The Implementation-First Approach to AI Engineer Training


Zen van Riel - Senior AI Engineer

Zen van Riel - Senior AI Engineer

Senior AI Engineer & Teacher

As an expert in Artificial Intelligence, specializing in LLMs, I love to teach others AI engineering best practices. With real experience in the field working at big tech, I aim to teach you how to be successful with AI from concept to production. My blog posts are generated from my own video content which is referenced at the end of the post.

Effective AI engineer training prioritizes implementation skills over theoretical depth. While understanding foundations matters, the ability to build working systems is what employers value most—and what drives career advancement in this rapidly evolving field.

The Implementation Gap

Many AI training programs create a significant gap between learning and application:

  • Concepts are taught without practical implementation context
  • Sample code doesn’t address production challenges
  • Solutions aren’t tested against real-world constraints
  • System design and architecture receive minimal attention

This gap leaves engineers unprepared for actual industry roles despite significant learning investments.

Implementation-First Learning

The most effective AI engineer training reverses this approach by:

  • Starting with complete, working systems that solve real problems
  • Exploring theoretical concepts as they become relevant to implementation
  • Building progressively more sophisticated solutions
  • Addressing production concerns from the beginning

This methodology creates engineers who can deliver value immediately.

Practical Skills That Matter

Implementation-focused training emphasizes capabilities with immediate professional application:

  • System design that integrates AI components effectively
  • Performance optimization in resource-constrained environments
  • Error handling and resilience in production systems
  • Deployment, monitoring, and maintenance strategies

These skills translate directly to job performance and career advancement opportunities.

Ready to develop practical AI implementation skills through a structured training approach? Join the AI Engineering community for guided learning pathways that focus on building complete, production-ready systems using current industry best practices—the fastest route to career advancement in AI engineering.