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Transitioning to a different job profile within Meta

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Senior Software Engineer at Taro Community6 months ago

I recently joined Meta, with over a decade of experience in software product development from various companies.

Currently, I'm working as a system generalist, but I have a growing interest in transitioning into a machine learning engineer role by next year.

This interest stems from both a desire to explore that sector and the recognition of the high demand for ML skills. I'm eager to invest the necessary effort to learn and adapt.

Could anyone share insights on the feasibility of this transition within Meta? Additionally, what specific skill set should I focus on developing to align with the expectations for a machine learning engineer role here at Meta?

Your guidance and advice would be greatly appreciated.

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(3 comments)
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    Tech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
    6 months ago

    Congrats on getting into Meta! Given your level and 10+ YOE, I'm going to assume that you are an E5.

    I knew several E5s that transitioned to MLE internally at Meta. The process is quite simple:

    1. Be a high-performer in your current role and make your manager like you (these 2 almost always go hand-in-hand)
    2. Ask for an internal transfer to MLE

    To help with Step 1, I recommend these:

    In terms of what skills you need, you probably don't need to worry about it as an E5. At E5 and above, most engineers are working with fundamental skills like leadership, communication, project management, mentorship/delegation, and communication. The technical portion usually isn't a huge part of the job, and if you master the fundamentals, you'll be able to pick up the technical ML stuff very quickly.

    Something else you can tactically do is to network with the ML folks in your organization. I worked all the way on the mobile front-end at Instagram, but I got to know several E5/E6 engineers on the ML ranking side since I worked in ads. It was very cool learning what their day-to-day was like and how we could add value to each other.

    Here's an excellent thread from another Meta engineer about this very topic (check out the linked resources there too, lots of great ones): "Is it worth transitioning to become a Machine Learning Engineer?"

  • 1
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    Tech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
    5 months ago

    I don't have a direct answer to your question, but here's what I'd do:

    • Look up a few AI-heavy teams at Meta
    • Find 5-10 managers on these teams. Ideally front-line managers [M1s] who are in charge of hiring.
    • Message them asking for advice (not for a job) and grab coffee or a video call.
    • Ask them what criteria they use when evaluating internal transfers, especially at the E5 Senior level.

    You can probably get at least 3 conversations within the next month. This will give you a concrete answer to the feasibility of this transition within Meta :)

    • 0
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      Senior Software Engineer [OP]
      Taro Community
      5 months ago

      Thank you Rahul I will try out these suggestions , they look like good first step to me

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