MLOps Engineers Lost in a Vague Role
Individuals transitioning into or working within MLOps roles consistently express feeling overwhelmed and lost due to the vastness and complexity of the field. Many enter with incorrect assumptions, often believing it's a direct extension of DevOps, and struggle to navigate the diverse aspects of model deployment, infrastructure, and real-time pipelines. A lack of clear guidance and established roadmaps exacerbates this confusion.
SOURCES (60)
“Hello I have 18 years of experience as a Senior Software Engineer, and I’m thinking about making a career change. I’m currently pursuing an AI/ML course that covers topics such as machine learning, deep learning, NLP, building AI models, fine-tuning, and model fusion. My goal…”
“Thanks to everybody who has replied to my previous post. I was thinking of starting with Python , but I'm not sure. What do you suggest? I know that there are many, but I honestly feel like doing Python. What did you start with? submitted by /u/ObsoleteQifrey [link] [comments]”
“Apart from the formal written requirements, can anyone share what it really takes to get in? I am a senior CS Undergrad planning on applying for late 2027 track, the only problem is that I have seen only multiple publications and journal students being accepted. And I have none as of now, am totally focused on GPAs and engineering skills, but would like to opt for higher studies. So, if anyone can guide or advice on how to spend my final year polishing my CV, that would be great. submitted”
“Hey Reddit, We're hiring 5 interns for an intensive 2-month Python, AI, Data Engineering, and AWS internship designed to prepare candidates for full-time engineering roles at Cloudnaut. Rather than putting everything into this post, we've created a dedicated microsite that covers the program in detail—including the learning roadmap, expectations, selection process, stipend, full-time opportunity, and FAQs. 👉 Learn more and apply here: https://start.cloudnaut.com What to Expect This is a”
“I graduated last year from a top 5 CS school with a bachelors in data science, and I started working as a MLE at a smallish company last September. I’m not very happy about where the company is headed, and the culture has noticeably deteriorated in the short amount of time I’ve been here. I’m also not happy about the location and I hope to be back to the Bay Area soon. The good thing is the work is technically challenging and they put a lot of trust in me for high impact projects, even though I’”
“Hi everyone, I graduated about a month ago with a degree in Data Science & AI, and I’m currently looking for an entry-level remote position. I have experience with: Python Machine Learning & Deep Learning SQL Data Analysis Computer Vision MLOps (basic) I’ve also built several projects, including machine learning and computer vision applications, and I’m continuously improving my portfolio. I would really appreciate: Advice on finding remote jobs for new graduates. Recommendations for com”
I think it depends what you’re into, robotics or ML it can be helpful.
“I've been working as a statistical analyst at a few different universities for around 10 years or so. The career has been good so far, albeit with occasional worries over research funding. As I sure most of you are aware, the funding landscape for research has changed a lot over the past few years, making my job feel less secure. In addition to that my current supervisor has not been happy with how fast I've been getting my work done. I've also made some stupid mistakes recently, whi”
“I am a recent graduate in artificial intelligence and machine learning, during my final year project i came across some phases in my project which made me consider knowing about Ai safety, security and governance. I am really interested in the field and exploring it, but for the past 6 months i tried to join courses or fellowships(education) i was rejected for not having any experience as i am a fresher. If anyone would know someone or if you are in the field how would you approach it in my stan”
“I've hit a point where I'm not sure what the next step should be, and I'd really appreciate some honest advice. I have a basic to intermediate understanding of machine learning and deep learning. I've built the usual projects (classification, CNNs, transfer learning, etc.) and have some exposure to tools like Docker, Git, cloud platforms (GCP/AWS), Airflow, MLflow, DVC, Kafka, and basic data engineering concepts. The problem is that I don't know how to bridge the gap”
“25M, 2024 B.Tech grad. Landed an "AI/ML Trainee" role — building RAG pipelines, GraphRAG systems, working with LangChain and Azure OpenAI. Everyone keeps saying AI engineers are in massive demand right now, salaries are booming. Reality: ₹17,000/month. Six-month probation, no guarantee of conversion after. On top of it, I'm dealing with a recurring L5-S1 disc bulge — sitting all day for this "high-demand" work hasn't helped. My insurance has no OPD cover, so even some”
