AI Career Advice: OpenAI, Anthropic & DeepMind Interview Prep

This index serves as the central knowledge hub for my AI Career Coaching.
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​It aggregates my expert analysis on the 2025-26 AI Engineering job market, emerging AI roles like the FDE, upkilling and strategies for long-term career growth in the age of AI.

1. Emerging AI Roles (2025-26)

• The Ultimate AI Research Scientist Interview Guide: Cracking Anthropic, OpenAI, Google DeepMind & Top AI Labs in 2026: Research Scientist compensation at frontier AI labs now ranges from $350K to over $1.4M in total compensation, with Anthropic's median RS package at $746K and acceptance rates below 0.5% - making it one of the most competitive hiring pipelines in the history of technology. This guide synthesises verified interview experiences from 2025-2026 across all three major frontier labs, covering the complete RS loop from research talk preparation and paper discussion to safety alignment rounds and research taste evaluation. Includes a 12-question self-assessment quiz, company-by-company cultural phenotypes (Anthropic as alignment theorists, OpenAI as pragmatic researchers, DeepMind as academic purists), the six pillars of RS interview preparation, a 12-week roadmap, and an expanded 20-item readiness checklist. Essential reading for PhD researchers, postdocs, and experienced ML scientists targeting Research Scientist roles at OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and other frontier AI labs.

 

• The Complete Guide to Post-Training LLMs: How SFT, RLHF, DPO, and GRPO Shape LLMs: Post-training is now where the majority of a large language model's usable capability is created - not pre-training. This practitioner-oriented deep-dive covers the full three-stage pipeline (SFT, Preference Alignment with DPO/RLHF, and RL with verifiable rewards via GRPO), with technical breakdowns of how each technique works, when to choose one over another, and how OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind approach post-training differently. Includes compute cost analysis (QLoRA fine-tuning a 70B model for under $30), compensation benchmarks for post-training specialists ($200K-$450K+ with a 15-25% premium over general ML engineering), a 12-week preparation roadmap, and the interview questions you should expect at each major lab. Essential reading for ML engineers, Research Engineers, and Research Scientists targeting post-training, alignment, or RLHF roles at frontier AI companies in 2026.


• The AI Automation Engineer in 2026: A Comprehensive Technical and Career Guide: The AI Automation Engineer in 2026: A Comprehensive Technical and Career Guide The RPA market is projected to reach $35.27 billion in 2026, but the role of the automation engineer is undergoing its most fundamental transformation since the shift from scripted macros to low-code platforms - the emergence of agentic AI systems that can reason, adapt, and self-correct is replacing deterministic bot-based workflows with intelligent orchestration layers that handle exceptions autonomously. This guide covers the four-layer technical architecture that defines modern AI automation (process intelligence, orchestration, AI execution, and enterprise integration), the three distinct entry paths into the role (software engineering, traditional RPA, and data science/ML), US salary benchmarks ranging from $86.5K to over $204K with a median of approximately $135.5K, the specific platforms and tools hiring managers expect proficiency in (UiPath, Automation Anywhere, Power Automate, plus LLM integration and agent frameworks), and the interview patterns emerging at enterprises building AI-first automation practices. Essential reading for RPA developers transitioning to AI-native automation, software engineers exploring the automation engineering path, and data scientists looking to operationalise ML models through enterprise automation pipelines in 2026.
  
  
• The Claude Certified Architect: What It Means for Forward Deployed Engineers and Enterprise AI Anthropic committed $100 million and launched the first AI certification built entirely around production deployment - agentic architecture, tool orchestration, and enterprise reliability. This deep-dive breaks down all five exam domains, the $99 exam format, the Claude Partner Network, and why the certification maps directly to what Forward Deployed Engineer interviews evaluate at OpenAI, Palantir, and Anthropic. Essential reading for software engineers, ML engineers, and solutions architects targeting FDE roles or enterprise AI deployment careers in 2026.
  
