Career Transition Tips For Engineers

I'm Upskilling in AI. Here's Why Over the past few months, I've been increasingly drawn towards Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. Not just as trendy words, but as tools that are already reshaping how we build, design, and think about software. If you’re a software developer, please start learning about AI/ML. As someone working in tech, I realized: - AI is impacting our work and for the better. - Whether you're in product, engineering, or design, knowing how to use and build with AI is becoming essential. So I’ve decided to go all in on upskilling myself in AI/ML. Here's how I'm approaching it: 1. Refreshing basics: Python, ML basics, reading a few research papers of Anthropic, OpenAI and Gemini 2. Building an LLM from Scratch: Yes! Learning by doing is the best way to learn anything, so I’m actually on a small journey to build an LLM. Will share the project once it’s done. 3. AI - first mindset: Just like with any other tool, there’s a friction when you first start using it and it gets easier later on. So AI, at first, will be buggy and might also slow you down, but overtime, you get used to using it better. I almost write entire code through AI, debug with AI, read and understand documents with AI. If you’re a developer, what are some ways you’re upskilling with AI/ML? Write in the comments, I want to learn from you! By the way, I recently made a video on my channel where I talked about how I upskill with AI in much more detail, you can give it a watch here: https://lnkd.in/gnatKWhv If you don’t grow with the industry requirements, you’ll get redundant. So make sure the learning never stops! #ai #upskilling #learning #machinelearning #dev

Plenty of portfolios are good. A few really stand out. Most just don’t leave a lasting impression. They blur together. Not because the work isn’t good, but because it doesn’t tell a story. Same structure. Same tone. Same safe ideas. No clear point of view. No story. Just a list of projects trying to tick boxes. Your portfolio shouldn’t just show what you’ve done. It should show what you believe, how you think and where you’re going. Building a standout portfolio is hard work. You’ve already started. Now shape it with intent. Start with a strong structure for each project. Set the scene, the challenge and how did your idea solve it? Make it clear, fast. Nail the idea in a single, strong image or slide. Draw people in. What makes it original? Lead with that. Show it holds up. Prove the idea works in gnarly situations, not just the best-case one. Show it flex. Demonstrate how the idea works in new or unexpected contexts. Make it matter. Why does this connect with the people it’s for? Show what’s next. Could it grow? Evolve? Where could it go? Keep it tight. Cut anything that doesn’t help. Less, but better. Name it well. A strong name for ideas gives character and makes it sticky. Be honest. Lead with work you believe in. End with something clear. Finish each project with a simple insight. Why it mattered. What changed. What you learned. Each project tells its own story. Now connect them. Your portfolio should guide people through your work clearly and intentionally. Use everyday language. Not design terms. Would someone outside your industry understand it? Don’t just show final results. Show how you got there. Let people see your process, your thinking and your contribution. If the work made an impact, show that too. Be clear about collaboration. What was your role? What did you bring? Get the basics right. Make sure your site is fast, easy to navigate and works well on mobile. No broken links. No confusing formats. No distractions from the work. If time’s been tight, prioritise what matters most. Create the kind of work you want to be hired for. Work that shows your intent, not just your output. If you haven’t made the kind of work you love yet, start now. Don’t wait for permission. Make it yourself. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to be yours. Remember, your portfolio is a work in progress. Keep refining it as you grow. Look at what others are doing. Spot what works and what fades into the background. Learn from both. Then find your own approach. What would make someone choose you? Be honest about what you’re showing and proud of what you choose to share. That’s your real brief. 🤝

