What careers are available in machine learning?

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As humans become more reliant on technology, our understanding of what machines and computers can do for our lives grows more with each development.

Machine learning is one of the more recent of those developments, helping our technology to evolve and grow by itself, offering new potential with each iteration. It’s an exceptionally exciting field of study that can help jumpstart the way our computers increase their efficiency and scope in every industry, from medical applications to entertainment.

But what exactly does machine learning entail? What role do humans have in developing machine learning intelligence and how can you get into a career that’s based around one of the most intriguing and progressive areas of technological discovery? In this blog, we’re going to try and answer those questions and more, diving into the world of artificial intelligence to learn more about the careers and career paths that pave the way for better and more refined machine learning.

What is machine learning?

Machine learning is all about creating and coding computers and other forms of technology that can learn and improve their processes by themselves with little or no input from humans.

These machines learn by picking out patterns in significant amounts of data and using those patterns and that data analysis to make decisions about completing a process or providing information. this is done with minimal human intervention, with computers carrying out activity without being specifically told or coded to that activity – all through using machine learning algorithms.

A much used example of machine learning is speech recognition, in which a computer or machine receives the words someone says as audio and recognises patterns within the audio which are translate into text. The machine uses the text file to make a decision on what the user requires and then delivers that service. Household examples of this include things like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri.

What careers are available in machine learning?

While at first glance, it might seem that machine learning is all about significantly reducing human interaction with programming machines, there are a lot of careers surrounding the field – especially because companies of all sizes and industries are keen to use the technology to improve the way they work. As such, a big question for those interested in AI and data is the question of how to get into machine learning.

Pursuing a machine learning career path is engaging, interesting and full of potential, positioning professionals at the beating heart of AI and robotics development. Though there might be a lot to learn and pick up, a mid-career switch to machine learning is also entirely possible, especially considering the number of machine learning online courses there are in the field.

Here are some examples of careers in machine learning:

  • Machine Learning Engineer – While much of the onus in machine learning is placed on the machine learning by itself, it still needs a human to code in the algorithms and programmes that it will use to enact the process of learning. A machine learning engineer does just that, providing the machine or computer with the tools that it needs to learn.

  • Data Scientist – With a big push in the technological community for better machine learning, we need more and higher-quality datasets than ever before. Data scientists help to source, analyse and create data models which engineers then program into computers to enable them to engage in machine learning.

  • Business intelligence developer – The applications of machine learning are many, and it’s the role of a business intelligence developer within a business to identify how these applications can improve the way their company works.  They also work closely with data, identifying patterns in the same way that machine learning technology does to identify patterns and trends.

How to start your path to a career in machine learning

Because the area of machine learning and artificial intelligence is an exceptionally technical one, the best way to get started on your machine learning career path is with education and training.

There are a wealth of artificial intelligence course options available to those interested in getting started in the field. These programmes are designed to give you a full understanding of the mechanics, science and technology behind machine learning and artificial intelligence, and should be your first step towards carving a career out of the industry.

You can find a range of artificial intelligence courses at the University of Liverpool including the online MSc course in Artificial Intelligence.

Frequently asked questions

What are the four types of machine learning?

With each piece of machine learning technology, there are four types of machine learning that computers and machines operate from – supervised learning, un-supervised learning, semi-supervised learning and reinforcement learning:[1]

Supervised learning sees the data engineers provide the machine with a fully labelled set of data which the machine can use for reference while training a learning algorithm.

Un-supervised learning sees the machine learning model presented with an unlabelled dataset without telling the model what to do with the data. The model must find trends and patterns within the dataset to establish a purpose for the data.

Semi-supervised learning is halfway between supervised and un-supervised, with the machine learning computer given a labelled and an unlabelled dataset to extract and compare features and patterns from.

Reinforcement learning is the process of training a machine learning model the best way to complete a task. With each correct move the model makes towards the overall goal, it gets a ‘reward’, with every new move requiring the model to use what it has learnt to progress.

What is machine learning used for?