“Hello I have done my Btech CSE in 2025 and later on I got a Job in mohali, Punjab as a Flutter Developer. In April 2026 I quit that job and from that time till now I am looking and preparing for AI/ML Data Science Role. I want to know How it will impact or affect my career , Do I have made a mistake and I am also worried if My Preparation for AI/ML Role will go in dustbin or I am Right Preparing for This Role. Does My Resume Will Get Shortlisted for this role , What Package I can expect, does I”
“Hello everyone, Recent graduate in Mathematical Engineering (with financial engineering, optimisation and risk courses) in Italy, where the quant world is completely inexistent. I'm trying to start my career in quant finance leaving a Data Scientist position at ACN, I've actually arrived to many final stage of interviews but never received an offer at the end in role like QR/QD. I've received only a graduate program offer from a small hedge fund based in London that is adding a new o”
“Hi everyone, I recently finished building an end-to-end MLOps project for customer churn prediction and would really appreciate some feedback from experienced MLOps engineers. The project includes: \- FastAPI model serving \- Docker containerization \- Kubernetes deployment \- GitHub Actions CI/CD \- MLflow experiment tracking \- Prometheus + Grafana monitoring \- Feature-level and overall data drift monitoring \- Automated retraining pipeline with model comparison \- Production logging I'm”
“I have already accepted the offer, but kinda doubtful about my decision. I understand that you shouldn’t do a PhD for career development, at least not in most fields. I did my masters in theoretical physics, but got the chance to get an offer for a Material Science + Generative AI project. There are many downsides to this position due to my personal situation and the salary. I’m quite passionate about the project, and my supervisor is such a great person, also my colleagues ( I have worked with”
“Hi everyone, I recently finished building an end-to-end MLOps project for customer churn prediction and would really appreciate some feedback from experienced MLOps engineers. The project includes: FastAPI model serving Docker containerization Kubernetes deployment GitHub Actions CI/CD MLflow experiment tracking Prometheus + Grafana monitoring Feature-level and overall data drift monitoring Automated retraining pipeline with model comparison Production logging I'm still learning MLOps, so I&”
“if you have 4 yoe in ai infra and data pipelines at faang, your background is not "too niche" at all. literally every mid to large company is trying to build out data platform teams right now to support their ai hype projects. the actual issue is that you got comfortable and let your basic coding skills rust. failing an onsite because of basic api integration and pagination is a massive wake up call. stop overthinking the "direction" of your career and just grind some practic”
“Hi everyone, I'm currently working as a Software Engineer with almost 3 years of experience in India and my goal is to transition into a Machine Learning Engineer role by the end of September. I have a foundation in ML, Python, deep learning, and have completed AI-related internships and projects, but I'm overwhelmed by the amount of conflicting advice on what to learn next. I'm looking for a 1:1 mentorship session (happy to pay for your time) with someone who has successfully made t”
“**Experience So Far** - **MNC FMCG Company (GBS Division)** – Full Stack Intern (Jul–Dec 2024): Worked on production storefronts using Vue.js and Tailwind. International deployments across multiple Asian markets. - **Early Stage AI Startup** – AI Innovation Intern (Jul 2025–Jan 2026): Built knowledge graph-enhanced LLM apps, ML-based recommendation models, FastAPI backends. Stipend: ₹12,000/month - **Same Startup** – Graduate Engineer Trainee (Feb 2026–Present): Building internal AI platforms an”
“> solved a few python questions, session 4 of python CampusX : lists and several operations, storage, function, traversal... It was well explained > I tried using DVC with git, I was able to understand most of the working process, but It will take some time to get more comfortable. > next I'll revise and start working on machine learning pipeline using DVC and AWS. Updated notes: https://heroofjustice.notion.site/mlops submitted by /u/herooffjustice [link] [comment”
“Hey team! If you're interested in developing MLOps projects, but come from a background of Statistics, Data Science, and don't really know a lot about the operational aspects of CI/CD, inferencing, version control, and infrastructure as code, here you can find a blog post with a checklist of items + a GitHub repository you can follow to develop your ML projects in Databricks: https://community.databricks.com/t5/technical-blog/a-pragmatic-mlops-implementation-plan-on-databricks/ba-p/16303”
“Mainly looking for SWE roles, not AI Engineer roles or such. They are increasingly converging to the same tbh.”