  
• The Definitive Guide to Forward Deployed Engineer Interviews in 2026: Definitive preparation resource for FDE interviews at OpenAI, Anthropic, Palantir, and Databricks. Covers: all 5 interview rounds (Tech Deep Dive, Coding, Solution Design, Leadership, Values), the STAR+ framework for customer-centric storytelling, decomposition techniques for ambiguous problems, company-specific values alignment, and real interview questions from 100+ successful placements. Master this to confidently answer "Walk me through a complex project you owned" and "Design an analytics pipeline for enterprise IoT data." Includes Python prep framework, 6-week study timeline, and compensation benchmarks ($200K-$600K+). [45-60 min read, senior-level]

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• AI Forward Deployed Engineer: Comprehensive breakdown of the fastest growing hybrid role combining ML engineering with customer deployment. Covers: responsibilities (70% technical implementation, 30% customer-facing); required skills (Python, ML frameworks, distributed systems, communication); salary ranges ($200K - $400K TC), career progression, interview preparation, and companies hiring (OpenAI, Anthropic, Scale AI, Databricks, startups). Best fit for engineers who want technical depth with business impact visibility. 

 

• AI Research Engineer Guide - OpenAI, Anthropic and Google Deepmind: Complete interview guide for cracking AI Research Engineer roles at frontier labs. Covers: full process breakdowns for OpenAI (6-8 weeks, coding-heavy), Anthropic (3-4 weeks, 100% CodeSignal accuracy required, safety-focused), DeepMind (<1% acceptance, math quiz rounds); seven question types (Transformer implementation from scratch, ML debugging, distributed training 3D parallelism, AI safety/ethics, research discussions, system design, behavioral STAR); cultural differences (OpenAI = pragmatic scalers, Anthropic = safety-first, DeepMind = academic rigorists)); 12-week prep roadmap (math foundations → implementation → systems → mocks); real questions, debugging scenarios, and offer negotiation.

 

• Forward Deployed Engineer: The original Palantir role pioneering technical consulting model. Covers: technical + customer balance (50/50), travel requirements (30-50%), day-in-the-life, compensation structure, and whether this fits your personality. Compare with AI FDE to understand specialization trade-offs.

 

• AI Automation Engineer: Why this role is exploding in 2025 as companies integrate LLMs into workflows. Covers: core responsibilities (workflow optimization, LLM integration, agent orchestration), essential tooling (LangChain, vector databases), required skills (prompt engineering, API integration, RAG), salary ranges ($140K-$280K), and transition paths from traditional SWE or DevOps. Fastest entry point into AI for software engineers.

 

• [Video] How to Become an AI Engineer? Step-by-step roadmap from software engineer to AI engineer. Covers: foundational math (linear algebra, probability), essential courses (Andrew Ng, Fast.ai), portfolio strategy, and 6-12 month transition timeline with free vs. paid resource recommendations. Audience: Software engineers wanting to pivot into AI.

2. Technical AI Interview Mastery

• How to Get Hired at OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind in 2026: The definitive guide to landing Research Engineer and Research Scientist roles at the three frontier AI labs with <1% acceptance rates. Covers: OpenAI's unique research discussion round (paper analysis sent in advance), Anthropic's safety assessment that eliminates more strong candidates than technical rounds, and DeepMind's hiring committee process with Googleyness evaluation. Breaks down company-specific technical topics weighted by actual frequency—practical coding vs. LeetCode, CodeSignal thresholds (520+/600), first-principles maths, JAX/TPU preparation. Includes cultural signals that trigger "strong hire" decisions: "AGI focus" and "intense & scrappy" (OpenAI), seven core values and Constitutional AI (Anthropic), "intellectual curiosity" and scientific rigour (DeepMind). Features compensation benchmarks ($500K-$800K+ RS median), equity structures (RSUs, GOOG, retention bonuses up to $1.5M), and 12-week preparation roadmaps. Based on 100+ successful placements at frontier AI labs. [5 min read, senior ML/research-level]
• The Definitive Guide to Forward Deployed Engineer Interviews in 2026: Definitive preparation resource for FDE interviews at OpenAI, Anthropic, Palantir, and Databricks. Covers: all 5 interview rounds (Tech Deep Dive, Coding, Solution Design, Leadership, Values), the STAR+ framework for customer-centric storytelling, decomposition techniques for ambiguous problems, company-specific values alignment, and real interview questions from 100+ successful placements. Master this to confidently answer "Walk me through a complex project you owned" and "Design an analytics pipeline for enterprise IoT data." Includes Python preparation framework, 6-week study timeline, and compensation benchmarks ($200K-$600K+). [45-60 min read, senior-level]

