AI trends shaping Career Paths: Online Bootcamps as a Catalyst for Change

5 minutes read

Did you know that the Apollo Guidance Computer (AGC) used in the first manned moon mission is significantly less powerful than the smartphone you use today? Just for a comparison, the memory used in the Apollo Mission was 2.5 KB! (Today’s smartphones have at least 2GB). And to think they went to the moon and came back with that!

So, because of the immense processing that computers of today can do, Artificial Intelligence or AI is able to harness this power and take the burden of repetitive tasks away from you. This is like a productivity booster shot for you and it opens a dreamland filled with possibilities and opportunities for all. But it goes without saying that, with so much goodness there is always a catch.

The catch is, that the AI landscape is constantly evolving. It is changing the methods we have traditionally employed at work. For instance, now we can generate images of how a client’s living room would look like with the criteria they placed with the interior designers. This would have been done using any animation software previously. It has given new job roles that were non-existent previously, for example the role of a Natural language processing engineer or others like AI Ethicist or AI trainer or AI content moderator, to name a few. Also, the tools used in every domain are constantly being upgraded.

What is the newest and the best tool today would be upgraded the next year or there would be a replacement. So, to stay on track, you would either have to keep a constant look-out of the tech space to understand what is happening or you could get yourself enrolled in an online bootcamp.

With every new development in the world, you are sure to find ways to harness the potential. As of today, every small or big domain, be it mainstream or niche, has been touched by AI’s influence in one way or the other.

AI is now playing the role of the landscape artist, and we are in constant flux, exploring ways to stay relevant in the career market. At this juncture, enters the concept of online bootcamps which have taken the market by storm. They are proving to be invaluable in facilitating market evolution.

What is an online bootcamp?

A survey says 93% of fresh graduates would choose online bootcamps to acquire new skills. “64.3% of survey participants said boot camps are the most effective way to learn the skills required to begin their careers.”

Students and young workers opt for online bootcamps to not only learn technical skills, but also for gaining communication skills, practical experience and pursue networking opportunities.

An online bootcamp is an intensive and focused educational program delivered over the internet (hence the word online), typically designed to teach specific skills or provide in-depth training in a particular field or industry. The advantages of this system are:

Short and useful: They are shorter in duration than a traditional academic program.
Cost effective: An online bootcamp would cost you relatively lesser than a full-fledged long-term course from a traditional institution.
More focus on practical than theory: They are less in theory and are tailored more towards hands–on experiences. So, they would be dealing with real-world scenarios in your work.
Some certifications also help in career growth: A certification from a reputed bootcamp would give a good jumpstart to the existing portfolio. For instance, an online bootcamp certification course on cloud computing or a course on UI design.

Online bootcamps have gained popularity for their ability to quickly upskill individuals and help them prepare for new careers or advance in their current ones.

Where can you find one?

There are many good ones, but the best for you will depend on your specific use case. Below are some handpicked resources for you:

DeepLearning.AI: deeplearning.ai is an online learning platform that offers courses and specializations in the field of deep learning and artificial intelligence (AI). It was founded by Andrew Ng, a prominent figure in the AI and machine learning community, known for his contributions and educational work, including co-founding Google Brain and co-founding Coursera. If you are starting out, this could be the best place to be. Some brilliant content is available here. Visit: deeplearning.ai
Coursera: Coursera was founded in 2012 by computer science professors at Stanford University – Andrew Ng and Daphne Koller and has since become one of the largest and most well-known online education providers. Coursera’ and deeplearning.ai’s founder is the same, however, the chief difference here is the focus on AI and Machine Learning Specializations with courses from top universities and institutions.
edX: Founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 2012, edX is a nonprofit organization with a mission to increase access to high-quality education and promote lifelong learning. edX Provides courses and micro-degrees in AI and machine learning, including offerings from MIT and Microsoft.
Udacity: Founded in 2012 by Sebastian Thrun, David Stavens, and Mike Sokolsky, Udacity’s mission is to “democratize education” by making high-quality education and skills training accessible to a global audience. Udacity offers the “Artificial Intelligence Engineer” Nanodegree program, which covers AI concepts and applications.
DataCamp: If you deal with a lot of data, or you are into data science, then DataCamp could be the one for you. DataCamp focuses on data science and AI, offering courses in Python, R, and other data-related technologies. It is very highly rated.
General Assembly: Datacamp mentioned above and General assembly offer data science and machine learning bootcamps for those who are in data-driven tasks.
Springboard: Provides a “Machine Learning Engineering Career Track” that covers AI and machine learning, domains like data science and UX/UI design.
BrainStation: Offers an “AI and Machine Learning Bootcamp” with hands-on projects and industry-relevant curriculum related to design, marketing, web development, cyber security etc.

The list above focuses on general AI and data analytics, and we have steered clear of bootcamps that are exclusively into the programming side of AI.

Start from the basics:

The potential for AI is huge. But if you are starting out, begin with deeplearning.ai and get a high-level understanding of the AI scene. Once you get an overall picture, zoom into the course that is closer to your field of specialization and take it from there.

Conclusion:

AI is a wonderful tool to make your life easier and if you are starting out, initial implementations of AI will improve your productivity by at least 2x. Also, be sure to keep yourself updated, preferably every year, and stay on top of the game.

However, please keep in mind that AI is only a medium to help you and the market progress. It is not the endgame. It will only modify the career pathways and not the career in itself.

Author Bio:

Anjani Vigha is a technical as well as creative content writer at Thinkful, a Chegg service. She is an outgoing person, and you will find her near books, arts and explore the miraculous world of technology. Connect with her on LinkedIn or Twitter.