106: The Journey of a Working Professional Pursuing a Degree in AI

OPEN Tech Talks: Technology worth Talking| Artificial Intelligence |Tools & Tips

In today's rapidly evolving corporate landscape, continual learning and upskilling have become crucial for career advancement. Various educational options are available to professionals, each offering unique benefits, from corporate organizations to opting for MOOCs or having formal degree programs. The debate between colleagues and friends often refers to two main paths: a formal degree versus hands-on experience. In this Podcast, I will cover higher degrees during a professional career and how I decided to go for it.

Finally, after a break of six months due to my university dissertation, I am back to writing blogs and podcasts.

• What is happening in the corporate world concerning degree programs while working?
• Why is upskilling essential?
• What are the options available? Or how usually it is being considered.

Choosing Your Path:

The decision to pursue higher education can be complex, with common considerations such as MBA programs versus technical degrees. This dilemma often feels like a roller coaster ride, requiring much thought and time, and the same thing I was going through while contemplating this.

My journey toward earning an MSc in AI started in late 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. While working on several emerging technologies initiatives with many customers, I explored online courses on platforms like edx.org, coursera.org, and LinkedIn learning.

While these courses provided valuable information, I wanted to get deeper into the basics and build upon them. It depends on your personality and, historically, how you take up any new topic or subject to develop your knowledge of it.

After numerous discussions with friends, colleagues, and former managers, it became clear that my aspirations needed to align with what I was targeting or aiming for. I had to spend considerable time deciding whether to pursue an MBA or a tech-focused degree. I concluded that I envisioned a two-step progression: first, to follow the latest technical degree, which equips me with the latest tech, and then to supplement it with management courses.

The Decision to Pursue AI:

Given my involvement in numerous emerging tech projects, my interest naturally gravitated toward data science and AI degree programs. The question then became, where to enroll? Back in 2020, there were fewer options than there are today.

After extensive research, I decided not to go to US universities due to time zone differences and targeted UK universities. While the selection of universities was essential, and the considerations included the fee structure, overall university ranking, job placement record, course structure, and location.

The Online Learning Experience:

The pandemic has exponentially increased the demand for online courses and degrees. As an online student of an AI MSc program, I've been introduced to a new learning methodology that differs from traditional face-to-face instruction.

The primary challenge of online learning is maintaining self-discipline. With it, staying on track with the courses and completing them is challenging. Furthermore, studying in-depth and grasping the material beyond just checking off completion boxes is essential and needs to be paramount in the study approach.

Balancing Professional and Personal Life:

It's complicated, and the journey of juggling a professional career, pursuing a higher degree, and maintaining a personal life was no less than walking a tightrope. The constant switch between work, studies, and family responsibilities was often overwhelming, and there were countless moments when I felt like dropping out of the university program.

Despite the challenges, what kept me going was the unwavering support of my wife. Despite the up and downs, She often reminded me of why I started this journey in the first place and now need to keep an eye on it rather than focusing on something else.

In this ride, I've learned that pursuing a higher degree while working full-time and managing family responsibilities is incredibly challenging. However, with the right support system and a clear vision of the end goal, it is indeed possible.

And learning, growth, and career advancement reward the trip worthwhile.

You'll Learn the following:

The journey to pursuing a higher degree while working:

• Why go for the formal university route
• Why upskilling is important
• How did I start it, and what were the considerations that can help you decide for yourself?

Resources:

• University of Bath
• Edx.org https://www.edx.org
• Coursera.org https://www.coursera.org
• Linkedin Learning https://www.linkedin.com/learning/
• MOOC.org

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