I pivoted my tech career to focus on AI. Now I make $6,400 a week — but I care more about staying relevant than the money.

• Convinced that AI is the future, Mostofa Adib Shakib has swiveled his career towards AI skills.

• He chooses not to work in a traditional technological work, so he has more flexibility to develop new skills.

• He has created projects to develop agencies’ skills and now earns $ 6,400 per week as an AI entrepreneur.

This so racy test is based on a transcribed conversation with Mostofa Adib Shakib, 28, an Iowa software engineer, on pivoting his career to focus on creating AI skills. The following has been modified for duration and clarity.

My goal has always been to be like Elon Musk And bet on myself.

I grew up in Dacca, Bangladesh, and I moved to the United States in 2017 for my first cycle. After obtaining my diploma, I worked as a software engineerFirst at Snap Inc. then to Ziprecruit.

When Chatgpt came out, I realized that the world was changing and I wanted to increase the AI. Thus, in 2024, I left the traditional software engineering on which to concentrate myself Build IA skills. Now, I work as an entrepreneur for an AI -focused company and I have more free time to develop this set of skills.

To remain relevant, people should be lifelong learners and not be afraid of what’s going on in the world. We have to kiss change and Try to put yourself.

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Starting my career at Snap Inc. was a phenomenal experience

During my four years of study in Texas Tech, I obtained two baccalaureate, computer and mathematics diplomas, with a minor in electrical engineering. I graduated in 2021.

Then I won my first full time software engineering work At Snap Inc., from June 2021. My base salary was $ 125,000, and I was also paid in bonuses and stock. I worked in the Snapchat messaging team, which was part of the company. Everyone I knew was really intelligent and kind. There were great advantages at that time, like a meal card To buy food every week.

In December 2022, I started a new job at Ziprecruter, winning $ 145,000 in basic salary plus a bonus and share purchase options. I wanted an experience in a small team where I had more opportunities from zero to one – a chance to completely build things from zero.

I left traditional software engineering and I started to earn a lot more money in AI

When Chatgpt was first released In November 2022, I knew that the world was going to go to AI.

My goals have always been to maximize the learning and strengthening skills that I can take advantage of later. I felt more AI skills would be a good strategy for my future, because Agentic The skills are more niche and emerging compared to the mobile application work.

My visa situation was the biggest obstacle to rotate my career goal. I worked at Snapchat and ziprecruit on a type of student work authorization called optional practical training, but he expired in July 2024, so I had to stop working at Ziprecruit.

With the help of lawyers, I asked for a flexible type of visa, an O-1 based on agents for “extraordinary” talents. Rather than being linked to an employer, as I would be on the alternative H-1B employment visaLawyers organized a company to act as my “agent”, sponsoring my request in such a way that I could work for several companies or become an entrepreneur.

I received the O-1 in September. Without the same visa concerns that I had before, I decided that it was the right time to focus on creating AI skills, instead of working for another technological business.

I had a solid base in the knowledge of AI. I had done a lot of research on AI in the past, and my math lessons in college were linked to AI. But I lacked in -depth knowledge of how the LLMs are built and their limits. I learned more using books, videos and research items. I decided to create software projects to help me develop agencies skills, such as a tool that uses AI to help Bangladesh professionals optimize their curriculum vitae.

I do not necessarily trust these income projects. My income these days come mainly from the council and an entrepreneurial role that I started in February with Mercor, a recruitment startup focused on AI.

I am contracted with them full -time as a software engineer working on their AI products. I had won $ 6,200 per week since February, but I recently received an increase of $ 6,400 per week. It’s more than what I earned every week at Ziprecruit. It feels good to do more, but money has never really been my goal. I am more enthusiastic about the company and I work with extremely talented people.

I don’t see myself working for a business right now

Being a full -time employee in a company is stable and offers great advantages, but in my role as an entrepreneur, I can spread my hours as I wish.

If I was still employed in a company in a non-a role, I could build IA skills On weekends, but I would only take 10 to 20 hours per week of learning. In theory, I could have tried to join an AI company then, but I would always have the same skills, focused on mobile development. I wanted to increase and arrive where I wanted to be, increase my lever effect in the future.

I really think AI is the future. It is similar to big changes such as the introduction of the PC and the Internet, but we are at the start of this change, so many opportunities are to be won. I think I do the right bet to focus on these opportunities before the market is really crowded.

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