AI Engineer
Build AI-powered products and features using LLMs, RAG, and modern AI frameworks.
AI Engineer
AI Engineers are the hottest new role in tech. They bridge the gap between foundation model capabilities and real product value. Unlike ML Engineers who build models from scratch, AI Engineers focus on integrating pre-trained LLMs into applications using techniques like RAG, fine-tuning, and agent architectures. The demand has exploded since 2023, and companies across every industry are hiring AI Engineers to build intelligent features into their products.
Skills
LinkedIn Optimization
- 1
Share AI product case studies and demos
- 2
Post about LLM evaluation and best practices
- 3
Highlight projects using OpenAI, Anthropic, or open-source models
- 4
Connect with AI/ML leaders and founders
- 5
Demonstrate both research awareness and production skills
CV & Resume
- 1
Quantify: "Built RAG system improving answer accuracy by 40%"
- 2
Detail LLM integration and fine-tuning experience
- 3
Show production AI features with user impact
- 4
Include evaluation frameworks and metrics
- 5
Highlight cost optimization for AI inference
Outreach Strategy
- 1
Research how they use AI in their product
- 2
Share insights on LLM best practices for their use case
- 3
Build a small demo relevant to their product
- 4
Connect with AI team members
- 5
Demonstrate understanding of responsible AI practices
Interview Prep
- 1
Prepare to discuss RAG architecture trade-offs
- 2
Review LLM evaluation metrics and hallucination mitigation
- 3
Show understanding of prompt engineering best practices
- 4
Have examples of production AI features you built
A day as AI Engineer
Prototype new AI features, evaluate LLM outputs, build and optimize RAG pipelines, fine-tune models for specific tasks, collaborate with product on AI UX, monitor AI feature quality and costs, stay current with rapidly evolving AI landscape.
Career Path
Common mistakes
Only showing research without production AI experience
Not demonstrating evaluation and quality metrics
Ignoring cost optimization for LLM usage
Not showing full-stack product building skills
Focusing only on one model provider
Essential tools
FAQ
Average salary for a AI Engineer?
The average salary for a AI Engineer in Europe ranges between 65K - 130K EUR. This varies by experience, location, and company type.
Key skills for a AI Engineer?
Main technical skills: LLMs, RAG, Prompt Engineering, Python, Vector Databases. Soft skills like communication and teamwork are equally important.
Career path for a AI Engineer?
Typical path: Software Engineer > AI Engineer > Senior AI Engineer > Staff AI Engineer > Head of AI > VP of AI.