How to Develop AI Prompt Engineering Skills

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more and more integrated into industries as diverse as healthcare, software development, customer service, and marketing. From this has evolved a new role (or at least a new task for an existing role)—that of AI Prompt Engineer.

Companies are now seeking professionals who are adept at communicating with AI models such as DALL-E, ChatGPT, and others. What do you need to know about prompt engineering to stay ahead of this growing field? What are the best AI skills for your resume? How can you obtain them? We’ll break it down for you, below.

Why Does AI Prompt Engineering Matter?

If you’ve used an AI text or image generator, or even done a Google search, you’ve entered a prompt—text that communicates with an AI model.

If, in turn, you’ve gotten feedback that wasn’t what you expected or went off the rails entirely—“hallucinating” false information or cranking up the creepy factor—you can understand why prompt engineering is important. A prompt engineer’s job is essentially crafting clear questions or instructions so that the models return accurate, useful, and creative outputs.

Prompt engineering is quickly becoming a must-have skill. The future of work has arrived, and prompt engineering might just be your ticket in. Stay curious, be willing to experiment, and start practicing using the methods below.

AI Prompt Engineering Skills and How to Learn Them

There are a few essential skills you’ll need to be an effective AI prompt engineer. You likely already have them in some measure.

• Clear communication. You need to be able to use simple, direct, and concise language to write AI prompts. Avoid ambiguity and be specific. At the same time, don’t make the prompt overly complex.

For example, if you needed a picture of a sad puppy, the prompt “Create a photorealistic image of a sad golden retriever with large eyes and drooping ears” would likely return better results than “Make an image of a sad puppy.”

• Industry knowledge. In order to prompt accurately, you’ll need a good working knowledge of the industry involved. For example, you’ll need to know the proper terms and technical jargon if you’re working in finance or healthcare, for example.
• Understanding AI. You need a working knowledge of AI capabilities and limitations. Understand what a given model can and can’t do. Become familiar with different models—for example, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney, Codex, and GPT-4—since different models and versions are designed to do different things. Stay up-to-date with the latest releases. Understanding the basics of natural language processing (NLP) is also advisable.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving. Especially in the beginning, prompt engineering will involve a lot of trial and error. Be patient and think logically about what has worked, what hasn’t, and what might work. Be willing to experiment and adjust your prompts to achieve the desired result.

Now that you’ve analyzed the skills you have and those you still need, get started learning by completing one or more of the tasks below.

Play and Practice

One of the best ways to gain an intuitive understanding of the AI model of your choice is to simply “play” with it. Put in prompts that are interesting to you, whether related to your real-world work or simply wild and wacky. Adjust the prompts and see what happens. Try to stretch the limits of what the model can do.

Take a Course

One of the most straightforward ways of building these skills is to take a course devoted to it, such as Lead Academy’s AI Prompt Engineering Course. Courses approach AI prompt engineering in a structured, methodical fashion to ensure you master the basics and more advanced techniques.

Stay Up-to-date

Continue to take in information about new developments in AI technology. You can do this in whatever format is most appealing to you—sign up for a blog or newsletter, subscribe to an industry journal, watch online videos, or attend industry events. You can even tap into prompt engineering communities like r/PromptEngineering on Reddit.

(FAQs) About AI Prompt Engineering

Do you still have questions about AI prompt engineering? We might have the answers below.

1 . Is a technical background required for AI prompt engineering?

No, a background as an information technology (IT) technician, data scientist, or programmer is not required for AI prompt engineering. However, a technical background can be useful as you can build on the skills you already have. That said, anyone with good communication skills and the curiosity to learn can master AI prompt engineering without formal training.

2 . What is the difference between traditional programming and AI prompt engineering?

While some AI prompt engineering roles may require a knowledge of programming languages, most rely on natural language instructions. AI prompt engineering is less about coding and more about creative thinking and clear communication, usually in the English language.

3 . What industries are currently hiring AI prompt engineers?

Prompt engineers are increasingly needed in virtually every sector. Some of the most common include:

• Graphic design
• Copywriting
• E-commerce
• Marketing and advertising
• Education
• Customer service
• Healthcare
• Finance
• Other creative fields

AI prompt engineers are not always employed as a stand-alone role. For example, a research technician might be asked to use AI to research repurposed uses for existing drugs.

AI prompt engineers can also find employment as AI trainers. AI model trainers work behind the scenes with AI systems to make sure they function as intended and produce quality output.

4 . How much do AI prompt engineers make?

As this is an emerging role, salaries still vary greatly. Often, they are reliant on existing roles from which AI prompt engineering has evolved. In 2024, prompt engineer salaries ranged from £50,000 to over £100,000 ($63,000 to $127,000) annually in the U.K. and U.S.