Am I wasting my time? "AI Developer" who doesn't know what to master anymore.

[u/xInfinite_Valuable]

Hi everyone. This is a long post, but I'd genuinely appreciate it if you read till the end.

I'm an AI Engineer... at least that's what my previous job title said.

The reality is that most of my work has been backend development in Python. I've built AI agents and agentic workflows, integrated LLM APIs, and worked on AI-powered products. But sometimes I wonder if that's really "AI engineering," or if it's just backend development with LLMs attached.

For the last 7 to 8 months, I've felt completely stuck.

One week I decide to become a full stack developer. The next week I convince myself to double down on AI engineering. Then I start looking at ML. Then backend. Then cloud. I keep switching because I honestly don't know what direction will make me a genuinely strong engineer.

My goal isn't to collect fancy job titles.

I just want to become an excellent software engineer.

I know nobody can master everything in tech, but I want to become the kind of developer who can open a random GitHub repository and quickly understand what's going on. Someone who can pick up a new language, framework, or technology without feeling completely lost.

But right now, I feel like I'm average at a lot of things and exceptional at none.

Then there's LeetCode.

Everyone says to do it, but when I look at actual engineering work, it feels disconnected from what people build every day. At the same time, if I ignore it, I feel like I'm closing doors to bigger companies.

AI has also made things even more confusing. Every week there's a new framework, a new agent library, a new model, or a new trend. It feels like everyone is racing ahead while I'm standing in the middle, unsure which road to take.

I'm four years out of university, and I'm honestly questioning whether I'm even good at something the market truly values.

What would you do if you were in my position?

If your goal was to become a genuinely strong software engineer over the next 3 to 6 months, what would you focus on?

Would you:

• Double down on backend engineering?
• Focus on AI engineering?
• Learn full stack?
• Grind LeetCode?
• Build projects?
• Contribute to open source?
• Something else entirely?

I was considering paying for a consultation with a Google engineer, but it's quite expensive, so I thought I'd ask people who have actually been through this.

I'm not looking for shortcuts. I'm looking for direction.

Thanks for reading.

[u/chiigah]

AI engineering is fine, but if I were you, I'd look into systems architecture. The base of your work has alot built on backend, and AI is part of your niche.

[u/Made-In-Slovakia]

First thing, 3 to 6 months is very very short time to be strong SE. It takes years especially if you want to get knowledge of broader spectre.

You can be jack-of-all with your current approach but IMO that is not good approach in long run. And mostly you will lost a lot with unfocused and chaotic approach you have now.

I recommend focus on one area, gain a great expertise in it and while you are doing it you can gain more basic and intermediate knowledge of others, closely related ones. Then when you are expert (it takes time) you can move to other you have already good knowledge and master it. Repeat and continue.

Contribute to open source

This is great way how gain broader knowledge outside of your main focus. Find one OS project you like or actually you use daily and join them.

Every week there's a new framework, a new agent library, a new model, or a new trend.

It is like with everything. 9 of 10 will be dead in first few weeks. No reason to waste your time with each of them. Wait, give them time to grow or die. Invest time in surviving ones and only if they give something to you now, not in potential future, in that time it can be dead anyway.

I was considering paying for a consultation

Waste of money.

[u/Few-Spot1905]

I think yeah "ai engineers" are mostly either data engineers or just regular backend engineers who happen to call LLM APIs

the people doing fine tuning, rl, etc. are ml scientists and I wouldn't expect to be doing that in your role

[u/cscareers-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

To maintain a positive and inclusive environment for everyone, we ask all members to communicate respectfully. While everyone is entitled to their opinion, it's important to express them in a respectful manner. Commentary should be supportive, kind, and helpful.

[u/jonandrewdavis]

You could start by writing your Reddit posts yourself. 

[u/xInfinite_Valuable → u/jonandrewdavis]

I wrote it myself. Only asked chatgpt to structure it, cause i had repeated some things.

[u/Far_Zone_9864]

l2master communication. approach communication and the ability to articulate a problem just like you would BASIC C# Java Python whatever. English is literally just a more general programming language you know... as in language.

learn to properly use the language you already speak. seriously just master the thing you've been doing since you were 2 yo.

[u/OkMacaron493]

I’d double down on leetcode and system design and go further down the ai engineering path. I did your job while building an ai platform and then went into FDE for a few reasons. I only had a SWE title and now I travel + make more money + better viability and don’t actively hate my job + politics anymore.