Have you heard ???? Indian engineer joins Meta, yes you read it correct. 23-Year-Old Indian-Origin Engineer Leaves ₹3.36 Crore Amazon Job for Meta. Indian engineer Manoj Tumu’s inspiring journey from Amazon to Meta illustrates a powerful tech career move that bridges passion and innovation. His transition showcases how prioritizing machine learning careers and meaningful work over immense salaries reshapes what ambition looks like in the AI-driven era of 2025 and beyond.
From Amazon Engineer to Meta Innovator: Manoj Tumu’s Trailblazing Journey
Manoj Tumu, an Indian-American engineer, quit his Amazon job that was earning him ₹3.36 crore per year when he was just 23 and went to work for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Amid today’s obsessive quest for stability and financial security, Tumu’s daring career trajectory is an indication that passion, long-term vision and strategic thinking can sometimes count more than a fat paycheck. His path reads like the true struggle of choices that inform modern tech careers (and is particularly relevant given how many young professionals are breaking into competitive spaces yearning for A.I. or machine learning today).
Strategic Career Planning Over Salary: The Reason Behind the Amazon to Meta Job Switch
For Manoj Tumu, walking out of Amazon, which featured the world’s best pay packets, was not an impulsive decision. It was a calculated move, born of his dedication to the rapidly growing artificial intelligence field. In his new role at Meta, he is at the nexus of research and deploying that research, something he believes will allow him to have real impact on the future of technology. With demand for AI and machine learning careers skyrocketing across the companies of the world, Tumu’s path is a instructive example of measured career progression.
Why Did Manoj Tumu Leave Amazon for Meta?
A question that has swirled around Tumu’s headline-generated decision has centred around just why he would leave such a lucrative position. The reason has to do with his personal and professional crossing of paths with machine learning. Rather than just following the money, Tumu was holding out for a chance that could more naturally dovetail with his technical passion and career goals.
Meta’s AI Ecosystem: A Platform for True Innovation
Tumu saw that Meta provides a powerful platform for innovation in artificial intelligence and one of the most fertile landscapes for product development and social change in the tech industry. In transitioning to Meta, he took a role that lets him work more directly on cutting-edge research and real-world applications of machine learning models — the dream job for many AI engineers. This represented a significant change of pace compared to his role at Amazon, which, while lucrative, did not quite feature the same emphasis on ML-centric work.
What Does this Indian engineer joins Meta ?
At Meta, Tumu’s work is research meets application. At the cutting edge of AI, he works on building and deploying machine learning systems that power the wider Meta ecosystem. And he’s not just writing code, his work is contributing to the bigger vision of how AI can improve user experiences across platforms like Facebook, Instagram and others.
Inside Meta’s Rigorous Hiring Process
His six-week-long interview process at Meta intense and multi-layered was a preview of his new life inside the company. That entailed a screening call and four to six coding, machine learning and behavioral assessments. What was impressive to me was that Tumu’s answers were tailored to the things that matter to Meta. He said this was key to differentiating him from other candidates, as it proved not only his technical skills, but his cultural fit for the organisation.
Tech Interview Preparation & How to Land a Machine Learning Career in Big Tech
Tumu’s advice on career advancement is a useful roadmap for aspiring ML engineers. Biggest tip is understanding the difference in academic/personal projects and real-world experience. As much as hobby projects demonstrate initiative and creativity, professional experience is generally more heavily weighted when Big Tech Companies assess you. It was noteworthy that Tumu eliminated his personal projects from his résumé while applying to both Amazon and Meta, only centring on professional impact.
The Power of a Strong Resume and Strategic Networking
A well-put-together résumé and self-presentation are other big lessons he learned from his experience. Tumu filled out applications three times, so he applied directly on job site and on LinkedIn without the help of any referrals, suggesting that a great résumé can still bring opportunities even in a very competitive job market. He advises candidates to prepare thoroughly for behavioral interviews — which he says many skimp on. Base your story and work examples around a company’s mission and values and the application gains a lot of oomph.
Machine Learning Jobs 2025: What the Future Holds
Machine learning is no longer an isolated area in tech. It’s 2025, and ML engineers are leading a shift in the industry, driving the creation of effective recommendation systems, massive language models, and autonomous systems. Global hiring data also reveals that AI and ML jobs are some of the fastest growing tech roles at companies like Meta, Google, Amazon and Nvidia. These jobs are not just well-paid but also critical to the future of digital services.