I've been writing resumes for over 15 years. A long time. After all these years, there is still one widespread mistake I see in these files that is easy to fix: Heavy emphasis on day-to-day tasks with minimal results. If you want your resume to stand out and be noticed, it must share value. Value is best demonstrated through results. Fill your resume with specifics, metrics, and personal initiatives, and aim to create results-rich resume statements like the samples below. Examples of helping a business do things faster, better, or smarter: 🔹 Lowered customer complaints 60% by launching a formal feedback system. 🔹 Improved product delivery time 23% after assigning clarified monthly job tasks to the entire team. Examples of making money, saving money, or increasing efficiency: 🔹 Grew revenue 44% and improved gross margin 25% in 1 year by standardizing business operating procedures. 🔹 Produced $2.5M in cost savings after renegotiating all supply and service contracts. Examples of personal success: 🔹 Built sustainable technical sales organizations from the ground up within 3 global organizations. 🔹 Generated over $4M in new revenue after identifying, pursuing, and securing 2 new international client contracts. The above statements can be further detailed for more significant impact with added context, but hopefully, you get the idea: * Focus heavily on results, not tasks. * Share metrics and measurements. * Be specific, not vague. * Focus on details unique to you that align with the target audience's requirements. If you don't think you have any results, check out the comments for a link to a free guide to help you better identify and track your achievements. Every person has done something well in their work, and these things can be measured more often than not. The key is to start identifying them and writing them down!

🚨 Layoffs in the Automotive Industry: What Now? 🚨 The German automotive industry and its suppliers are undergoing another wave of layoffs. If you're an international professional affected by this, don’t panic—your skills are still in high demand. You need to adapt and reposition yourself. The good news? Many industries need your expertise. Here’s how you can transition successfully into new sectors: 🔹 Where Can You Go? ✅ Mechanical & Electrical Engineering – Many manufacturers need engineers with automotive experience. ✅ Renewable Energy & Battery Technology – Transfer your skills to energy storage, hydrogen, and electric mobility. ✅ Aerospace & Defense – Companies like Airbus and Rheinmetall need system engineers and quality specialists. ✅ Rail & Transportation – Rail technology is booming with investments in high-speed trains and public transport. ✅ IT & Software Development – If you worked with embedded systems, cloud computing, or AI, tech companies are hiring. ✅ Logistics & Supply Chain – Your experience in supply chain management, lean production, and operations is valuable. ✅ Wind & Solar Energy – Companies need project managers, engineers, and supply chain experts for offshore & onshore wind farms. ✅ E-Mobility & Charging Infrastructure – The EV market is growing, and charging station providers need technical specialists. ✅ Sustainable Manufacturing – Companies are focusing on eco-friendly production, reducing waste, and improving energy efficiency. ✅ Circular Economy & Recycling – Waste management, battery recycling, and sustainable materials are in demand. 🔹 10 Practical Steps to Reposition Yourself 1️⃣ Rebrand Your Resume & LinkedIn Profile – Highlight transferable skills (project management, quality assurance, process optimization). 2️⃣ Learn the Language of Your Target Industry – Adapt your terminology. Instead of "automotive engineering," use "systems engineering" or "industrial technology." 3️⃣ Expand Your Network Beyond Automotive – Attend events in energy, tech, aerospace, and logistics. Follow industry groups on LinkedIn. 4️⃣ Look at Job Descriptions Outside of Automotive – Identify skills you already have that match other sectors. 5️⃣ Upskill & Certify – Consider PMI, Six Sigma, Agile, or AI & data analytics courses. Many are free online. 6️⃣ Talk to Recruiters Specialized in Other Industries – Don’t just rely on automotive headhunters. 7️⃣ Apply for Internal Transfers – If your company has divisions in energy, industrial automation, or aerospace, explore internal mobility. 8️⃣ Consider Consulting & Freelancing – German SMEs (Mittelstand) often need project-based experts. 9️⃣ Leverage Government Support – Use Jobcenter or Agentur für Arbeit for funding and career coaching. 🔟 Stay Mentally Strong & Proactive – Job searches take time, but with the right strategy, you’ll find your next opportunity. 👉 Your experience is valuable. The key is to position yourself correctly and take action now.

