4 Googlers share how they reinvented their careers and pivoted to AI

Transitioning to a career in artificial intelligence (AI) may be a trend, but it certainly poses its challenges. As the demand for AI roles grows and companies invest in employee training, many professionals are eager to incorporate 'AI' into their job descriptions. To explore how this shift is achievable, Business Insider interviewed four employees from Google who made the leap to AI-focused teams. Each individual followed a unique path, dedicating approximately a year to acquire the skills needed for their new roles, with some even taking several years. Their experiences ranged from participating in internal hackathons to creating educational content about AI. Emrick Donadei, a 32-year-old engineer, felt unprepared for a transition to an AI team until he took part in Google’s week-long hackathon in 2024. Although he didn't develop a groundbreaking product, the experience provided him practical exposure to tools and served as a conversation starter with various teams within the company. About ten months after his initial hackathon, he secured a new position. His journey didn’t end there; he continued exploring AI tools, launched a podcast discussing AI advancements, and consumed valuable content, such as YouTube videos by Andrej Karpathy, to deepen his understanding of machine learning and large language models. After transitioning, Donadei participated in another hackathon in 2025, which opened additional doors. He began engaging in AI research, worked part-time on open-source projects, and even published a technical disclosure with Google based on his contributions. Maitri Mangal, 27, began as a traditional software engineer before moving to an AI team. Over the course of a year, she committed around two hours each day to upskilling, which she continues to this day. Mangal found that creating content for social media helped reinforce her learning from internal Google training and various online courses. "That really changed everything for me," she noted, emphasizing how seeing her content benefit others inspired her ongoing education in AI technology. Rahul Kasanagottu, 32, spent two and a half years preparing for his transition to an AI role. His paternity leave provided him with extra time to delve into AI literature, reading 11 books on the subject. He also completed a Deep Learning Specialization course by Andrew Ng and watched educational videos from 3Blue1Brown. Like Donadei, Kasanagottu recognized the importance of personal projects in demonstrating his abilities to hiring managers, as they provided tangible proof of his skills. Conversely, Milica Cvetkovic's journey into AI consulting at Google began about three years ago after she completed her graduate studies and engaged in machine learning research. With a Master's in statistics, she previously worked as a machine-learning engineer at a startup and taught boot camps and college courses. Cvetkovic believes her ability to communicate technical concepts in simple terms is a vital asset. Her shift to an AI role at Google was less about a deliberate pivot and more about seizing an opportunity that matched her expertise and interests. She likened her career path to training for a marathon, where the application process represented the culmination of her hard work and preparation. Have you made a transition into AI? Your story could inspire others. Reach out to the reporter via email or through the secure messaging app Signal.