Machine learning has enormous potential for a full range of applications, both in our professional and personal lives. From recommendations on a video streaming service to military threat monitoring, the uses of artificial intelligence are near limitless and as we learn more about the field, we can expect to see more machine learning used in our day-to-day lives with every technological cycle.

You can discover more examples of machine learning with this comprehensive article.

How can I start to learn machine learning?

Learning more about machine learning and how you can find a career in AI starts with training and education. There are a number of elements in maths and computer programming that can help, such as coding, linear algebra, calculus – and personal research and AI projects are always a bonus – but the best way to get started is to take a course in machine learning.

The University of Liverpool has developed a proactive and in-depth artificial intelligence course , designed to give you the skills and technical abilities to create, maintain and evaluate AI learning models for computers and machines. You can find out more about the course here – and to learn more about the benefits and advantages of studying online with the University of Liverpool, visit our website here.

[1] https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/2018/08/02/supervised-unsupervised-learning/

How to improve as a lecturer

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Within academic fields, lecturing plays an integral role in creating the next generation of academics and professionals, granting the skills, abilities and knowledge to get them started on their chosen career.

Lectures remain to be the most effective way of teaching in a higher education setting, and while the core idea behind lecturing remains the same, new technologies and new approaches to learning have changed the teaching landscape.

Some of the best lecturers in universities and colleges are constantly evolving the way they teach with these new developments in mind in order to ensure their students get access to the best education possible.

But continually improving as a lecturer is a challenge in itself – how does one become a better lecturer? What qualities and characteristics make for a good teacher? In this article, we’re going to take a look at how lecturing can be improved to give a better higher education experience for students of all levels.

What is the responsibility of a lecturer in higher education?

The traditional role of a lecturer within a higher education setting is to deliver education to students on their course, teaching course materials within their field to help their students get the most out of their degrees. This can include things like:

  • Giving lectures on course topics
  • Course preparation and lecture planning
  • Holding seminars and tutorials for more interactive learning
  • Writing and marking assessment exams
  • Writing and designing teaching materials for students

Beyond those core responsibilities, modern lecturers are also expected to:

  • Assist PhD and Master students with their research activities
  • Embark on personal research projects as a research university lecturer
  • Write academic papers
  • Act as mentors and provide pastoral care for students
  • Contribute to the activities organised by their school

There are many more duties that lecturers have within their jobs and careers – you can learn more about what lecturers do with this helpful guide.

What are the qualities of a good lecturer?

The first step to improving as a lecturer is to understand the kind of qualities that make for a good lecturer. These can include things like:

  • Being engaging ­– Having a lecturer who is switched on, always ready to spark discussion and communication, and always open to finding new ways to engage students is key to keeping things fresh and interesting.
  • Being compassionate ­– All students are human beings with their own personal lives. Being understanding when things happen in these personal lives is essential for supporting your students to be the best learners they can be.
  • Being enthusiastic – Enthusiasm as a lecturer will keep you interested in everything you have to teach, and that passion for your subject will come through in your teaching and higher education skills, gifting your students with an enthusiasm for learning.
  • Being proactive – Taking an active interest in your students will make them feel valued as part of the education institution. Check in with your students regularly to ensure your teaching is doing its job and that all class members are able to keep up.
  • Being approachable – Having a lecturer who’s hard to approach as a student can quickly derail progress on a module. Try to ensure you’re as welcoming to everyone in your college or university as you can be to ensure a positive lecturer-student academic relationship.

How to improve as a lecturer

So now we come to the crux of the question – how exactly does one improve as a lecturer? How does one thrive in university lecturer jobs? Let’s look at three ways you can become a better lecturer:

Our first tip is helping your students understand how to process your feedback. Negative and positive feedback are key building blocks for a student’s understanding of a subject, so them being able to learn and adapt from that feedback is essential. One way to do this is by requiring your students to send you a draft of any coursework for you as a lecturer to look through and provide feedback for. Once you’ve checked it over, arrange a meeting where you both go over the feedback you’ve provided so that lessons can be learned and a deeper understanding gained. This interactive element added to the course will help you improve as a teacher and help the student earn better grades.