Early Sacrifices, Long-Term Gains: The Reality of AI Job Progression
Tumu’s career reflects this shift. And he told me that the decision to take an ML job that paid less than the typical software engineer role (which he initially turned down) was key in putting him where he is today. Even missing out on an internship during college, his first contract job after graduation allowed him to gain the type of experience that later caught the attention of top employers.
How Meta and Mark Zuckerberg are Shaping AI Innovation
The tech-savvy investment of the Mark Zuckerberg-led company into tech has turned it into an innovation-seeded-tech vibe place. With its development of powerful AI tools as well as its efforts in augmented reality and metaverse experiences, Meta is always pushing the limits. In that vision-based approach, engineers like Tumu are invaluable in building towards that vision, deploying the real-world systems that make innovation something that can be accessed, delivered and scaled.
Why Meta Engineer Hiring Strategy Goes Beyond Salaries
How Meta hires and keeps such talent isn’t just a matter of salary but of giving them a lot of say in projects and room for development. It’s a strategy that attracts engineers who get up in the morning because they want to do meaningful work, not because they are being richly compensated at quarter’s end. With Meta’s backing of open research in the field of machine learning and dedicated labs for AI development, professionals who work at Meta have the potential to play a worldwide role.
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Inspiration for Aspiring Engineers and Developers
Tumu’s story also aims, ultimately, to show that there is hope for younger technologists like him across the globe. The proliferation of online AI and machine learning such as the Great Learning AI program (Post graduate and Certificate), has enabled a wide variety of students from various backgrounds, notably the Indian sub-continent, to join high-impact AI jobs. His trek from college graduate without internship to Meta engineer before age 24 is one that inspires others to believe in substance over flash and mission over popularity.
Top Career Advice from Manoj Tumu, the Indian Engineer Who Joined Meta
Tumu’s experience teaches several lasting lessons. First, learned experience is louder than sheer quantity. Candidates “don’t want to have their Resume look like a mile long with 300 different projects, but show depth of work,” he said. Second, customized interview preparation can be the differentiator among a pool of qualified candidates. When the culture or values of the company come into play, the practice of adjusting responses to reflect the organizational culture can be an aid, if not critical.
Flexible Learning: A Must in the Ever-Evolving Machine Learning Career Space
Lastly, engineers need to be flexible. The progress from classical ML models to deep neural networks, and now to generative AI, also translates into professionals needing to keep learning. Yes some of the above make for tough competition however the industry is growing in ways that open up entry points and paths to specialisms like applied research, data science, infrastructure engineering.
What’s Next for Manoj Tumu and the Future of AI Jobs?
One of the Laan Labs co-founders, Manoj Tumu, is assumed to be working on high-level projects that will help define Meta’s AI in the years to come. His responsibilities are expected to expand, to enable him to work on Meta’s strategic work on both consumer-facing products and on the back-end infrastructure.
The Tech Career Moves Defining the Industry’s Future
For the tech ecosystem as a whole, his story signals a growing trend where young engineers feel like they can make long-term decisions over short-term gain. Companies will still compete for top talent, but what will win the day is about more than just dollars. The next generation of engineers will be motivated by culture, curiosity and the opportunity to work on meaningful challenges.
Conclusion: Passion-Fueled Paths and the Rise of Purpose in AI Careers
With artificial intelligence and machine learning continuing to take over not just technological and digital spaces but economic and social spheres as well, stories such as Tumu’s also set the bar for young professionals. They are a product of a time in which meaningful work, strategic decisions, and leveling up supersede brand association or money matches.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Why did Manoj Tumu switch from Amazon to Meta?
Manoj Tumu left Amazon for Meta to focus more on his passion for artificial intelligence. Though Amazon offered a lucrative salary, he was drawn to Meta's ML-centric role, aligning with his long-term machine learning career goals and offering more impact through applied AI work.
How difficult is it to get hired as a Meta engineer?
Meta engineer hiring is highly competitive, involving a rigorous multi-stage interview process including coding, machine learning, and behavioral assessments. Cultural fit, professional project impact, and strategic interview preparation play key roles in being selected for tech positions at Meta.
What does the future look like for machine learning jobs in 2025?
AI and machine learning jobs in 2025 are expected to continue growing rapidly, driven by demand in industries such as tech, healthcare, and finance. Roles focusing on recommendation systems, generative AI, and autonomous systems will dominate hiring trends across companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, and Nvidia.
What are key tips for landing a tech career move like Manoj Tumu?
Key tips include building impactful professional experience, aligning your résumé with job roles, removing irrelevant personal projects, preparing for culture-specific interviews, and showcasing adaptability in evolving fields like AI and data science.
Reference
23-Year-Old Engineer Leaves Crore-Plus Amazon Job for Meta
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