co&co x Vector Institute- AI Career Compass: Navigating Career Paths from Opportunities to Market Value
Most AI researchers entering the job market are unsure about what career paths to pursue and have little visibility into their true market value and even less guidance on how to advocate for it.
This interactive social combines career exploration with compensation mastery for the AI/ML community. Discover diverse career pathways while learning to identify and negotiate your true market value in today's competitive landscape.
Whether you're getting ready for your next internship, exploring full-time roles in academia or industry, or negotiating a raise or promotion, this session will help you map your career path, identify your market value, and claim it.
Attendees will walk away feeling more confident and informed and better equipped to advocate for their worth.
Takeaways:
Concrete job search and interview guidance including the STAR method for presenting research
Insider knowledge on AI/ML compensation and negotiation strategies
Real stories from researchers and industry professionals across sectors sharing their career journeys and tips for success
About the Speakers:Nicole Bannon is the founder of co&co, a strategic communications and negotiation consultancy for technical talent. She has coached 500+ AI researchers and engineers through high-stakes negotiations, helping clients land offers at OpenAI, DeepMind, Meta, Anthropic, and more — including comp packages up to $7.4M/year.
Nicole has given talks (like this one) at major conferences 10+ times, including ICML 2024 (400+ attendees), NeurIPS, CVPR, ACL, ICLR, and the Grace Hopper Celebration over 2022-2025. She’s partnered with Black in AI, Women in Machine Learning, Women in Computer Science, and other affinity groups to make negotiation education more inclusive and accessible across the field.
Johannah Thumb is the Manager, Student Engagement and Research Programming at the Vector Institute, where she spearheads workforce development initiatives and research programming to support student and researcher development. She collaborates with academic and industry partners to align programming with workforce needs and expand research and training opportunities for emerging AI talent. Her leadership extends to high-impact events that cultivate a thriving AI community by connecting emerging professionals with peers, mentors, and industry experts. Johannah also curates professional development programming to equip students in achieving their dream roles in AI. With a strong commitment to inclusivity in the field, she is dedicated to shaping a diverse and skilled next generation of AI researchers and professionals.
Track Record & Demand:
This session builds on a series of well-attended “Know Your Market Value” events hosted at NeurIPS, ICML, CVPR, ACL, and ICLR, each drawing 150–400+ attendees.