Our second tip is to consider asking one of your peers in your institution to sit in on one of your lectures. It can be hard to get feedback from your students on the quality of your lecturers because they may not be as willing as other academics are to talk about what needs improving. Asking a peer is a great move, especially if they’re older and more experienced, because they’ll know what works and what doesn’t. They’ll know what it’s like to be up in front of a lecture hall full of students so they’ll be best placed to let you know what’s going well and what’ll need a bit of improvement. Write these suggestions down and create your own action plan to ensure you’re incorporating the feedback in your lecturing.

Our third and final tip is use student questions as a basis for creating your lecture. The questions your students ask you are generally indicative of the areas of your course that are tougher or less clear than others. By answering questions wherever they crop up, whether in the lecture hall or after teaching is finished, you’re directly addressing the toughest parts of the curriculum as you go. If you get a question from a student by email about a certain segment, write the question down and bring it to your next lecture to answer – this way, you’ll be answering the question for students who don’t have the confidence to raise the query in person or by email. It’ll make life much easier for both and your students in the long run.

All of these are higher education skills that can be learnt on the job, but for those who want to reach their full potential as a lecturer, a PGCAP (Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice) course can be just the thing for those looking to improve their university lectures online and in person.

Frequently asked questions

What does a higher education lecturer do?

Higher education lecturers are academics who are hired by universities, colleges and other academic organisations to lead courses, teach students and carry out research in their chosen field on behalf of their institution.

They perform an essential role in universities that goes beyond the above duties, assisting with administrative work, providing pastoral care for students, organising events within their faculty and much more to ensure that the students in their school have as rewarding and as fulfilling a higher education experience as they possibly can.

You can learn more about what it means to be a higher education lecturer here.

What is expected of a lecturer?

Lecturers are expected to provide students with a positive learning and higher education experience, through teaching, assessment, pastoral care and administrative support. They are also expected to contribute to their institution’s research profile by carrying out research and writing papers on their area of expertise.

Each institution will have its own expectations of what lecturers should do, but they all stems from the above ideas about higher education lecturing.

What qualifications do you need to be a higher education lecturer?

Becoming a higher education lecturer is the start of a rewarding career path that helps you develop as a person and as a professional academic.

In terms of the degrees you’ll need to become a higher education lecturer, you’ll need to have at the very least a higher education degree within your field of study – however, for almost every faculty and discipline, you’ll need a PhD to be considered for a lecturer role. Other certificates from other academic-focused degree courses, such as a PGCAP, can also help you stand out from your competitors.

For many lecturers, teaching is the major responsibility in their day-to-day work, so getting to be the best lecturer is an important career objective.

One of the best ways to improve as a lecturer is to complete a course that provides you with the higher education skills you’ll need to refine the way you teach and how you support your students. The University of Liverpool’s Postgraduate Certificate Academic Practice is one of these courses, designed to give lecturers a better understanding of teaching, creating course materials, online lecturing, teacher-student academic relationships and more.

Find out more about how the PGCAP can help you succeed as a higher education lecturer here.

What roles are available in healthcare leadership?

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Healthcare is one of the biggest and most important fields of study and industry that we have, often literally providing a lifeline to those who need it most. Doctors, scientists, nurses, carers, paramedics, pharmacists, physiotherapists and others work every day on the medical frontlines to save lives, provide mental and physical treatment and discover cures to both new, and old, diseases.

However the road to a healthier world doesn’t begin or end with these dedicated professionals – behind the frontline teams are dedicated and hard-working healthcare management experts who handle the logistical, financial and commercial sides of healthcare. The leaders within this sector take on major roles, delegating and overseeing the success of practices, science divisions and business to ensure successful operation and organisation. This diverse industry is full of opportunities for those hoping to commit themselves to improving the way people across the globe access medical help and medicine.

So what kind of jobs are available in healthcare management? How does someone embark on a career as a leader in the field? In this blog, we’re going to look at the roles available to those looking towards healthcare management leadership as a potential career path.

What is healthcare leadership?

