As the AI landscape evolves, so do the roles in the industry. Yes, AI PROMPT Engineer is a legit role that fetches a 6 figure annual income. And, guess what… you don’t need a technical degree to be eligible for this skill.
As companies increasingly integrate AI into their workflows, the demand for skilled prompt engineers continues to soar. AI job listings, including prompt engineering positions, have surged 42% compared to their low point in December 2022. In fact, this story of a 38 year old is living proof that this role is legit.
Let’s dive into how to turn this emerging skill into a profitable career.
What is Prompt Engineering?
Prompt engineering is the skill of crafting precise instructions for AI models to generate desired outputs. Think of it as being a translator between human needs and AI capabilities. A good prompt engineer understands both the technical limitations of AI models and the client’s business needs and is sort of, a mediator between business needs and machines.
Why Is This Role In Demand?
With the rise of AI models, there is an exponential need to train these AI models.
- More training + Precise instructions/prompts to the models = More Desired Output
- More Desired Quality Output = More effective AI implementations
- More effective AI implementations = More cost reductions
This role will in turn save $$$ for the companies, at least at the onset of this AI revolution. Since the right prompt will produce the most optimum output.
Step 1: Hone these skills for ultimate Success
Start with the basics of AI!
Take it all in: Grasp knowledge of different AI models and their capabilities. Just stay updated on the recent AI news. This channel on LinkedIn is amazing.
- Familiarity with model limitations and workarounds is key
- Some of the basic free courses to understand AI models :
Practice Prompt Writing!
The idea is to hit that sweet spot where your prompt is not too long and fancy, but good enough that it gives all the necessary keywords for the AI to generate output.
Break down a complex task into simple instructions and you are good.
Check out our ultimate guide on how you can write a perfect prompt.
Here’s what you can do immediately :
- Check out the AI Prompting fundamentals course by Google.
- Make free AI Apps part of your routine: ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, Google imageFx, Perplexity… to name a few.
- Building Your Portfolio by collecting original prompts that work for you the best.
2. Getting hired
Check out the jobs on LinkedIn, google jobs and other freelance sites (Fiverr and UpWork)
- Freelance Services: Check out jobs that are part-time freelancing jobs to get some initial experience.
- You can work towards: Prompt optimization, custom prompt library creation, and training document development to start with.
- After gaining some experience and confidence looking into the possibility of digital products such as Prompt libraries, Training courses, and custom prompt development tools
Create visibility for your work and availability: Get the word out 🙂
- Update your LinkedIn profile
- Create your own free blog via Medium or WordPress
- Network in AI communities, attend free talks
Once you have that decent experience and know your way around this, it’s time to hit the job market for the title “AI prompt Engineer”. Give yourself 3-4 months to develop the skill first, though.
Prompt engineering is a significant opportunity for those willing to invest in developing their skills. As AI continues to transform industries, the demand for skilled prompt engineers will only grow. And this will pave the path for bigger opportunities in AI implementation at an enterprise level, Specialized industry applications or even becoming a KICKASS AI trainer :)! The possibilities are endless!
Start small, focus on quality, and gradually build your reputation. Remember that the field is still evolving, which means there’s plenty of room for innovation and specialization. The more you know, the more value you can provide.
At this stage, if you are ready to explore this career path, but not sure where to start, check out our article on how to write killer precise prompts.
A Beautiful World! 