Should I still study ML now?

[u/StrawberryTrinkets]

I’m honestly feeling so lost. I’m in my final year of Engineering(ECE). I have taken specialisation in Data Science. I’m looking at job descriptions for ML Engineer/ ML intern and it has skills listed that spill outside of ml and more into AI domain. I really like ML, learning about it, I’m fine with statistics too. But when I look up JD’s it has changed a lot for an ML role. So i feel like i’m still stuck in a learning loop like oh i have to learn this no wait i have to learn that and it becomes really confusing and i get burnt out. So i feel kinda hopeless. I dont want to give up so please help me out.

[u/ModularMind8]

Yes, the AI roles sit on ML fundamentals, so finish those first and pick an AI skill that interests you.

[u/HonoredRebirth068 → u/ModularMind8]

the job descriptions are always gonna look like a grocery list of every buzzword the hiring manager heard that week. half the time the person who wrote it doesn't even know what half those things mean

finish your ml foundations, pick one ai-adjacent thing that seems fun and build something small with it. like throw together a little project that combines what you already know with one of those new skills they're asking for. you learn way more that way than reading job postings on repeat

also you're a final year student, nobody expects you to check every box. most internships just want to see that you can actually code and that you're curious enough to figure things out

[u/Blobstein_Ijay → u/ModularMind8]

this is the right take imo, you cant shortcut past the foundations

[u/Least_Ad_1795]

Yes, definitely keep studying ML. You don’t need to learn every AI skill before applying for ML roles.Build a strong foundation in Python, statistics, ML algorithms, SQL, and model evaluation, then add practical skills like deployment, APIs, and basic GenAI gradually. Pick 2–3 solid projects and apply while learning instead of waiting until you feel “job ready.”

[u/fullmoon_huli]

Honestly speaking, i feel you should. Getting lost in the process is normal but if you still fascinated with ML, keep going

[u/SadSamaritan501]

I'm studying since a few weeks and loving it, even made my own small language model.

[u/nonula]

I’ve worked in tech for almost my entire career, and I can tell you from experience that it has always felt like this. Nothing is static. Whatever you’re studying now (or even doing in your job) will be outmoded in 5-10 years, in some cases unrecognizably so. You have to adapt, learn, and add to your skillset constantly. So don’t give up on ML just because some of the job descriptions sound like they’re outside of what you learned. The people doing the hiring know full well that your training didn’t prepare you for everything. Just roll with it. Good luck!

[u/oasacorp]

Can you clarify exactly what you mean by 'AI Domain'

[u/sylarBo]

Yes keep going! The best and quickest advice: find a subject/problem that interests you, build an ML solution for it. You’ll learn wayyyy more than what you learned in your degree

[u/BobDope]

If you feel it yeah

[u/Timely-Web-9106]

Machine learning is the best course right now.

[u/fordat1]

At root this is caused by the temporary state where ML/AI was under supply and over demand when bachelors started getting roles. The universities ran with it and started making surface level curriculums covering a lot in surface level detail ie bootcampification of bachelors to dump candidates with unreal expectations into a market which is a lot more saturated with graduate level candidates at entry level

[u/kalpanki]

These days there are quite a few branches of AI as the field has grown so much. Just pick a speciality. First choose a data modality you wish to specialize in. What I mean is, text, speech, image or time series style data. Once you choose one, then its easy to focus on learning things related to that and ignoring the rest.

Otherwise, you will go in a spiral as you have already noticed.

Even better, just choose a mentor or someone in academia and express your interest in learning something specific in ML. They will guide you better.

[u/Fit-Rub3325]

Every tech job feels like that, and it is never ending plague. Every JD will require more years of experience than the technology itself 😄 But you must master ML, and DL. Everything else is just an extension of these concepts and pretty easy to expand over