Healthcare management is the career aspect of healthcare that refers to the management and strategic planning for institutions, businesses and hospitals that provide healthcare, buy and sell medicine or foster commercial partnerships with other organisations. Within that umbrella term, healthcare leadership refers to the roles within healthcare that bring together teams under the same set of objectives to ensure project success.

These specialists handle the administrative and strategic duties, freeing up invaluable time for the medical professionals to focus on their primary duties as care-givers. From institute leadership to corporate planning, patient care improvements and healthcare system refinement, healthcare leaders look to the short and long term to better the way private and public health and business organisations work for their patients and employees.

What roles are available in healthcare management?

Healthcare management is a broad term which includes a range of roles and responsibilities in different sectors. Here are some examples of health care management jobs that are open to those interested in the field:

Practice manager – A practice manager is in charge of a practice, such as a GP service for example. Similar to a clinical manager, they work in service of both patients and medical professionals, ensuring access to care is as straightforward as possible for those who need it. Duties include recruitment, appointments management, record-keeping, delegation and improvement projects in the practice.

Human resources manager – With much of healthcare built around knowledgeable medical professionals, human resources is an integral part of any medical institution. Human resources managers are tasked with finding and vetting new doctors, nurses and other medical specialists to their organisation, ensuring that these professionals are right for the job and are properly supported in their high-intensity workplaces.

Financial manager – As with all other sectors, money plays a big role in healthcare. As such, a healthcare finance manager has an essential role within healthcare institutions, ensuring that budgets are spent wisely and correctly, that income and expenditure is officially accounted for, and that responsible financial forecasting is put in place to secure the institution’s future.

Research manager ­– All of the treatments and medicine found in hospitals and pharmacies are the result of carefully managed and rigorously tested research projects. Research managers have the role of ensuring these research projects have everything they need to succeed, securing funding, establishing international partnerships, managing deadlines and providing oversight on each individual project.

Operational manager – Every medical field requires specialist equipment and supplies, and it’s the role of an operational manager to ensure that these resources are delivered safely, securely and on-time to the frontline staff who need them. The also facilitate the delivery of services, ensuring all departments are properly equipped for the work they carry out.

You can find more information about NHS management roles in particular with this helpful guide.

How to get into healthcare management?

With many different forms of healthcare leadership management available to those seeking a career in the field, often the best place is to take a higher education healthcare leadership course. This education and training will grant an understanding of the foundations that hold up all forms of healthcare management, from practice management to human resources. Having a detailed comprehension and educational background in the sector will help you adapt to focus on a particular role.

Beyond training, extensive experience in the world of healthcare management can set you on the track to reaching the highest levels. Generally, starting as a healthcare administrator is one of the first steps to make, granting you the skills and insights that can help you progress to a more focused and specialised role, such as a position in healthcare leadership.

Frequently asked questions

What is the role of leadership in healthcare?

Within healthcare, working as a part of a team is an essential aspect of every role. A leader within healthcare is positioned to join these teams up and to get them working as the same unit within a practice, business or organisation.

Leaders are tasked with bringing individuals together, ensuring that everyone within the business has the opportunity to grow as healthcare professionals and to promote their abilities and their approach to their work. Leaders are also heavily involved with the everyday operations of their workplace, encouraging positive changes, supporting their colleagues and delegating when needed to ensure patients and clients get access to the services and resources they need.

What qualities are important as a leader in healthcare?

Here some of the qualities that can help a healthcare management leader excel in their field:

  • Compassionate ­– Seeking and providing medical help can be unsettling and traumatic for patients and professionals. Leaders should be compassion to the feelings of others to better support them in their health and in their careers.
  • Adaptable – The way healthcare providers work can often change dramatically, especially in the case of a global or national pandemic. Leaders should be prepared for change and ready to adapt as situations develop.
  • Organised – With so many different elements and duties with healthcare management, organisation is key. Leaders must be able to keep track of different projects and different deadlines to continue to provide good service.
  • People-orientated – At its heart, healthcare is all about helping people, so any healthcare management leader must be ready and willing to do whatever they can to make a patient’s experience at their practice as easy and as manageable as possible.

How can I improve my leadership skills in healthcare?

