Is Prompt Engineering a Real Job?

With the rise of ChatGPT, large language models and other generative AI tools, a new term has entered the tech dictionary: “prompt engineering”. The birth of this term has sparked curiosity and debate in the tech recruitment industry about whether prompt engineering jobs are legitimate career paths or just a trendy buzzword. Is it a tech skill? Should we start building a talent pool and recruiting for AI Prompt Engineers? 

For the purpose of this article, we’ve considered expert opinions on why prompt engineering might be more of a skill than a standalone profession so you can compare different points of view and decide by yourself. 

So, What is a Prompt Engineer?

A prompt engineer is someone who designs and refines prompts to improve the performance of AI models like ChatGPT. The main goal of AI Prompt Engineers is to communicate with AI systems in a way that delivers the best possible responses. Understanding the complexities of language, context, and the specific requirements of the task at hand is vital for prompt engineers to be able to craft prompts that guide AI to produce accurate, relevant, and helpful results. 

What a Prompt Engineering Job Description Might Look Like?

So, let’s pretend a company’s recruiting Prompt Engineers. What might a Prompt Engineering Job description look like? Here’s an example of the responsibilities a prompt engineering job description would likely include:

• Creating effective prompts that help AI models understand and respond accurately to various inputs.
• Continuously testing and improving prompts based on AI performance and feedback, ensuring they meet the desired criteria.
• Collaborating with data scientists, developers, and other teams to integrate prompt engineering into broader AI projects.
• Staying updated on the latest advancements in AI and natural language processing to implement new techniques and improve existing prompts.
• Keeping a detailed documentation of prompt iterations, successes, and areas for improvement.

Will Prompt Engineering Be a Real Job?

Here’s the thing. The question of whether prompt engineering will become a real job is still controversial. Users on social media platforms such as X and Reddit have expressed scepticism. 

For instance, one Redditor recalled that when he looked on LinkedIn for a job with this title, he found 0 hits. “It seems way too good to be true when all the ‘engineer’ does is refine sentences for proper prompts”, he noted; an opinion that is echoed by many who view prompt engineering as a supplementary skill rather than a standalone profession.

However, others argue that the role could evolve. As another Reddit user pointed out, prompt engineering might involve more complex tasks. For example, when using packages such as LangChain to integrate prompts within data pipelines precisely because such tasks require a deeper understanding of data structures and engineering. According to this theory, that could increase the demand for specialised AI prompt engineering roles in the future.

“There are indeed Prompt Engineers actively working on AI projects, focusing on designing both input and output prompts, with an emphasis on output. These AI engineers play a critical role in creating and refining AI models, forming an integral part of the Generative AI development team”, says Miguel Camacho, CTO at Smatvel. “While this specialised role exists, there is a common misconception. Many perceive prompt engineers as mere individuals adept at querying large language models (LLMs) using known patterns and shortcuts. That is the position that doesn’t exist”, says Camacho.

Why Prompt Engineering Isn’t a Job But a Skill

Despite its potential, most experts believe it will not solidify into a specific job title. Mark A. Herschberg argues that the essence of prompt engineering—crafting effective communication—is a skill we’ve always employed in management and negotiation. In his article, “We’re All Prompt Engineers“, he suggests that creating and testing AI prompts will be a technique applicable to many jobs in computer science, digital and IT, rather than a separate job in itself. 

Similarly, Simon Hoiberg agrees that prompt engineering is unlikely to become a viable specialisation. He compares it to skills like Excel proficiency, which are valuable and widely applicable but don’t constitute a job on their own. 

Will your organisation advertise AI Prompt Engineering Jobs any time soon?

What do you think? Will your organisation start hiring AI prompt engineers soon? While the idea of prompt engineering jobs sounds appealing, the consensus among digital and tech recruitment experts is that prompt engineering is more of a skill than a real job. 

Instead, hiring managers prefer to hire Machine Learning Engineers, Artificial Intelligence Developers, Robotics Process Automation (RPA) Developers, Data Scientists, and Digital Marketers with Prompt Engineering skills who can add value to their organisation.