“Appreciate that perspective, especially having sat in interviews. I've got my masters degree in cyber security so I understand the SOC2 issues and will be putting together a full security assessment that I will put in with the repo. Not sure about trying to get these into a facility. I have plenty of connections locally, so I can certainly have conversations with leadership at a few places, but not sure I have the resources to launch this, because it's literally only me. Appreciate the i”
“I'm a Product Design Technology graduate (2:1) with around one year of experience, currently working as a 3D Draughtsman in the naval defence sector using FORAN. My degree was mainly product design with some engineering, and I'm currently on £27k. I'm unsure what career path gives me the best long-term prospects. Since I don't have an engineering degree, I don't know which engineering roles are realistic for me or how to progress into product design at companies like”
Here's a cleaned-up version that keeps your conversational Reddit style and the core of what you're saying: Hello guys, I hope you're all doing well. A bit of background about me: I…
“I've been a data engineer for a year and half now after 6 years of other types of engineering jobs (automation, operations, software testing). I didn't have the experience specifically with data but I was handpicked as one of the first people to create an Analytics department at my company. I've really expanded my experience with python and understanding the ETL process using Microsoft Fabric and picked up most of what I needed to know quickly... But I don't necessarily think dat”
“Im a sales guy interviewing with a MLops infra company and this domain is new to me. Inhave done my homework but is there anyone based out of India who can help me understand this better? Thanks in advance. submitted by /u/Willing_Cause_5995 [link] [comments]”
“I'm a college student and I've decided to learn MLOps for 100 days from the basics. I am familiar with ML and data science, but I have a lot to learn so I'll be doing both in parallel. I hope I'm allowed to share my daily updates here. This will help me keep track of my learning and stay a little more accountable. today is Day 1/100 of MLOps > I started with two sessions of PYTHON by CampusX, I watched about 4 hours of this in 2.5x. > I also revised version control system,”
“This December, I graduate with my B.A. in statistics and I am literally so ready to be done with school. Truth be told, I wish I had done engineering; however at this point, I am ready to be done with school and enter the workforce. None of the jobs I have applied for recently have taken me and I am done with it and I don't want to work retail for the rest of my life. Recently I applied for a couple of solar companies as a risk analyst, really excited to be part of a company that supports a”
“Hey everyone, A little background before my question: I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Management, and I should graduate with a master’s in Data Science around October. I know Python, Java, C#, SQL, Julia, and most of the main machine-learning libraries. For the past three years, I’ve also been working as a technical assistant. It is quite far from the career I actually want, but it allowed me to support myself while studying and still maintain a decent quality of life, so I’m”
“How do you guarantee that the demand will still be there in 4+ years? A ton of kids learned to code because there was demand for it. How is that working out with AI taking off? There are also plenty of jobs that have shortages because the work sucks and the pay sucks. Why would anyone train for those fields if they can make more from a job that doesn't require a degree?”
“I'm researching how engineering teams choose models, GPUs, and deployment stacks for production AI systems. If you've recently deployed an LLM, I'd love to hear about your decision process. I'm not selling anything—I'm trying to understand how submitted by /u/Broad_Breakfast_1172 [link] [comments]”
“I’m a recent CS engineering graduate with a specialisation in AI/ML, and I’m finally out of college and trying to figure out how to put my head back in the game. Every time I tell people I specialised in AI/ML, the response is always, “Wow, you’re so lucky, AI is booming right now!” But the ground reality for freshers feels completely different. My college was literally offering us sales roles during placements. My own final-year guide also tried to push us into some shady paid job arrangement u”
“hey everyone, i'm 21 and starting completely from zero. i don't know python or anything related to ml/mlops yet. i made this 24-month roadmap based on a lot of research, but since i'm a beginner, i have no idea if it's actually solid or if i'm missing important stuff. before i commit the next couple of years to it, i'd really appreciate some feedback. is this roadmap worth following in 2026? what would you change, skip, or add? would you recommend a different path for som”
“hey everyone, i'm 21 and starting completely from zero. i don't know python or anything related to ml/mlops yet. i made this 24-month roadmap based on a lot of research, but since i'm a beginner, i have no idea if it's actually solid or if i'm missing important stuff. before i commit the next couple of years to it, i'd really appreciate some feedback. is this roadmap worth following in 2026? what would you change, skip, or add? would you recommend a different path for som”
“hey everyone, i'm 21 and starting completely from zero. i don't know python or anything related to ml/mlops yet. i made this 24-month roadmap based on a lot of research, but since i'm a beginner, i have no idea if it's actually solid or if i'm missing important stuff. before i commit the next couple of years to it, i'd really appreciate some feedback. is this roadmap worth following in 2026? what would you change, skip, or add? would you recommend a different path for som”
