My name is Siddharth Dubey, and I have been working as a Data analyst for more than 10 years now. I have been interested in learning Python and advanced analytics & Artificial intelligence for quite some time now and have been exploring multiple platforms that provide the learning opportunity. I am currently working as a Data Analytics Lead. My organization has showcased a keen interest in building expertise on Artificial Intelligence and supporting our clients in ML and AI decision-making.
The biggest professional challenge before joining the PGP-AIML Course was with my current organization putting up more and more emphasis on ML and AI and using it to support decision-making for our client. I felt more and more left behind with regards to the skillset. I felt I could not contribute effectively to the most happening vertical in our business.
I had been exploring multiple platforms for learning AI and ML techniques, but Great Learning came highly recommended within my organization. One of my ex-colleague had undertaken the course, and one of my current colleagues had already enrolled. So it was more listening to people who had done their homework around who was offering the best resource.
One of the major apprehensions was whether or not I would be able to give the time and focus required for weekend classes and how supportive the mentored learning sessions would be. But my mind was put to ease with a couple of sessions in the course. Both mentors and program managers were super helpful and understood the challenges faced by India battling COVID at the height of the second wave.
While you get to learn a lot with pre-recorded sessions, the real learning happens in mentoring sessions. With multiple industry experts taking these sessions, not only do they help resolve any query, the examples used are real-life and practical. This allows you to understand the challenges being faced in the industry and how to deal with them efficiently.
A lot depends on the learners as much as the mentors. As a learner, you have to be dedicated and prepared before the sessions. If a learner is unprepared, it would be challenging to understand the concepts and relate to the discussion happening during these sessions. That being said, the learning sessions are high quality, and the mentor comes with an agenda, and as a learner, it is our responsibility to question the agenda and drive it towards what we want to learn as well. The mentors are your real-world guides. They will provide you with a path to navigate the unknown world of AI & ML by giving directions based on learning and pitfalls from their journey. It is really important to listen actively and learn from their guidance.
For me, irrespective of which mentor’s session I joined, I was always greeted by an industry expert explaining the concepts with real-world industry examples.
Through the newly learned skill sets, I can now talk about these concepts with an understanding that was not there previously. I have always been someone who contributes only in areas where I know I can bring in expertise, and now, post this course, I do consider myself an expert.
It is easy to get swayed by too many options and too many learning paths. Choose one and stick to it. Things will get tough before they get interesting. We are moving to a world where AI is the need of the hour, and even if you do not use AI all the time in your job, learning the skillset is very important. So whatever path you decide to leverage, enjoy the concepts and listen to your mentors.
