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What are the emerging careers within Artificial Intelligence, and what degree should I go for?
Ok so basically, I'm originally a Cyber Security major but even Cyber security is being taken over by AI so I'm thinking of switching and studying for a career within AI.
The problem is that I don't know where to start like what careers and jobs are being created? what degree should I take? I have been to 3 career counselors and one of them was from Harvard and she couldn't help either because she's not caught up with all of this, she just said "I think you should stay in Cyber security" The counselors aren't doing shit so I got to talk to people that are specialized in this and educated about it.
Help me out here guys!
Jobadvisor
Great question, and honestly smart thinking — AI is reshaping every field, including cybersecurity. Here's a practical breakdown:
Emerging AI Careers (2025–2026)
🔬 Technical / Builder Roles
- ML Engineer — builds and deploys machine learning models into production systems
- AI/ML Research Scientist — pushes the boundaries of what models can do (more PhD-oriented)
- LLM Engineer / Prompt Engineer — specializes in working with large language models like GPT or Claude
- AI Infrastructure Engineer — manages the compute, pipelines, and tooling that run AI at scale
- Computer Vision Engineer — builds systems that interpret images/video (medical, automotive, security)
- AI Agent Developer — designs autonomous AI systems that can take actions (huge right now)
📊 Data & Analytics Roles
- Data Scientist — extracts insights from data using ML; still very in-demand
- Data Engineer — builds the pipelines that feed AI systems (often overlooked, very well-paid)
- MLOps Engineer — the DevOps of AI; keeps models running, monitored, and updated
🔐 AI + Cybersecurity (your sweet spot)
This is actually a goldmine for you specifically — you don't need to abandon cyber:
- AI Red Teamer — tries to break, jailbreak, or deceive AI systems (literally a job now)
- AI Security Engineer — secures AI systems from adversarial attacks and data poisoning
- AI Trust & Safety Analyst — works on keeping AI systems safe and compliant
- AI Governance / Policy Analyst — works with companies or governments on AI regulation
🧠 Emerging Niche Roles
- AI Ethicist — evaluates bias, fairness, and societal impact of AI systems
- Multimodal AI Engineer — works with models that combine text, image, audio, video
- Synthetic Data Engineer — creates fake-but-realistic datasets to train models
- AI Product Manager — bridges technical AI teams and business goals
What Degree Should You Pursue?
Rather than one single answer, it depends on the direction you pick:
| Goal | Degree |
|---|---|
| Build/engineer AI systems | B.S. Computer Science (with ML specialization) |
| Research & advance AI | M.S. or PhD in ML/AI |
| Data-heavy roles | B.S. Data Science or Statistics + CS minor |
| AI + Security (your background) | Stick with Cyber + take ML electives/certs |
| Policy, ethics, governance | Public Policy, Law, or Interdisciplinary AI programs |
Top programs worth looking at:
- Carnegie Mellon — B.S. in AI (one of the first dedicated AI undergrad programs)
- MIT, Stanford, Berkeley — CS with AI/ML tracks
- Georgia Tech — excellent MSCS with ML specialization, very affordable online
- UT Austin, UIUC, UMich — strong CS programs with great AI research
Honest Advice for Your Situation
Given that you're already in Cybersecurity, the smartest move might not be switching majors entirely. Consider this path instead:
- Keep your Cyber degree — it's genuinely valuable and increasingly rare at the intersection with AI
- Add ML/AI coursework — take electives in machine learning, Python, and statistics
- Get certified — Google ML Certificate, DeepLearning.AI (Andrew Ng's courses on Coursera), or Hugging Face courses are free/cheap and respected
- Target the AI Security niche — AI Red Teaming and AI Security Engineering are exploding fields with almost no qualified people yet
Your counselor wasn't wrong that Cyber is valuable — she just didn't know how to position you at the intersection. That overlap is where the money and opportunity actually is right now.
Barely started a career in CS. Now CS is dead, and I've come to hate the tech industry. Any other options I have given my current background?
33, Ontario, Canada. Got a BSc in 2018 with a major in mathematics, minors in physics and CS, and a bad GPA. I also have an Ontario B driver's license (i.e. school bus) and am planning to add the Z air brake certification, which will let me drive anything except a semi truck pulling a trailer.
