How I Unexpectedly Broke Into the AI Field

Over the past few months, many of you—whether fellow artists, advocates, or long-time followers of Mango Mornings—have asked how I suddenly ended up working in AI.

Like so many of you, I found myself searching for flexible, meaningful work.But I also knew this: creativity is not limited to the canvas.

As the job market shifted, I began exploring new ways to use the skills I’ve honed over 20+ years in communications—and yes, the same creativity that fuels my art. It turns out that the way we observe, interpret, and make sense of the world is exactly the kind of skill AI teams are now looking for.

So today, instead of posting art, I’m sharing something different but deeply personal:how I moved into the world of AI evaluation work, step-by-step, with all the mishaps, discoveries, and unexpected joys along the way.

My hope is that this story inspires anyone who feels they are on the edge of reinvention—creatives, career-shifters, and curious minds alike. If I can do it, with my paint-splattered hands and my tendency to overthink everything, then truly: so can you.

Step 1: Learn How Analytical Reasoning Tests Work

If you plan to pursue AI evaluation, you will be asked to take timed psychometric tests. These usually measure four core areas:

• Inductive reasoning (pattern recognition and logic)

• Verbal reasoning (understanding and analyzing text)

• Numerical reasoning (basic quantitative interpretation—charts, tables, percentages)

• Critical thinking (drawing valid conclusions from given information)

My first attempt was… humbling.

The good news:Once you learn how these tests work, you can improve quickly. These tests are highly formulaic. After spending several hours studying strategies, I re-tested and passed—a test that 60–80% of people fail on the first go.

A few sample questions you’ll likely encounter:

• “Which shape comes next in this pattern?”

• “X is to Y as V is to…?”

• “Which statement must be true based on the paragraph?”

Can’t answer those confidently yet? Start practicing now.

Step 2: Research Entry-Level AI Roles and the Skills They Require

Entry-level AI roles (the kind you and I can absolutely qualify for) usually fall into categories such as:

• AI Reviewer

• AI Data Rater

• AI Trainer for Language Models

• Content Quality Rater

• Response or Safety Evaluator

None of these require programming. What they do require is:

• clear writing

• structured reasoning

• good judgment

• the ability to follow detailed instructions

• comfort evaluating content for accuracy, tone, and safety

As you research roles, pay attention to repeated keywords—you’ll use those later to update your résumé and profile.

Step 3: Audit Your CV to Identify Transferable Skills

Chances are, you already have more relevant experience than you think.

Examples:

• Have you used AI to brainstorm, edit, or improve your writing?

  
  

  → That’s AI-assisted writing, prompting, and content optimization.

• Do you regularly assess clarity, tone, or structure in messaging?

  
  

  → That’s content evaluation, quality assurance, and communication strategy.

• Have you built instructions, workflows, or templates for others?

  
  

  → That’s requirements gathering and UX-adjacent thinking.

Write these down—you’ll need them.

Step 4: Take a Few Courses on Core AI Competencies

You don’t need a degree. You do need familiarity with common tasks:

• Data classification

• Text labeling

• Response scoring

• Moderation and safety principles

• Prompt development

Free or low-cost resources include:

• Udemy (affordable foundational courses)

• Coursera (AI basics, reasoning, data tasks)

• YouTube explainers on psychometric testing

• Training modules inside platforms like Invisible, Micro1, or RWS

You’re building competence—not credentials.

Step 5: Update Your CV to Reflect AI Skills

Create a dedicated section for AI capabilities. Mine includes:

• AI-Assisted Writing & Editing

• Content Review

• Text Classification

• Data Labeling

• Content Moderation

• Prompt Development

• Response Scoring

• Reasoning & Safety Evaluation

Then update your work experience with practical examples of how you've used AI.It doesn’t need to be dramatic—just accurate.

Examples from my own CV:

• “Used AI-assisted UX, copy, and SEO tools to optimize site structure, user flow, and branding.”

