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3 Signs You’re Ready For A Machine Learning Job When You’ve Come From Another Field

You'll Never Feel Ready, But There Are Signs That It's Time

Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash
Photo by Marten Bjork on Unsplash

Transitioning to machine learning from another field is tough. Not only is it tough because you’ve got to discipline yourself to self-study, but it’s tough because there are many things to learn, and many things we don’t know that we don’t know.

For example, we know the main machine learning algorithms we’ve got to learn, but we don’t know how to measure whether we are actually job-ready. What usually happens when we try to measure our skills is that we end up comparing ourselves to someone that’s been in the field for 5+ years. The outcome? Stress.

You’ve probably heard the saying "you’ll never feel ready" and it’s true. I agree. But, there are some extremely obvious signs that you’re absolutely ready to start applying. m

1. You Don’t Feel Challenged / You’re Bored

There are lots of reasons why you may feel bored. It may be that you’re unsatisfied, you’re uninterested, or you feel energetic but don’t have anywhere to direct your energy.

All valid!

If you can already build a machine learning application and deploy it to a cloud server while taking into account the ML ops best practices, then you’re probably suffering from all of the above.

There must be some sense of accomplishment derived from your work. When you’re no longer feeling this pleasure, it’s either because you’re not really interested in machine learning or you’ve reached the point where you no longer know what you don’t know.

In this case, You need a team of experienced practitioners to take you to the next level. Start applying.

2. You’ve Started To Question Your Sense of Direction

Your sense of direction is what lets you know where you are, or which way to go, even when lingering in unfamiliar territory.

Religious people would often argue that a lack of direction is a result of not having a purpose, and to some degree, I agree. You shouldn’t have to wait to have a sense of purpose before you can be happy.

Imagine how miserable life would be if that’s the case!

When a person begins to question their sense of direction in regards to machine learning, it’s usually to do with a lack of appreciation for how far they’ve come.

As you learn more, it’s harder to see the small increments you improve by and this may feel as though you are no longer learning – especially when you compare it to a time when you were learning something new every day.

Given you meet the generic requirements of the machine learning role you want, then it’s time to apply for a job that challenges you differently from how you could if you were working alone. Start applying.

3. You’ve Built An Online Presence

Off the top of my head, I could list about 15 reasons why you need an online presence – maybe that will be my next article.

Here’s one reason: when you’ve transitioned into machine learning from another field, your resume isn’t going to explain to an employer who you are.

Resumes only record a historical reference to your skills, previous jobs, certifications, and accomplishments. But, you’ll be hired based on whether the hiring manager believes you have what it takes to work in their team, which is better captured from who you are – something your online presence does a better job at showing.

If you’ve spent a good amount of time building a presence that reflects someone who’s grossly interested in machine learning, given you’ve met the skills requirements, you’re ready to start applying.

Wrap Up

Starting the job hunt can be a scary process. Knowing when you’ve acquired adequate skills to begin applying is important so you don’t drag you’re learning for longer than it needs to be.

These signs are just a starter, let me know what other signs I’ve missed.

Thanks for Reading!

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