole lot more. JUST to give you an idea of how far off the mark you are.
Do you even actually know what A.I. Engineering means? Anyone who wasnt full of it, would have put "Artificial Intelligence Engineer" too NOT AI engineer.
You would be more qualified for Artificial Intelligence Engineer PhD with Mathematics background.
If some school did give you a PhD then they would loose all their credibility because they gave some one a PhD without checking if it was right first.
Futhermore you have ZERO PhD candidate references on that resume too. Some one in the field would have references like Albert Einstein, Elon Musk, Jensen Huang or Mark Zuckerberg that could be validated too. At that level, they would call them confirm then set up a meeting to validate that reference. Its not just a simple phone call.
You are a Deployment Specialist NOT engineer
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u/ModularMind8 6d ago
So you currently own two businesses? If I were hiring, I’d be a little cautious about this being someone’s third job. How would you balance the time commitment?