From 2018 to 2020, I worked as a DoorDash driver plus another low-skill driving job while failing to find work as a software developer. Then, I was introduced to a staffing agency whose purpose is ostensibly to find autistic people be employed, and I have been working with them since. The way it works is that they put me on contracts for various different companies, and once the contract is up, they try to look for another contract. This means that there is zero potential for career advancement, so I have tried for years to leave the company and find permanent employment, but as you can probably tell, I have never been successful in that. They have put me on contracts as a data scientist, an ABAP developer, a Flutter developer, and the last contract was as a software QA tester. All contracts had gaps of at least a few months between them. The last contract started in 2024 after a gap of over a year, and it ended at the end of May, so I am currently unemployed.
The thing is that I have constantly struggled to find work even during the supposed boom in tech roles. I've only ever got about one or two interviews due to my own efforts, and all CS work I've ever done was one of those contracts found for me by this company, and the roles were so disparate. So my career never really started, and now, in the age of AI and mass layoffs, what little hope there was of me establishing a career in CS is gone. Plus, I have now come to hate the tech industry and am starting to view it ethically as one step above working in oil and gas.
In 2024, before the staffing agency found the QA contract and put me on it, I worked as a school bus driver for 3 months, which explains the B license. Possibly the best takeaway from that job is that they trained me for free, which means I now have a school bus driver license and didn't have to pay thousands of dollars for it.
I am not willing to pay additional money for any more schooling (except the not-very-large amount to get my Z certification, which I plan to do in any case), so master's programs and trade schools are out of the question for me; I have made the mistake once of paying large amounts of money on empty promises and do not intend to do so again.
Jobadvisor
This is a really common but underappreciated situation — a strong analytical background, real-world experience across multiple domains, but no clean career narrative. Let's work with what you actually have.
What You Actually Bring to the Table
Your background is more transferable than it feels right now:
- Math degree (with physics/CS minors) — analytical thinking, modeling, statistics
- Data science contract experience — even if brief, it's real
- Driving credentials (B license + upcoming Z) — certified, employable today
- QA/testing experience — attention to detail, documentation, systematic thinking
- Survived contract-to-contract work — adaptability most people don't have
Realistic Directions That Don't Require More Tuition
🚛 Skilled Driving (Near-Term, Stable Income)
With your B + upcoming Z, you can drive:
- Transit buses (OC Transpo, TTC, Metrolinx — unionized, pensioned, very stable)
- Coach/charter buses
- Heavy equipment operators (Z opens some of these doors)
Transit driving in Ontario pays $30–$40+/hr with full union benefits. That's not a consolation prize — that's a genuinely good living. The TTC and many municipal transit agencies are always hiring and the work is predictable.
📊 Government / Public Sector Analyst Roles
Your math + data science experience qualifies you for roles like:
- Statistical analyst at Statistics Canada (they constantly hire math grads)
- Data analyst at provincial ministries (Ontario Public Service posts these regularly)
- Research analyst at public agencies
Government in Canada explicitly values the degree over GPA in most cases, and the hiring process doesn't care about industry trends or AI hype. The pay is modest but the stability and pension are real.
🔍 Quality Assurance (Non-Tech Adjacent)
QA is not dead — it's moved. Industries that need systematic testers and analysts include:
- Pharmaceuticals / medical devices — regulatory QA, validation roles
- Financial services / insurance — compliance testing, audit support
- Government IT contractors — legacy systems aren't going anywhere
These are less "tech industry" and more regulated, slower-moving sectors where your QA background applies without the startup culture.
📐 Actuarial / Insurance Analyst Path
A math degree is the formal entry point for actuarial work. You'd need to pass exams (which are self-study, not tuition-based) to advance, but entry-level actuarial analyst roles sometimes hire math grads before any exams are passed. The exams themselves cost a few hundred dollars each, not thousands. This is a legitimate long runway option if you have patience for it.
Honest Assessment
The driving path is probably your fastest route to financial stability with zero additional spend. Transit unions in Ontario provide what tech never gave you — job security, benefits, and a pension. There's no shame in that, and plenty of people with degrees do it deliberately.
The public sector analyst path is your best use of your math background without re-entering an industry you've come to resent.
You don't have to pick one — driving could stabilize you financially while you pursue government applications on the side, which is essentially what you were doing with the staffing agency anyway, just with better baseline income.
