Intern / New Graduate → AI Engineer

Intern to AI Engineer Learning Path

The complete roadmap from intern or new graduate to AI engineer. This path is designed for those just starting their tech careers, whether you're a current intern, recent CS graduate, or transitioning from another field with minimal experience. The focus is on building strong fundamentals before specializing. Don't rush. Your first year is about learning deeply, not moving fast. Expect 6-12 months to reach entry-level AI engineer status, with opportunities at startups and growing companies paying $80k-$140k+.

6-12 months

Difficulty: Beginner

Prerequisites

Currently an intern, recent graduate, or early-career professional
Basic programming exposure (any language, even from coursework)
Curiosity about AI and willingness to learn
10-15 hours per week for dedicated learning
Patience, your career is a marathon, not a sprint

Your Learning Path

Programming Foundations: Master One Language

6-8 weeks

Skills You'll Build

Python syntax and core data typesControl flow (if/else, loops, functions)Debugging techniques and reading error messagesCommand line basicsGit version control (commit, push, pull, branch)

Python for Data & APIs

4-6 weeks

Skills You'll Build

Working with JSON and file I/OMaking HTTP requests with requests libraryList comprehensions and generatorsVirtual environments and pipBasic pandas for data manipulation

Understanding How AI Works

4-5 weeks

Skills You'll Build

Machine learning concepts (conceptual, not math-heavy)How LLMs work (tokens, context, attention simplified)Prompt engineering fundamentalsUnderstanding model capabilities and limitationsAI ethics and responsible development

Your First LLM API Integration

4-5 weeks

Skills You'll Build

OpenAI API basicsClaude API basicsHandling API responses and errorsStreaming responsesManaging API keys securely

Building Your First AI Application

5-6 weeks

Skills You'll Build

Building a complete chatbot applicationBasic web framework (FastAPI or Flask)Connecting frontend to AI backendHandling user input safelyDeploying a simple application

RAG Fundamentals

4-5 weeks

Skills You'll Build

What embeddings are and why they matterSetting up a vector database (Chroma, Pinecone, or pgvector)Basic text chunkingBuilding a simple document Q&A systemEvaluating retrieval quality

Portfolio Projects That Get Noticed

5-6 weeks

Skills You'll Build

Building 2-3 showcase AI projectsWriting clear project READMEsSetting up a GitHub portfolioDocumenting your learning journeyCreating a personal website or blog

Landing Your First AI Role

4-6 weeks

Skills You'll Build

Tailoring resume for AI positionsAI interview preparationTechnical communication skillsTalking about projects confidentlyNegotiating your first offer

Intern to AI Engineer Learning Path

Prerequisites

Your Learning Path

Programming Foundations: Master One Language

Python for Data & APIs

🎁 The AI Engineer Starter Kit

Understanding How AI Works

Your First LLM API Integration

Building Your First AI Application

RAG Fundamentals

Portfolio Projects That Get Noticed

Landing Your First AI Role

🎁 The AI Engineer Starter Kit

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