My secret weapon when I pivoted from to tech from a non-tech background: Emphasizing my transferable skills. Here's how to leverage them the right way to land the job of your dreams: 1/ 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 ↳ Review all your work, volunteer activities, education, and personal projects. Don't just focus on job titles - think about what you actually did day-to-day. 2/ 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ↳ For each role or experience, identify specific tasks you performed and results you achieved. Ask yourself: What problems did I solve? How did I communicate? What did I manage or organize? 3/ 𝗖𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 ↳ Group them into categories like communication, leadership, problem-solving, technical abilities, project management, or analytical thinking. These broader categories usually apply across industries. 4/ 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 ↳ Analyze relevant job postings and map them to the categories from step 3, even if you used them in different contexts. 5/ 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 ↳ When you identify a transferable skill, prepare specific stories that demonstrate it. Quantify your impact when possible - numbers make your experience more compelling. ♻️ Reshare this post for an aspiring career switcher and follow Megan Lieu for more!

The emergence of agentic AI doesn't eliminate the need for technical knowledge; it changes how that knowledge is applied. The skills that will become more valuable: • System architecture and design • Problem definition and evaluation • Data interpretation • Business impact assessment • AI prompt engineering and guidance The skills that will become less critical for most engineers: • Detailed syntax knowledge • Manual debugging of common issues • Writing boilerplate code • Configuring standard infrastructure Don't fight this evolution. Embrace it and position yourself at the higher-value layers. The best engineers will be those who can clearly define what they want built, not just those who can build it.

Mechanical, hardware, and chemical engineers are among the hardest-to-fill/hardest-to-hire roles for climate tech companies, with time-to-fill times longer than even machine learning engineering roles. ClimateTechList teamed up with data scientist/engineer Jason Zou to analyze our dataset of ~60,000 job posts from 900 climate tech companies posted in the last 6 months. Specifically, we found that the time-to-fill for the following roles were: - Sales: 31.9 days - Marketing: 35.9 - Analyst: 36.0 - Design: 38.5 - Data Science: 40.3 - Product Management: 41.5 - Operations: 42 - Electrical Engineer: 47.1 - Software Eng: 48.2 - Machine Learning Eng: 48.3 - Mechanical Eng: 49.0 - Hardware Eng: 50.2 - Chemical Eng: 51.5 Engineering jobs associated with physical production are hard to hire, namely mechanical engineering, hardware engineering, and chemical engineering, all of which take almost 2x as long to fill (50 days) as sales jobs. Even machine learning engineering positions, in high demand from the AI boom, are filled at a slightly faster rate than these 3 positions Possible reasons for this effect - many of these jobs require in-person work, which makes job matching jobs to candidates inherently more difficult - Federal legislation of the last few years- Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act, CHIPS Act are all driving massive investments into U.S. physical infrastructure and manufacturing. These investments disproportionally require talent with physical-product engineering skills more than software engineering skills. 👉 For more insights on hiring trends by company, country and climate tech vertical, see our latest climate tech hiring trends report here: https://lnkd.in/gpMCaSZ6 #climatetechlist #decarbonization #energytransition #chemicalengineering #mechanicalengineering #hardwareengineering #hiringtrends

Upskilling Strategies: Yesterday we looked at the Upskilling for business success and today we're going to look at customizing learning pathways for your Tech team. In today’s tech landscape, a one-size-fits-all approach to training just doesn’t work. To build a high-performing, future-ready tech team, upskilling programs need to be personalized and role-specific. 🔍 Start by assessing your team’s current skills: Use skills assessments, 360-degree feedback, and project performance reviews to understand the strengths and gaps within your tech teams. 🔑 Tailor learning pathways to meet the needs of specific roles within your organization. A few examples: ·       Cloud Engineers can benefit from certifications and training in platforms like AWS, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud. ·       DevOps Teams should focus on tools like Docker, Kubernetes, Jenkins, and CI/CD pipelines to streamline workflows and improve collaboration. ·       Cybersecurity Specialists need continuous learning in threat detection, encryption, and certifications like CISSP or CEH. ·       Software Developers could advance their skills in languages like Python or Java, or explore microservices and API development. 🎯 Personalization matters. When you align learning paths with individual roles and career goals, your team is more engaged and motivated, and the impact of upskilling is much greater. To create a successful upskilling strategy: ·       Set clear development goals based on current and future business needs. ·       Leverage e-learning platforms that offer customizable learning paths and assessments. ·       Encourage mentorship and peer learning to reinforce new skills within the team. ·       Investing in personalized learning paths doesn’t just future-proof your workforce—it drives innovation, improves retention, and keeps your tech teams agile and ready for the challenges ahead. Are your upskilling programs tailored to the unique needs of your tech team? #upskilling #personalizedlearning #techtrends #cloudengineering #DevOps #cybersecurity #continuouslearning #workforcedevelopment

