Machine Learning Interviews: Kickstart Your Machine Learning and Data Career

by Susan Shu Chang

As tech products become more prevalent today, the demand for machine learning professionals continues to grow. But the responsibilities and skill sets required of ML professionals still vary drastically from company to company, making the interview process difficult to predict. In this guide, data science leader Susan Shu Chang shows you how to tackle the ML hiring process. Having served as principal data scientist in several companies, Chang has considerable experience as both ML interviewer and interviewee. She'll take you through the highly selective recruitment process by sharing hard-won lessons she learned along the way. You'll quickly understand how to successfully navigate your way through typical ML interviews. This guide shows you how

Genres: Artificial Intelligence

307 pages, Paperback

Published January 9, 2024

Reviews

[Martin Bravo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Machine Learning Interviews by Susan Shu Chang is not just a book—it’s a roadmap to success for anyone navigating the challenges of breaking into ML or data science roles.

As a CS student from Chile studying abroad in Sweden, I was determined to land a role in the competitive Swedish tech ecosystem. But as a bachelor’s student, I faced countless challenges: rejections, failed interviews, and doubts about whether I had what it took to succeed.

After a string of unsuccessful interviews, I stumbled upon this book, and it was a total game-changer. Susan’s advice on understanding different ML roles, preparing for technical and behavioral questions, and aligning skills with company needs gave me the structure and confidence I desperately needed.

Thanks to the strategies in this book, I landed a role at Hopsworks, a Swedish ML startup. The practical guidance on researching company needs, developing relevant skills, and leveraging connections helped me turn repeated failures into a life-changing opportunity.

This book isn’t just about interview prep—it’s about learning how to position yourself, grow your skills, and showcase your value in a way that resonates with employers. I can’t recommend it enough to anyone pursuing a career in ML or data science.

Thank you, Susan, for creating such an invaluable resource. It made a real difference in my life!

[Tianqi Zhao · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book introduced all the phases of Machine Learning (ML) interview in detail, including selecting the right role, tailoring resume to the job description, preparing for ML tech interview questions, practicing LeetCode problems, finishing and deploying ML projects, tackling behavioral questions, following up with the team as well as offer negotiation. The author Susan Shu Chang used her own experience, from entry-level to principal, to showcase how to succeed in the Artificial Intelligence job market.
As a reader, I was amazed by the sincerity of her attitude since she bluntly disclosed the difficulties she came across herself to encourage junior engineers. Another point that made me impressed was that she strengthened the importance of taking action for many times. The distance between dream and reality could never be shortened by imagination. So, let’s start today to land your dream job!

[Carlos Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! A very comprehensive walkthrough of all the fundamental areas of Machine Learning you'll need to study and practice both on and off the job. The example questions are spot on. The multi-month study plan sets you up for success.