How to start a machine learning career after 40

Changing careers

Many people assume retraining after 40 is an uphill battle. In fact studying machine learning opens a great many doors, whatever your age.

Learning and building skills

Online courses and self-study. Sites such as Coursera and Udemy offer plenty of machine learning courses. Start with the introductory ones to get the fundamentals down.

Webinars and workshops. These events help you build specific skills and keep up with where the industry is heading.

Building a portfolio

A portfolio matters: it is how you show your experience and skills in machine learning. Include the projects and studies you have completed. GitHub is an excellent place to publish your work.

Networking

Go to machine learning events and conferences, and take part in communities and forums such as Reddit or Stack Overflow. Networking is how you hear about openings and build useful connections.

Keep learning

The technology moves quickly, so keeping your knowledge current matters. Read articles, join webinars and take further courses.

Internships and your first experience

Do not be shy about looking for internships or entry-level positions. They are an excellent way to gain experience and get a foot in the door of a new field.

In closing

Starting a machine learning career after 40 is entirely possible. What it takes is the willingness to learn and keep growing. Online resources, courses, webinars and networking are your main allies on the way into a new career in tech.