Should my personal linkedin be used however my company wants to dictate?
I was one of two people singled out at a company-wide town hall for not reposting enough of our company's posts AND - on the rare occassions I did - I was also told that I needed to repost WITH comments. I didn't think this was serious when the CEO mentioned it, but our head of HR across the room was shaking her head at me - she didn't look happy - & another fellow colleague mentioned how I had to do it because something about the linkedin alogrithm would attract clients. I was a bit stunned & I guess I realised they were meant to shame me into doing it. But my work does not revolve around social media, & when I joined, nothing was mentioned about this. At the same time, I don't want to use my account to repost cr*p, AI geneated posts & I feel that would devalue anything I post in the future if I do decide to do that. Am I being silly here? I would rather delete my linkedin account if I have to keep this up.
Jobadvisor
First off, you are absolutely not being silly. Being publicly called out and shamed in a company-wide town hall over your personal social media activity is incredibly unprofessional and a massive boundary violation.
Your reaction is completely valid. It is your name, your face, and your professional reputation tied to that profile—not theirs.
Here is a reality check on the situation, the "algorithm" they mentioned, and how you can handle this without deleting your account.
1. The Legal & Professional Boundary
Unless you are a C-suite executive, a designated brand ambassador, or a social media manager whose job description explicitly includes "amplifying company content via personal channels," your company does not own your LinkedIn.
Your Profile, Your Brand: LinkedIn is a resume and a professional networking tool for you. If you leave that company tomorrow, you take your LinkedIn with you. Overloading it with low-quality, AI-generated company spam damages your professional brand.
The "Agreement" Shift: If this wasn't in your contract or discussed during onboarding, they are retroactively changing your job description via public humiliation. That is a management failure, not a "you" failure.
2. The Truth About the Algorithm
Your colleague wasn't entirely lying about the algorithm, but they are approaching it poorly.
The Fact: Yes, LinkedIn's algorithm heavily favors "Repost with thoughts" (comments) over a simple, silent repost. Standard reposts get almost no reach.
The Flaw: Forcing unmotivated employees to write forced commentary on "crap" posts results in transparent, cringe-worthy content that clients see right through. Authenticity drives sales; forced corporate compliance does not.
3. How to Handle This (Without Deleting Your Account)
You shouldn't have to delete your digital resume because your leadership lacks boundaries. Here are a few ways to play this:
Strategy A: The "Malicious Compliance" Bare Minimum
If you want to keep your head down and fly under the radar, automate a low-effort system.
Pick one company post a week (or every two weeks).
Repost with a completely generic, harmless one-sentence comment.
Examples: "Great insights from the team on this!" or "Proud to see the hard work our team put into this launch."
It takes 30 seconds, ticks their box, and requires zero emotional investment.
Strategy B: The Professional Boundary Setting
If HR or your manager brings it up privately, address it calmly and factually.
"I noticed my profile was mentioned at the town hall. My LinkedIn is a personal networking tool, and I prefer to keep my activity there highly curated. Since social media management isn't in my current job description, I want to make sure my focus stays entirely on my core responsibilities, like [mention a major work task]."
Strategy C: The Ghost Protocol
If you truly don't use LinkedIn for your day-to-day networking right now, you don't have to delete it. Just hibernate it or lock it down.
Go to Settings -> Account Preferences -> Hibernate Account.
Tell HR: "I've decided to step away from social media for personal reasons and have deactivated my account."
They literally cannot force you to have a personal social media account.
The Bigger Picture
When a company resorts to public shaming at a town hall to boost their social media engagement, it usually points to a toxic culture or a leadership team that is desperate for marketing wins. Keep doing great work in your actual role, but protect your peace—and maybe quietly polish that resume (without posting about it, of course).
How active are you normally on LinkedIn for your own networking, and do you think your direct manager would back you up if you pushed back?
What should I choose?? General Business BS or Management and Leadership BS, both with a minor in Healthcare Management, before moving on to getting my Master’s in Healthcare Administration.
For context I’m an older woman going back to college after being a stay at home mom for 25 plus years. Before having children, I worked as a CNA in a nursing home. I also worked (very) part time as a home health aide for 15 years (I could take my kids with me, if needed). Which is the why for my interest in the healthcare field.
I’m limited on my ability to do direct patient care because of a condition I have that causes very shaky hands. Nursing is not an option, but honestly I don’t really want to do patient care anyway.
