This is for you if:
- You’re just graduating from a master’s degree program in AI, or have self-created a similar program for yourself, and/or
- You’re looking for a new job (or next career step) in AI, AND
- You need a transition plan.
This presumes that you have already done some projects.
Being an “AI Career Ronin”
In Japanese culture, a ronin was a masterless samurai.
This was not a particularly honorable position.
Historically, ronins re-obtained their honor through seppuku (ritual suicide), after successfully avenging their master’s death.
BUT — in this samurai system, the underlying assumption was that loyalty worked both ways.
You were loyal to your master.
Your master was loyal to you.
TODAY … not so much.
In an era where job security is wishful thinking, we need to establish our identities outside of our corporation, and our corporate role.
Only two problems with this.
First, you may need to get that corporate identity for the first time.
You may be job-hunting for your first AI/ML (machine learning) / DS (data scientist or data engineer) job.
In which case, you STILL need to establish your identity – and all the thinking-processes and actual-processes that we describe here will help.
Second, you might have a job. But your corporation really wants to OWN you.
This means that they own all your work product. If you write a love letter to your sweetie, they own that too.
Also, they DO NOT want you to be known and established outside the corporation – because then you can be poached. (Which is maybe something that you’d LIKE to happen!)
So, they prohibit you from sharing your work.
This means that you need to be both a bit more strategic, and a good deal more tactical in your thinking.
Where You Are Now
Specifically, we presume that:
- You have at least one, but preferably three or more AI or ML (machine learning) projects, and that you have put these into your GitHub repositories (preferably, one repository per project).
- You have at least a written report (paper) on each project, and your report has the look and feel of a professional paper (NOT student work!).
- Your immediate goal is to tighten things up and focus, so that you’re prepared to move into your next career stage.
In this – the first “goody bag” that we offer – we give you links to a FIRST SET of resources designed to guide and support you through this first transition stage of your AI career.
We will offer more resources, over time, so please PAY ATTENTION to Themesis emails. That’s how we’ll inform you when new resources are ready.
Portfolio Resources
Transition Plan Overview
If I were in your shoes right now, this is what I’d do:
- Review my Portfolio pieces to identify WHAT sorts of problems that I liked to solve and HOW I preferred to approach problems.
- Consult THIS YouTube for a review and discussion of the two best career-transition books that I know. Oldies but goodies!
Pick one. What Color Is My Parachute? is faster to read and implement; it’s more focused – it’s for when you need a new job in a hurry. It still has the most important steps, but not a much depth as the other book, Where Do I Go from Here with My Life? Both available on Amazon.
Block out time.
Do the exercises.
I can’t emphasize this enough.
Just reading the book doesn’t help.
You HAVE to do the exercises, and this means that you have to invest the time.
So block out the time, commit, and work through them.
Summary of What You’ll Have Gained So Far
Your self-assessment of your Portfolio will dovetail super-well with your detailed, careful, and insightful self-analysis that you’ll do following EITHER of the recommended books.
By putting these together, you’ll be answering the most important Who Am I? question – which is essential for any moving-forward plan.
Next Steps
I WAS going to compile a big resource list for this page … but am rethinking that.
The other resources (and I do have a lot to share; blogposts, content pages, and YouTubes – and links to books and YouTubes by others) are all good.
But – and this is a “big BUT” – they are a bit more mechanical.
It’s important to gain insight as a first step, because only then can you set your direction in a way that works for YOU – and is not influenced (overly) by what you read and hear.
So start with this, ok?
Get one of the books.
When I’ve made my career transitions, I’ve used Where Do I Go from Here with My Life?.
I’ve done this TWICE.
And I’ve worked through all the exercises – EACH TIME.
And yes – the process DID lead me to getting my next job.
It was a bit more indirect than was suggested by the processes given in the book – but I got there.
Self-knowledge is the first, and most important, thing.
Start there.
Book. (I recommend physical form, so you can mark it up.)
A fresh pad of paper, your favorite pen, and maybe even a binder with organizer tabs and a hole-punch for the MANY pages that you’ll be writing.
If you must do something at the digital level, clean up your GitHub. Treat it as more than a closet reorganization. This is more like cleaning out the garage or remodeling the basement.
You’re going to (ultimately) review EVERYTHING in your GitHub, as well as the overall organization, and how your present yourself.
But that will come later.
So, for now, just these two things:
- Book. Start the exercises. Start with a Kindle version (if you must), but get a physical copy (so you can physically engage, which transforms your process), and start writing things down. Longhand, on paper.
- GitHub. Treat like a garage or basement overhaul. Major project, and more like a few weekends, rather than just a few hours. Give this process the respect and attention that it deserves.
- More on both of these – later.
“Live free or die,”* my friend! – AJM (* “Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.” Attrib. U.S. Revolutionary War Gen. John Stark.)