 

• The Transformer Revolution: The Ultimate Guide for AI Interviews: Comprehensive resource on transformer architectures for interview preparation. Covers: self-attention mechanisms (scaled dot-product, multi-head), positional encoding (absolute vs. relative), encoder-decoder architecture, modern variants (GPT, BERT, T5), optimization techniques, and interview-ready explanations with code examples. Master this to confidently answer "Explain how transformers work" and "Design a document summarization system." [2-3 hour read, advanced]

 

• How do I crack a Data Science Interview and do I also have to learn DSA?: Definitive guide balancing algorithms vs. ML-specific preparation. Covers: which LeetCode patterns matter for DS/ML roles (trees, graphs, dynamic programming), what to skip (advanced DP, bit manipulation), 12-week prep timeline, and company-specific expectations. Includes recommended LeetCode problems ordered by relevance. [Essential for interview planning]

 

• [Video] Interview - Machine Learning System Design: Complete L5+ system design interview. Demonstrates: requirement clarification, architecture trade-offs (collaborative filtering vs. content-based), scalability (caching, model serving, online learning), evaluation metrics, and interviewer's evaluation commentary. Key Takeaway: Structure ambiguous problems using systematic 5-step framework.

 

• [Video] Mock Interview - Deep Learning

 

• [Video] Mock Interview - Data Science Case Study: Business-focused case interview analyzing user churn at subscription service. Demonstrates: problem structuring, metric selection, ML formulation, discussing limitations, and connecting technical solutions to business impact. Key Takeaway: Always translate technical jargon into business value.

3. Strategic Career Planning

• The Impact of AI on the Software Engineering Job Market in 2026: Data-driven analysis of how the shift from AI coding assistants to autonomous agentic systems is restructuring SWE hiring... Covers: agentic AI tools benchmarked on SWE-bench, 75% task coverage for computer programmers (Anthropic Economic Index), entry-level hiring compression (down 18% YoY), the 22% salary premium, Karpathy's 2025-2026 perspective, three-tier framework, 14% job-finding rate reduction for 22-25s... Master this to confidently answer "Will AI replace software engineers in 2026?" and "What skills do I need to stay competitive when AI is writing most of the code?"... [25-30 min read, mid-career to senior-level]

 

• Why I Coach all 4 AI Roles - Research Engineer, Research Scientist, Forward Deployed Engineer, AI Engineer: My Career Across Academia, Big Tech, Startups & Consulting: How one coach credibly prepares candidates for Research Scientist, Research Engineer, AI Engineer, and Forward Deployed Engineer roles. Dr. Sundeep Teki's 17-year career spans: a decade of original neuroscience research at Oxford and UCL (40+ papers, 3,200+ citations, Sir Henry Wellcome Fellowship), Research Scientist at Amazon Alexa AI (deep learning for speech recognition serving millions of users), Head of AI at Docsumo (leading 25+ ML engineers building Document AI with LLMs), and independent AI consulting across the US, UK, and India. Covers how academic research translates to Research Scientist interviews, how FAANG experience informs Research Engineer coaching, how startup leadership shapes AI Engineer preparation, and how client-facing consulting maps to FDE roles. Includes neuroscience-backed interview techniques for memory consolidation and stress management. 100+ placements at Apple, Google, Meta, Amazon, Databricks, with typical salary increases of $100K-$200K. [5min read]

 

