From Co-op to Lead Machine Learning Engineer: Josh Kim's Remarkable Journey

Elevating your career from a Data Scientist in co-op to a Machine Learning Engineer Lead at RBC – the journey of Josh Kim demonstrates the profound impact of experiential learning. Co-op immerses you in real-world challenges, fostering adaptability and critical thinking skills. Josh's advice to students: In today's ever-changing tech landscape, early exposure through co-op is key to staying relevant and building a valuable network. 

Read the interview excerpted from SFU OLC website below.

Where did you complete your work terms and where are you working now?  

I completed my co-op terms at RBC in Toronto and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) in Ottawa, both as Data Scientists. Currently, I’m working as a Machine Learning Engineer Lead at RBC, spearheading various projects and product teams. I am mostly building out the model features and data pipelines for upcoming products at RBC.  

How did co-op help in your career journey?  

I am a firm believer that the best way to learn and gain access to real-world opportunities is by getting yourself immersed. What we learn in the classroom setting is theories that demonstrate the ideal world but we know that individuals and organizations face different challenges everyday - having critical thinking skill and being adaptable to fast changing circumstances are vital. Co-op offers me the experience by exposing me to colleagues and projects across different levels and functions of an organization, where I get to learn and handle different working styles, forcing me think on my feet. The experience has been beneficial in helping me to redefine my career interests and identity skill gaps to improve on to further develop personally and professionally. 

What advice would you share with students considering the co-op program? 

We live in the technological era, where things and problems can change and move in a different direction rapidly. We need to stay relevant and on top of topics that we are passionate about and the way to achieve that is by starting early. Co-op gives you the opportunity to have a first dip into the real world so you can get exposed while you’re studying. The projects and, more importantly, the people that you’ll meet will be very valuable in shaping your career. Your network is your net worth! 

I highly encourage you to join the co-op program to get a head start in building the work experience and early exposure to the workforce!