Hi Team,
I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself and seek your advice as I plan my next career move.
I currently have four years of experience as a Business Intelligence Engineer (BIE) at XXX. In this role, I’ve mainly worked with Python, maintained data engineering pipelines, and used tools like Amazon Redshift and Spark. I’ve also implemented simple machine learning algorithms—nothing too advanced like deep learning, but enough to get a solid grounding in the field.
Now, I’m looking to transition into a Software Development Engineer (SDE) role. With about six months to upskill, I’m both excited and a bit anxious—especially with the rapid rise of AI automation and generative AI agents in the industry
I’d really appreciate your perspective on a couple of options I’m considering:
Your insights would mean a lot as I navigate this transition. Thank you so much for your time and guidance.
Every engineer should be looking for ways to weave AI into their workflow. The main balance to navigate is having the AI do the work for you while not suffering a loss in understanding or learning. Check out this thread to learn more: "How to optimally use GenAI to leverage my coding prowess and become a better software engineer?"
I looked through Andrew Ng's "Generative AI for All" course and it looks okay. However, if your goal is to become a software engineer working in the AI space, I think it's much more fruitful to just build side projects that use AI.
Tactically, your goal right now should just be to get interviews. These fairly accessible online courses aren't counted at all by hiring managers as they're too commoditized, especially at top tech companies.