Almost 10 years ago, Mayank and I started our entrepreneurship journey in IT. We identified that global businesses need more skilled talent to keep up with the rapid technological advancements. With India producing 1.5 million engineers every year and the second largest number of engineers, there is an abundance of talent who need someone's help to match them with the right opportunities. However, for the past three years, the way technology has changed, the skills in demand today might become obsolete tomorrow. They'll either be replaced by some other tech or automated by AI. So my only advice to techies out there is to be aware of the tech trends in the market and continue to upskill yourself with new emerging technologies that will create more jobs in the next three years, such as - 𝑨𝑰, 𝑴𝑳, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏: Forrester predicts that this emerging tech will generate 9% of new jobs in the US by 2025. 𝑮𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑨𝑰 - Businesses have started using Gen AI like crazy. 2 years back, we used to say, "Every company will be a tech company", but now it is "Every company will be a Gen AI company." 𝑪𝒚𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚: More advancements in tech mean more data, and data comes with threats and responsibilities. Demand for cybersecurity experts and security engineers will increase exponentially. 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒄 𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝑨𝒖𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 (𝑹𝑷𝑨) - Forrester predicts that RPA will affect 230 million jobs. At the same time, it will create new jobs, such as RPA developers, analysts, and architects. 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒖𝒎 𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 - I've seen many big tech companies hire quantum computing engineers with high packages, especially in the banking and finance sector, to manage credit risk and detect fraud. Now, with a hugely smart and skilled talent base in India, it will be an excellent opportunity for tech professionals to upskill and ready themselves for these emerging technologies in 2024 and the coming years. While upskilling yourself by learning new in-demand technologies, focus on building skills that will stay with you forever and help you adapt to the new role, new tech, and new people faster, like problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, team building, team collaboration, etc. #techtrends #AI #emergingtrend2024 #supersourcing

If you’ve ever found yourself in a career situation thinking, “I wish someone had told me this earlier,” I created this for you 👇🏾❤️ After over a decade navigating the tech industry—across continents, roles, and teams—I’ve faced imposter syndrome, made pivots, managed teams, and learned (often the hard way) what it really takes to grow in your career. Over the past few years, through content creation and coaching professionals at all levels, I’ve seen clear patterns emerge. The details might look different, but the challenges? Surprisingly common. So I created something I wish my younger self had access to—and I know it’ll help you too. 🎙️ A podcast that tells the truth about building a thriving tech career and growing as a leader. This podcast is for you if: ✅ You’re building (or rebuilding) your tech career ✅ You’re figuring out your next move ✅ You’re a new or aspiring manager trying to find your footing ✅ You’re an experienced manager looking to continue investing in your growth ✅ You want real, practical insight—not fluff 🎧 Start with these episodes: ✨ To Lead or Not To Lead; An Engineer’s Crossroad – weighing the pros and cons of life as an IC versus EM ✨ Redefining Your Value as a Leader – what you bring to the table post-IC transition ✨ The Career Zones: Comfort, Discomfort & Everything In Between – how to navigate long-term growth ✨ Ask Ibukun: Career Dilemmas, Q&A, and More – real questions, honest answers If any of this resonates, have a listen—and share it with someone else who’s trying to figure things out too. 🎙️ Listen here → https://lnkd.in/gZbxj-rP #CareerGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment #EngineeringLeadership #TechCareers #PodcastLaunch #CareerCoaching #WomenInTech