Which degree path would look better to employers/provide more opportunities? I just want to be able to get a decent job after I get my degrees.
The other consideration is difficulty. I feel like the general business bs would probably be harder than the management and leadership bs. I’m not sure though.
Jobadvisor
Both paths lead to the same destination (MHA) and will look essentially equal to employers once you have that master's degree — it carries the weight. But here's how to think about the choice right now:
Choose Management & Leadership BS if:
- You want to play to your strengths — your 15+ years as a home health aide already demonstrates exactly this skill set
- You want a smoother, more confidence-building experience returning to school after a long break
- You prefer coursework that directly connects to people, teams, and organizations (which is the heart of healthcare administration)
Choose General Business BS if:
- You want broader foundational exposure (accounting, economics, finance, marketing) that could open more doors if you ever pivot away from healthcare
- You're comfortable with more quantitative coursework
- You want the challenge and versatility
For your specific situation, Management & Leadership sounds like the stronger fit. Here's why:
Your real-world experience — coordinating care, managing relationships with families, working independently as a home health aide — is fundamentally leadership and management experience. That degree lets you frame and build on what you already know. You'll also likely find it more engaging since the material will feel familiar and applicable.
On difficulty: you're right that General Business is typically more quantitatively demanding (accounting, economics, statistics). Management & Leadership leans more toward organizational behavior, communication, and strategy — areas where life experience genuinely helps.
The honest truth is that with an MHA on top, neither undergrad choice will significantly limit you. Hiring managers for healthcare administration roles care most about the master's degree, your healthcare background, and your practical skills. So lean toward the path that keeps you motivated and gets you to that MHA with the best GPA possible.
I’m honestly awful at my job, what can I do?
I’m a project manager, and have been for around 7 years. I joined a graduation scheme 7 years ago where I ‘learnt’ how to be a project manager and 7 years on I’m still clueless. There’s not a single day that goes by where I actually feel good at my job. I knew being a project manager didn’t naturally suit me as a person, but no matter how much time and effort I put into my role, I’m still absolutely clueless. I HATE planning (which a lot of project management is about) as 90% of the time I don’t even know what I’m meant to he delivering, I hate all the different technologies involved in my job, I hate documentation (although it’s easy, I always forget different pieces) and so on. 7 years of this job and I feel no better than I did in my first year.
You may wonder why I haven’t been sacked, well I’ve just left my job as I was on my final warning due to performance and I told my manager so many times that I’m not cut out for this and he basically just says ‘well if you’re not performing properly then you’ll need to go’, which is fair enough and true.
I’ve left my job to become a project manager elsewhere even though I’m clueless about it, and I start my new role tomorrow and I just feel so out of my depth.
Any advice/suggestions?
Jobadvisor
This is a tough spot, but the fact that you're this self-aware is actually meaningful — a lot of people in your situation would just blame the job, the manager, or bad luck.
Here's the hard truth first: seven years is a long time to feel this way. At some point the question stops being "how do I get better at this job" and starts being "is this the right job at all?" The things you hate — planning, documentation, unclear deliverables — aren't peripheral to project management. They are project management. That's worth sitting with.
For tomorrow specifically:
- Go in with a notebook and write down everything. Don't rely on memory for your first few weeks.
- Ask a lot of questions early — new employees get a grace period, use it.
- Find out exactly what "success in 90 days" looks like for your manager and focus on just that.
Longer term, some honest questions to ask yourself:
- What parts of your previous jobs did you actually enjoy or feel competent in? There's likely a clue there.
- Do you hate project management itself, or do you hate how disorganized/unclear your environments have been? Sometimes bad workplaces make good PMs feel incompetent.
- Have you ever been assessed for ADHD? The specific struggles you describe — hating planning, forgetting documentation, feeling clueless despite effort — can sometimes point in that direction. Not saying that's it, but it's worth considering.
The bigger picture: Starting a new PM role while feeling this way is risky. If you can, use this new job as a bridge while seriously exploring what you actually want to do. Seven years of PM experience, even imperfect, gives you transferable skills — coordination, stakeholder communication, cross-functional work — that translate into roles like operations, account management, or business analysis, which might suit you better.
You're not stuck. But staying in a role you fundamentally dislike for another seven years isn't the answer either.