Question: How did you get into this job

Carl Peter Robinson answered on 7 Feb 2024:

After several years working as a software engineer, I went back to university, as an adult, to study a one-year advanced computer science master’s degree. I had started reading about artificial intelligence by then (in the late 2000s) and found it very interesting, so my idea was to look for something in robotics or AI. Towards the end of my course, I was approached by a lecturer in the Computer Science department who asked if I would like to interview for a PhD in Machine Learning and Wearable Sensors. It sounded fascinating and the excited voice in my head said, “Yes, Carl! Artificial intelligence! And cool sensor technology! And possibly robots! Awesome!” So, I had a cup of tea, calmed down, and interviewed for the position the next day. After a few weeks, I found out I had succeeded in getting the role!

I then spent four years studying and researching machine learning for my project. I was successful in getting my PhD in December 2020. This was a great stepping stone to getting into the kind of AI scientific/research work I wanted to do, particularly because of research and scientific skills I picked up during those four years. That helped me get my next job as a data scientist in an Emerging Technology Lab. That’s where I continue to apply scientific and research methods to my daily work, where I get to explore all kinds of possibilities with artificial intelligence.

Bear in mind, that’s not the only way to get into a scientific role. You are probably more likely to get good exposure to, and practice in, scientific work in a university role. But, there are a good number of companies in industry who provide the opportunity to do scientific work too.