• “Built a repeatable, AI-enhanced pitching workflow to align messaging with editorial guidelines.”

This helps recruiters immediately understand your competency.

Step 6: Choose High-Quality AI Talent Platforms

This is extremely important:Do not waste your time on general freelancing sites.Upwork, Fiverr, and “digital nomad” job boards are overflowing with underpriced competition.

Instead, focus on reputable AI platforms that actually hire evaluators, such as:

• Invisible – training, reasoning, safety, content evaluation

• Micro1 – AI interviews, skills certification

• Turing – structured screenings, long-term matching

• RWS / OneForma – data tasks, rating, linguistic work

• Teemwork / Appen-style platforms – project-based tasks

• Remotasks (quality varies) – microtasks and eval work

• Outlier, Scale, Surge – more competitive, but worth monitoring

Explore several so you can diversify opportunities.

Step 7: Register and Carefully Build Out Your Profiles

This part takes time—a lot of time. But it’s worth doing well.

What to expect:

• Upload your updated CV

• Fill in biographical details (must match your government ID)

• Review autogenerated skills and job history

• Manually add additional skills (there are tons—look through them all)

Gremlin Alert:On Turing, uploading a new CV wipes out all manually added skills.Ask me how I know…So only upload an updated résumé there when you truly need to.

Do NOT skip the Projects section. Recruiters go straight to this area.

Include:

• AI-related projects

• Communications projects

• UX/copy/content strategy deliverables

• Links or PDFs (even screenshots help)

You can use AI to help polish your descriptions—but never for assessments.

Step 8: Watch Your Email Like a Hawk

Once you complete your profile, platforms typically trigger:

• psychometric exams

• AI-led interviews

• skills assessments

• content evaluation tests

Respond quickly—some opportunities fill within hours.

Most AI interviews are not intimidating. They simply evaluate:

• clarity of thought

• ability to follow instructions

• communication quality

• attention to detail

They can detect AI-generated answers. Don’t risk it.

Step 9: Apply for AI Jobs

Here’s where the fun starts.

Most jobs require:

• no cover letter

• no elaborate writing samples

• no philosophical essays about your passion for technology

You click Apply, answer a short question here or there, and you’re done.

If your profile is strong, recruiters will often reach out proactively to invite you to apply for additional roles. It’s a great sign your setup is working.

Step 10: Track Everything

Once things start moving, they move fast.You’ll soon be juggling:

• assessment invitations

• recruiter messages

• platform-level notifications

• updates on multiple roles

• access to Discord/Slack communities for early project drops

Use a spreadsheet or tracker.

Step 11: Land Your First Gig!

Eventually—sometimes sooner than expected—you’ll get the email you’ve been waiting for.

My first project was a short-term counseling-model review assignment. Most gigs last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. It’s common (and absolutely fine) to work across several platforms, as long as contracts don’t conflict.

And that brings you to where I am today—shoulder-deep in this unexpectedly fascinating field, still learning, still refining, and still excited about what comes next.

Long-Term Prospects

If you fall in love with this work (as I clearly have), here are directions people pursue long-term:

• AI Quality Lead / QA Specialist

• Safety & Policy Evaluation

• AI Product Writing (UX writing for AI)

• AI Prompt Engineering

• AI Communications Strategist

• Project-based evaluation roles with Big Tech through vendors

The field is young and expanding daily. There are real career paths forming.

If you’ve made it all the way here, thank you for walking with me through this new chapter. Mango Mornings has always been about creativity, courage, and carving out your own path—and this journey into AI has reminded me that reinvention is simply another form of art.

Whether you’re exploring new work, expanding your skills, or simply trying to understand the changes happening around us, please know this:

You are allowed to evolve. You are allowed to learn something completely new.You are allowed to begin again.

If you’d like me to share more about AI opportunities, creative career pivots, or practical steps you can take, let me know in the comments—I’d be happy to help.

Here’s to growth, curiosity, and the bravery to follow the next bright idea.