Career Opportunities in Signal Processing and Machine Learning

In summary, the conversation discusses the potential career opportunities in the fields of signal processing and machine learning. The individual has a bachelor's degree in electrical and electronic engineering and is considering further education in one of these fields. They express a preference for technical roles and mention potential areas of overlap between machine learning and signal processing, such as image and audio processing. However, they have found it difficult to find job openings in this field and are unsure about the availability of jobs in industry for machine learners. Other participants in the conversation suggest looking at job postings on ACM and IEEE and mention potential industries that may require these skills, such as audio, camera, and computer card companies. They also mention that a PhD may be required for certain positions in data mining and
  • #1
euoi
2
0
Hi all,
I'm considering doing a masters in either signal processing or machine learning. I have a bachelor's in electrical and electronic engineering, and have a bit of experience (internships mostly) in both industry and research. I was wondering if there are a lot of career opportunities when it comes to either of these two fields?

From my limited experience, I have found that I really dislike paper-pushing and administrative/managerial jobs.. I'd really prefer something technical where I actually utilize what I've learnt. I was thinking of going into image or audio processing, where there's some overlap between machine learning and signal processing. However, I've been hard-pressed to find people in this field. Are the jobs rare?

Also, I have heard from some that machine learning jobs are mostly in academia. Are there any openings for machine learners in industry?

Would really appreciate any input you have. Thanks in advance!
 
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  • #2


euoi said:
I was thinking of going into image or audio processing, where there's some overlap between machine learning and signal processing. However, I've been hard-pressed to find people in this field. Are the jobs rare?
Also, I have heard from some that machine learning jobs are mostly in academia. Are there any openings for machine learners in industry?
Check ACM and IEEE and then extrapolate from what they offer to figure out which industries you should be looking at. Try the careers sections of any major audio company (Bose, Dolby, etc), camera company (Panasonic, Sony, etc.), and computer card company (Nividia, Soundblaster, etc.) I don't know where you're at; location could be playing a factor in the lack of jobs you're seeing.

http://jobs.acm.org/c/search_results.cfm?site_id=1603&max=25&keywords=signal+processing&search=Search but a few of them look like jobs where there would be other positions at the company for people with the same skills.

Experience in AI and machine learning is considered a plus for the financial industry, but I don't think much of it is applied. You may also want to look at search engines, data mining companies, and pretty much anyone else how you think may deal with large swarms of data they want to make sense of.
 
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  • #3


I have looked at countless job postings and PhD programs related to DSP and computational statistics.

Like story645 said, machine learning (AI, data mining, computational statistics) will get you into the financial area (get ready to live in NYC and be "treated like a slave"), although you will also probably need to come from an ivy league school for those jobs and a lot of time they want a PhD in something technical or an MS in Financial Engineering. Hard core data mining/statistics are used a lot at biopharmaceutical companies -- you'll need a PhD for those jobs though. Also, like you said, academia will gladly take you. Oh, and if you can get a clearance (assuming you're US), the DOD likes to mine for data. Mostly PhD jobs!

Going the DSP route will definitely offer more MS opportunities, and, as computing power increases, we will find it more feasible to implement complex computational statistics algorithms in firmware. Although there will always be a need to be able to implement efficient DSP on tiny devices, because Moore's law will eventually put a processor in even the most worthless piece of trash.

As an aside, here is an image I created last summer from scraping the returns for the search "DSP" from a popular job site:

http://www.neergmas.com/files/images/jobMap/DSP.png

You can kind of see where you're probably going to live. My code is gone now :( or I would make another for "machine+learning". Spend some more time on Monster. Good luck!
 
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  • #4


@story645
Thanks a lot! Was unaware that IEEE and ACM even had career pages. A lot of embedded software stuff.

@neergmas
Thanks for your input. Hmm, seems that if I want to do machine learning, I should go all the way and get a PhD.
Cool visual :-)

Seems like I have a lot of thinking to do. Thanks all. Really appreciate it.
 

What is signal processing and machine learning?

Signal processing is the study of how to extract useful information from signals, which can be any form of data that conveys information such as images, audio, or sensor readings. Machine learning is a subset of artificial intelligence that focuses on algorithms and statistical models to allow computers to learn from data and make predictions or decisions without being explicitly programmed.

What are the career opportunities in signal processing and machine learning?

Career opportunities in signal processing and machine learning are vast and rapidly growing. Some common job titles in this field include data scientist, machine learning engineer, signal processing engineer, artificial intelligence researcher, and data analyst. These professionals work in a variety of industries, including healthcare, finance, technology, and defense.

What skills are needed for a career in signal processing and machine learning?

A career in signal processing and machine learning typically requires a strong background in mathematics, statistics, and programming. You should also have strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills, as well as the ability to work with large datasets and analyze complex algorithms. Knowledge of specific programming languages, such as Python or R, and experience with machine learning frameworks, such as TensorFlow or PyTorch, are also beneficial.

What education is needed for a career in signal processing and machine learning?

Most careers in signal processing and machine learning require at least a bachelor's degree in a related field, such as computer science, mathematics, or engineering. However, many professionals in this field also have advanced degrees, such as a master's or Ph.D., to further specialize and advance in their careers. Additionally, continuous learning and staying up-to-date with new technologies and techniques are essential for success in this field.

What are the current advancements and future potential in signal processing and machine learning?

Signal processing and machine learning are constantly evolving and advancing. With the increasing availability of big data and advancements in technology, the potential for these fields is vast. Some current and potential future applications include medical imaging and diagnostics, speech and language recognition, autonomous vehicles, and predictive maintenance in various industries. As technology continues to advance, the potential for new and exciting developments in signal processing and machine learning is limitless.

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