Ep4: Machine Learning, Career Pivots, and Skydiving - Story of a Meta Sr Machine Learning Engineer

In this episode of the Data Neighbor Podcast, we sit down with Kartik Singhal (Senior Machine Learning Engineer at Meta) to explore his inspiring journey from a small town in India to working at some of the world’s top tech companies (Amazon, Google, and Meta). Kartik shares his struggles with insecurities, tips for building confidence, and the intentional decisions that shaped his career. You’ll hear how Kartik transitioned from software engineering to machine learning and the tough choices he made—like turning down a dream job at Google, turning down promotion opportunity and higher salary—and the framework he used to navigate career pivots. From building domain knowledge and leveraging his network to developing transferable skills, Kartik’s story is full of actionable insights for anyone looking to break into or advance in the tech field. This episode also dives into: - Why networking and persistence are critical to success. - How to make intentional career decisions that align with your long-term goals. Whether you’re starting out in software engineering, machine learning, or considering a career pivot, this conversation will leave you feeling inspired and equipped to tackle your next steps. Connect with Kartik: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kartiks93/ Connect with Hai, Sravya, and Shane Hai: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hai-guan-6b58a7a Sravya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sravyamadipalli Shane: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaneausleybutler If you need personalized advice in your data career, send us a message on LinkedIn or post a comment below.