“So, I’m an ML engineer with around 7 YOE, mostly working on AI stuff. I’m definitely not some genius-level engineer, but I’d say I’m above average, disciplined, reliable, and generally good at getting things done. I’ve been at this company for almost two years, and honestly, everything seemed to be going fine. My PM was happy, projects were moving, and there were no major issues. Then, out of nowhere, I got invited to a meeting with HR and around 100 people from my department. We were told the w”
“I'm trying to start a role in machine learning field, but im kinda confused with the naming. Some company name a role machine learning engineer with their job description about research, experimentation of predictive models, focusing more on the modelling part, not the engineering. and some other company machine learning engineer only focuses in the engineering and production system itself, not about the model. But actually how do you guys define a machine learning engineer? submitted”
“Hi everyone, I’m pretty new to data engineering and analytics. Basically my experience has come from being the only one at work who understands computers and excel who could problem solve. I’ve slowly been learning more and more as problems have come up but now I’m a little stuck. My question is how do you determine the best approach for processing and analyzing your data? At what amount of data does it make sense moving out of something like power query/bi and into something like a databricks o”
“What skills should I learn, who to reach out to, please help? submitted by /u/SeaLog2215 [link] [comments]”
“Hey everyone, I’m currently working as a DevOps Engineer and want to transition into an MLOps/AI Ops role. What skills, tools,courses and learning path would you recommend? Any roadmap, resources, or project ideas would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! submitted by /u/HoneydewEntire5741 [link] [comments]”
“Currently in my final year of b.tech, really wanted to get into this field worked on 2 internships before... If any opportunities are there pls let me know, happy to connect or share CV ... submitted by /u/Fast_Wolf3895 [link] [comments]”
“Hi, I am from physics and recently decided to pivot to a proper machine learning job. No CS degree, only half achievement, some arXiv posts; recently one got hundreds of bookmarks on AlphaXiv. So not an outsider research-wise. What is the reality of finding a position mid-career? Some chatbots try to convince me that portal is almost dead. Just find the person and reach out; is that what matches with your experiences? submitted by /u/nebula7293 [link] [comments]”
“Hi everyone, I'm a 2025 B.Tech CSE graduate from Tezpur University looking for my first full-time role in Machine Learning, AI, or Python Engineering. My work includes: Agentic RAG & LLM applications Python, FastAPI, Docker PyTorch, TensorFlow NLP & Time-Series Forecasting I'm open to remote or on-site roles anywhere in India and am willing to relocate immediately. If your company is hiring or you know of any suitable openings, I'd really appreciate a referral or an opportuni”
“Build real software that does useful things. Don't look for tools to learn. If you build software, you'll naturally learn the skills you need out of necessity.”
“I work with a handful of AI companies hiring through Fonzi right now. Here are a few open roles, US-based only: Agentic-Workflow MLE at a Series B AI-native data company, SF (hybrid, 2-3 days/week), $250K-$350K base plus equity. You'd build and tune production LLM agents (LangChain/LangGraph, RAG, vector DBs) that automate enterprise ETL and data workflows. Data Scientist at a Series B adtech company, NYC (in-person), $225K-$350K base plus equity. You'd train the LLM-driven ranking and p”
“Background: 3.5 years in data/business analytics (BI analyst work - SQL, Power BI dashboards, stakeholder-facing analysis). MSBA. Trying to move into product management. Question: Just applied to Pinterest’s Apprenticeship program. Anyone gone through it or know someone who has? Curious about: •How technical vs. business-focused the actual work is •Whether an analytics background (vs. eng/design) is common among apprentices •What the interview process looks like Appreciate any insight!”
“Hi! I wanted to ask for some advice because I'm really confused about which degree to choose. Right now, I'm deciding between Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, and Software Engineering. The problem is that I genuinely find all three fields interesting, so I can't decide which one would be the better option. I've been researching each field, but the more I read, the more confused I get. For Cyber Security, I've heard that the job market isn't as large as software de”
“Hi everyone, I’m looking for career advice because I feel stuck and want to make the right move. I have 10 years of experience as a Fire Protection Design Engineer in the power plant industry, but I’ve always enjoyed coding and new technologies, so since 2023 I’ve been learning AI and programming, and I’m currently in my 3rd semester of an M.Tech in AI & ML from BITS Pilani. The challenge is that I have family and financial responsibilities, so I can’t afford a major pay cut, even though I u”
“My advice is to experiment more with AI before you decide. AI is going to be at the core of SWE for the future. I’m a staff engineer at a F500, and I haven’t wrote a line of code myself from scratch for at least a year thanks to AI. That being said, I know exactly what I want to build before I build it, which is an edge in the AI world. I know what exact code, frameworks, engines, etc, and just use AI as a means to paint the canvas after I’ve laid out the outline. If it were me, I’d be very wary”
“My OS class was terrible (I'm also terrible) and I have no idea what I'm doing. I at least want to try to learn enough to have a chance at getting an interview so I can experience getting shit on in real time by hot, highly skilled programmers and regret my life decisions up to this point this isn't a troll post I'm serious I need help most of my coursework was in C++ but other than that I have no clue submitted by /u/throwaway10015982 [link] [comments]”