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Manoj Tumu, 23, left Amazon for Meta, now earns over $400,000 as a machine learning engineer. He advises students to value experience and learning over salary in Big Tech careers.
Manoj Tumu. (Photo Credit: His LinkedIn profile)
At just 23, Manoj Tumu, a machine learning engineer at Meta, has carved out a remarkable career trajectory that many young tech aspirants dream of. With a compensation package of over $400,000 (roughly Rs 3 crore), his journey offers valuable lessons for software engineering students looking to break into the competitive world of AI and Big Tech.
Experience At Amazon And Why He Left
After completing his one-year undergraduate degree — fast-tracked with college credits from high school — and finishing a master’s programme in AI, Tumu started his career at Amazon. He worked as a machine learning software engineer for nine months, gaining vital industry experience.
Yet, he was drawn to Meta, where he felt the work was more innovative. “At Amazon, I learned a lot, but Meta was doing a ton of cool machine learning things. The moment I saw openings that matched my interest, I applied,” Tumu told Business Insider in an interview.
Meta’s $400,000 Machine Learning Job
In June, Tumu made the switch to Meta, joining its advertising research team as a machine learning software engineer. His role blends research and implementation, but with more emphasis on ensuring Meta integrates cutting-edge AI research into its systems.
“The advancement of AI has made this a very competitive field, but the kind of research Meta is doing is what excited me,” he said. His total compensation now exceeds $400,000, underlining the demand for top talent in machine learning.
Experience Is Vital
One of Manoj’s unconventional yet practical tips for students is about résumés. He believes experience trumps projects.
“Experience is the biggest factor,” Tumu said in the interview.
He added that highlighting projects is good, but they are often overemphasised. “Once you have two or three years of experience, it’s okay to remove them and focus on your work experience.” For him, actual industry roles held more weight when applying to Amazon and Meta.
Mistakes To Avoid In Big Tech Interviews
Big Tech interviews are rigorous, with multiple coding, machine learning, and behavioural rounds. Manoj stresses that preparation for behavioural questions is just as crucial as technical prep.
“One mistake people make is winging it during the behavioural interview, which thankfully I didn’t do. I studied the company’s values to prepare. I had a huge document where I wrote down stories to answer each question and follow-ups I would have,” he explained. This structured approach, he says, made the process smoother.
Job Role Over Salary
For students entering the field, Manoj emphasises prioritising learning opportunities over pay. He admits he once chose a lower-paying machine learning role instead of a traditional software engineering job, a decision that eventually opened doors to Big Tech.
“Apply for any internship, even the low-paying ones that may not seem great. When I was choosing between machine learning roles and software engineering roles for my first job, I decided I wasn’t as interested in the traditional software engineer roles. I chose a lower-paying machine learning role before I started working at Amazon, which I think really opened up more doors for me later,” he told Business Insider.
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h…Read More
Haris is Deputy News Editor (Business) at news18.com. He writes on various issues related to personal finance, markets, economy and companies. Having over a decade of experience in financial journalism, Haris h… Read More
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