Leadership skills are key for those hoping to make it to the top of their field in healthcare management. Generally the best way to improve your leadership skills is through experience – as you spend more time working around employees and patients, you’ll begin to understand more about how you can bring those people together in productive and effective ways.

You can also help your leadership development along with a number of more specific actions, such as always taking advantage of training and healthcare leadership education courses, talking to senior managers about their roles, always being ready to try new things and staying up to date with what’s happening in the healthcare sector to better your understanding.

There we have it! Healthcare management is one of the crucial pillars that holds up any healthcare service, whether public or private. Without these essential employees, frontline medical staff wouldn’t have access to the resources they need for their work and patients wouldn’t be able to access the high levels of care they deserve.

If you’re interested in pursuing a leadership role in healthcare management, at the University of Liverpool we provide the ideal introduction into the field with our Healthcare Leadership MSc. Drawing from the expertise of specialists in both healthcare and management, this healthcare leadership course can provide you with the skillset you need to develop as a leader within a healthcare organisation.

For more information, discover what the course has to offer on our course page.

What degree do you need to be a healthcare manager?

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Taking on a management role in the healthcare sector requires a wide range of skills, from human resources to finance, planning, strategy, and leadership.

It’s important to know what qualifications you need if you want to enter this field and apply for a healthcare management role, and ensure you’re in the best position with the skills and experience to succeed.

What is healthcare management?

Healthcare management is all about the coordinating and planning of health and medical services. This could be in a hospital, a GP surgery, a care home, or as part of a healthcare organisation such as the NHS or a private provider.

Management roles in healthcare cover a wide range of responsibilities, including leading teams and managing staff and their daily activities, as well as ensuring everyone has access to the appropriate training and technology to carry out their responsibilities effectively.

Healthcare managers can often be office-based, working in the administration side of a medical organisation, though they can also be more hands-on with everyday activities in healthcare facilities or even on-call to deal with emergencies in different locations.

Which degree do you need for a healthcare management position?

When looking to hire a healthcare manager, most employers will favour specific and advanced level degrees that are directly relevant to healthcare leadership. Having a Healthcare Leadership MSc demonstrates in-depth knowledge and expertise to potential employers, as well as your interest and dedication to the field.

A healthcare leadership course can help equip you with the skills and knowledge to effectively manage medical environments and lead teams of healthcare professionals. Other qualifications could include nursing degrees or other health administration courses, or even parallel degrees in general business management. As you might expect, the more directly related and specific to healthcare management your degree is, the better your chances will be at securing a role in this sector.

As well as the more specific industry skills, a healthcare management course can give you other experience and knowledge to enhance your abilities and job prospects. This type of course helps to develop things like critical thinking and problem solving, conducting research and formulating plans, as well as people skills such as teamwork and effective communication.

What roles are available once you have a degree?

Completing a masters or other advanced degree in healthcare leadership can help to move your career towards a number of different management and senior roles. Within a large medical organisation such as the NHS, you could work towards becoming a clinical manager leading a team of healthcare professionals to deliver patient care, or you could work in human resources to provide staff training, support, and recruitment.

You could also manage more day-to-day activities and frontline medical staff in operational management, or be responsible for running larger departments or budgets as a general manager in a hospital or other primary care setting.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get a degree in healthcare management?

It can take up to four years to complete a healthcare management course as a full-time undergraduate student. Some universities and course providers also offer distanced learning and accelerated programmes that can be completed at the student’s own pace. An online master’s course in healthcare management could take around two and a half years to complete.

How to get into healthcare management

Having a relevant qualification or degree in healthcare management is the best foundation for getting into a healthcare leadership role. There are also programmes such as the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme that can provide direct access to management roles, though this will still require a relevant degree or management experience to qualify.

How much do healthcare managers make?

If you join the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, you can expect to start on £24,628 (as of 2020), and earn between £27,000 and £37,000 once you graduate, depending on the role you go into. Once you’ve progressed to more senior levels of healthcare management such as a CEO or director, salaries can range from £90,000 to more than £100,000.[i]

[i] https://www.nhsgraduates.co.uk/frequently-asked-questions/salary-and-employment/