so you want to work in AI? here's everything nobody tells you π€
okay so i keep seeing people say "just learn AI bro" like it's that simple and i'm here to actually break it down because there's genuinely SO much opportunity right now and most people are sleeping on it
this is gonna be a long one. grab a snack. π
first of all β what even IS generative AI?
okay so you know chatgpt right? and midjourney? and github copilot that writes code for you?
yeah. all of that is generative AI.
basically it's AI that creates stuff β text, images, code, audio, video β instead of just analyzing it. the tech behind it is called large language models (LLMs) and honestly the way they work is lowkey kind of mind blowing if you go down that rabbit hole
but here's the thing β you don't need to BUILD these models to have a career in this space. you just need to know how to WORK with them. big difference.
why 2026 is genuinely the best time to get into this
no i'm not just saying this. here's what's actually happening:
every company is integrating AI right now. like literally every single one. from your local startup to tcs to goldman sachs. they all need people who know how to build with AI.
the talent gap is WILD. there are way more jobs than qualified people. which means salaries are high and companies are literally begging for good candidates.
india specifically is booming. bengaluru, hyderabad, pune β all exploding with AI roles. and a good chunk of them are remote now which means even if you're in a smaller city you can still land these jobs.
the actual jobs that exist (with real salary numbers)
because vague advice is useless so here:
π€ generative AI engineer β builds apps using LLMs, chatbots, AI agents salary: βΉ6β12 LPA starting, βΉ15β28 LPA mid level
π§ ML engineer (GenAI focus) β fine-tunes and deploys AI models salary: βΉ8β15 LPA starting, βΉ18β35 LPA mid level
βοΈ prompt engineer β designs and optimizes how you talk to AI models salary: βΉ5β15 LPA (this role is evolving fast btw)
π± AI product manager β decides WHAT AI products get built and why salary: βΉ20β40 LPA mid level (yes really)
π data scientist (GenAI focus) β combines data science with AI capabilities salary: βΉ7β12 LPA starting, βΉ15β30 LPA mid level
the skills you actually need (no fluff)
here's what companies are literally putting in job descriptions rn:
python β everything runs on python. non-negotiable.
langchain or llamaindex β these are frameworks for building LLM apps
openai / hugging face APIs β the actual tools you'll use daily
vector databases β pinecone, chroma, weaviate (yes these are real things)
RAG architecture β retrieval augmented generation, huge right now
basic cloud knowledge β AWS or GCP, enough to deploy stuff
the soft skills that actually get you hired though:
being curious and actually keeping up with this space (it moves FAST)
being able to explain AI to non-technical people
having real projects to show, not just certificates
a realistic roadmap if you're starting from zero
okay so people always ask "but where do i START" and here's the actual answer:
month 1β2: learn python basics. not advanced python, just enough to write scripts and call APIs. freecodeccamp and codecademy are both great and free.
month 3β4: learn ML fundamentals. andrew ng's machine learning course on coursera is literally the gold standard. do this.
month 5β6: dive into the GenAI specific stuff. langchain, hugging face, prompt engineering. build something small β a chatbot, a document summarizer, anything.
month 7β8: build 3β5 real projects and put them on github. document everything. write about what you built.
month 9+: start applying. don't wait until you feel "ready." you won't. just start.
the part everyone skips: building in public
this is genuinely underrated advice β
put your projects on github. write about what you're learning on linkedin. post your progress. the generative AI community is surprisingly active and supportive and visible work gets noticed.
so many people in this space got their first opportunity because someone saw their project or their post. it really happens.
real talk: is this a bubble?
no. and here's why i actually believe that β
generative AI isn't a trend on top of existing tech. it's changing how software gets built at a fundamental level. the companies investing in this aren't doing it for hype β they're doing it because it actually works and it actually saves money and creates value.
the people who upskill now are going to be the ones with options in 5 years. the ones who wait are going to be playing catch up.
okay but where do you actually learn this stuff properly?
honestly the internet has a lot of free resources β youtube, coursera, hugging face's own docs are genuinely great.
but if you want structured, hands-on training with actual projects and placement support β especially if you're in central india β Vector Skill Academy in indore is worth checking out. they do job-oriented IT training that actually focuses on making you employable, not just giving you a certificate to frame.
tldr (for the people who scrolled straight here)
generative AI is the biggest career opportunity in tech rn
you don't need to build models, you need to work with them
python + langchain + APIs + real projects = you're hireable
start now, build in public, don't wait until you feel ready
the window is open but it won't be this wide forever
if this was helpful reblog it!! someone in your feed is probably figuring out their career right now and this might be exactly what they needed to see π
also drop questions in the notes if you have them, happy to help