• GenAI Career Blueprint: Mastering the Most In-demand Skills of 2025: Comprehensive skill matrix covering the 5 most valuable GenAI skills: (1) LLM fine-tuning and prompt engineering, (2) RAG systems and vector databases, (3) Agentic AI frameworks, (4) Model evaluation and monitoring, (5) ML system design. Includes 6-month learning roadmap with free resources (Hugging Face, Fast.ai) and paid courses (DeepLearning.AI). [Essential career planning resource]

 

• AI Careers Revolution: Why Skills Now Outshine Degrees: Data-driven analysis of how tech hiring has shifted from credentials (PhD preference) to demonstrated capabilities (GitHub, technical writing, open-source). Practical guide to portfolio building, skill signaling on LinkedIn, and positioning as self-taught expert. [Especially valuable for non-traditional backgrounds]

 

• AI & Your Career: Charting your Success from 2025 to 2035: 10-year strategic roadmap anticipating AI market evolution, role consolidation, and durable skills. Covers: which specializations have staying power (systems > algorithms), when to generalize vs. specialize, geographic arbitrage strategies, building defensible career moats, and preparing for AI-driven job disruption. [Long-term career architecture]

 

• Impact of AI on the 2025 Software Engineering Job Market: Market analysis of how GenAI reshapes hiring demand, compensation trends, and required skills. Covers: which roles are growing (AI FDE +150%, automation engineers +200%) vs. declining (generic full-stack -20%), salary trends by specialization, geographic shifts with remote work, and strategic positioning recommendations. [Updated regularly with latest data]

 

• Why Starting Early Matters in the Age of AI?: Covers: first-mover advantages, compounding learning curves, network effects of early community participation, and strategic timing for career moves. [Critical for students and early-career professionals]

 

• Young Worker Despair and Mental Health Crisis in Tech: Honest analysis of mental health challenges in high-pressure tech environments. Covers: recognizing burnout symptoms early, neuroscience of chronic stress and cognitive decline, boundary-setting frameworks, when to consider therapy, and strategic job changes vs. environmental modifications. Addresses the hidden cost of prestige-focused career optimization. [Essential reading for sustainable careers]

 

• How To Conduct Innovative AI Research: Practical guide for engineers transitioning into research roles or publishing papers. Covers: identifying promising research directions, balancing novelty vs. impact, experimental design, writing for academic vs. industry audiences, and navigating peer review. Written for practitioners, not academics - focuses on applied research valued by industry. [For research-track roles]

 

• The Manager Matters Most: Spotting Bad Managers during the Interviews: Neuroscience-backed framework for evaluating potential managers during interview process. Covers: red flags predicting toxic management (micromanagement, credit-stealing, unclear expectations), questions revealing leadership style, back-channel reference verification, and when to walk away from lucrative offers. Based on patterns from 100+ client experiences navigating tech organizations. [Critical for offer evaluation]

4. AI Career Advice

• [Video] AI Research Advice: Q&A covering: transitioning from engineering to research, choosing impactful research directions, balancing novelty vs. applicability, navigating academic vs. industry research cultures, and publishing strategies. Based on Dr. Teki's Oxford research + Amazon Applied Science experience. Audience: Mid-career engineers exploring research scientist roles.

 

• [Video] AI Career Advice: General career navigation: choosing specializations, timing job moves, evaluating offers, building personal brand, and avoiding common career mistakes. Includes decision-making framework under uncertainty. Audience: Early to mid-career professionals at career crossroads.

 

• [Video] UCL Alumni - AI & Law Careers in India: Emerging intersection of AI and legal tech in Indian market. Covers: AI applications in legal research, contract analysis, compliance; required skills (NLP + legal domain knowledge); career paths; and salary ranges. Audience: Law graduates or legal professionals interested in AI.

 

• [Video] UCL Alumni - AI Careers in India: Panel discussion on AI career opportunities in India vs. US/Europe. Covers: salary comparisons, role availability, remote work trends, immigration considerations, and when to consider relocation. Audience: India-based professionals or international students.

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