Hey! 

You're in your early career! Take a breath. 

Let's start with if these fears are founded. Have you received any indication from managers or performance reviews that you're under performing?

Speed is not the only measure of productivity and effectiveness. Are your solutions causing more bugs than they fix? How is your documentation and communication? 

I think the best path forward as a new hire is to make sure you're not a resource-suck. Independence when working is good. 

Do you have regular 1-1s with your manager? Those conversations would be a good metric to track your progress and growth. 

Hope that was helpful! Here to chat if you want to dive deeper :) 

Software Engineer @ Tesla

I don't think this needs to be shared. What are you hoping to gain out of providing this information? 

You can just say you went above and beyond in your projects by managing your time and resources well. Try to focus on how you solved the problem rather than the problem itself. 

"Time management was a blocker as well as lack of of flexibility. However, I solved this by delegating my tasks and communicating with my manager to improve processes." 

or something like that. 

Be solution-oriented.

Sorry to hear about health emergency and family situation but it sounds like you made it and were able to deliver the best you could. In your reviews or 1-1s, ask your manager for feedback on your output. That's how you know if this is an issue or not. Life happens, but if you're trying to communicate and demonstrate value/impact, share how you worked with your blockers rather than appointing blame. 

Good luck ! 

Are you an international student? Because that adds an extra hurdle. 

I would focus companies that sponsor. Don't waste your time with companies that do not sponsor. 

I think creating content on LinkedIn is a pro gamer mover because it increases your visibility. Are you creating relevant content to your field of expertise? Do you get good engagement? 

I'm glad to hear you're getting interviews, that's a good sign. Are you following up with the recruiters after the meeting? 

But here's the optimal way of job searching imo: 

1. **Get clarity.** Find out what you want. It sounds like you'll take anything at this point but try to narrow it down to what you want to work on. What is your ideal position? What companies are you targeting? This just helps guide you on your next steps. 
2. **Increase your visibility.** Again, great that you are creating content. Make sure they are relevant and consistently showing your skills and qualifications. 
3. **Network.** This is really your best bet. You might be short on time but that's why clarity is so important. Network strategically. Engage with other's content. Provide value. Don't just ask for referrals, show your work and what you're capable of and develop a relationship. 
4. **Tailor your resume.** Make sure your resume is tailored to every position. It gets easier after a few iterations. I use [Tealhq.com](http://Teal.com). 
5. **Actually apply.** Up to a point, it's a numbers game. But you gotta hit that point so you need to actually apply! Make sure these are quality applications and you follow up with your network.
6. **Create a showcase of your work.** Create a document besides your resume to showcase what you can do. You mentioned you had some projects, create a presentation and share them as part of your step in networking. The more proof of concepts you have, the more you de-risk yourself as a bad hire. 
7. **Practice interviewing.** I know you asked for job search advice but it will all be for naught if you don't interview well!

Hope this helps! I hope you find something soon, good luck! 

This can be tricky, especially when there's a concern of being potentially down-leveled.

I recommend a tactful approach, focusing on your skills, experiences and value rather than fixating on your current title.

For example, if you're aiming for a senior role, try and turn it around and ask what the criteria is for that senior position or use the job description as a reference.

*"Could you share the responsibilities for a senior SWE in your organization? I'd like to understand how it aligns with my experience and skills."*

or

*"Based on the job description responsibilities, the role I am currently performing is in line with a senior position."*

It would be helpful if you listed the responsibilities you currently have that line up with the role you're applying for.

I haven't met too many recruiters that push for the exact title after saying this. Putting my empathy cap on, they're just trying to gauge if you're a good fit for the role you're applying for. Most recruiters aren't as technical and use context clues to determine fit of candidate. Current position is just a context clue for them.

Keep aiming to level up! Good luck!

Hey, I think it's completely reasonable to ask for salary range. That's such an important factor. Getting on a phone call might make it more beneficial for you because it's harder to dodge the question. Good recruiters will disclose the salary range early on so it doesn't waste anyone's time if it's not a good fit. 

Xue Hua

Hello!

Great question, I don't think there's a limit of people to reach out to. You're totally right that it depends on the size of the company. I think a 3/5 response rate is pretty strong. So, good for you!

I would try to personalize each message instead of sending a copy-paste message though but that's just me. I usually reach out to 5-10 folks when I'm trying to inquire for information. 

Hope that helps! 

I have felt the same way before - overwhelmed by information and responsibility.

**Know your scope.** Find out what you're responsible for and what is expected of you. What are your deliverables and what is your role in the context of different projects.

**Time Block and take control of your calendar**. Dedicate blocks of time to certain action items and focus on them (google "Deep Work").

**Delegate when you can.** Master delegating items to others, you don't have to do everything perfectly. You just need to get them done and off your plate.

**Take detailed notes.** Try not to keep everything in your brain. Write it down. Even if they are just daily stand up notes. I wrote about taking notes here: [Tips for someone with a poor working memory ](https://www.jointaro.com/question/55fEwxKMxTLMyiurKdBH/tips-for-someone-with-poor-working-memory/)(Not saying you have a poor working memory but it does seem you are struggling with balancing everything. ) Here's another link: [Easily level up your meetings by taking notes](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/GdiMBE2Sh5N3pFqFWnW9/easily-level-up-all-your-meetings-by-taking-notes/)

**Prioritize your most impactful tasks.** Don't try to do 'everything'. You need to prioritize effectively.

I can write more about these steps if you're interested. This is just a high-level of what you can do to get a grip on things since you didn't give much detail.

Hope that helps!

\
(Dear reader, please drop a like if this was helpful in any way, I'm trying to improve the format of my responses)

Hey! Looks like a pretty solid plan.

I would narrow down your target list to only companies that sponsor. Don't waste your time with companies that do not have a track record of sponsoring or are not open to the idea. I would have this conversation with them as early as possible.

I know many candidates who try to hide that they need sponsorship until the last minute, DO NOT DO THIS. Be as upfront as early as possible to weed out any misaligned prospects.

<https://www.myvisajobs.com/> I believe this is the website I used to look at a company's history of sponsorship. I'm not sure what visa you're on but most of the time they need to be e-verified companies. When you're doing your research, make sure they are sponsoring the SPECIFIC ROLE.

If you're working on side projects, I would also try to post about them on LinkedIn to gain visibility and position yourself as an talented expert and a key contributor.

Finally, I would not discount behavioral interviews. You want to be absolutely solid on why you are the ideal candidate. Do your research on the company and practice. It seems like you have the technicals down :)

I am sorry to hear about your situation but there are definitely some positives!

Good luck!

\
(Dear reader, please drop a like if this was helpful in any way, I'm trying to improve the format of my responses)

I would take this opportunity to find out what your skip level manager values. What kind of output to they want to see? What kind of problems do they want to solve? How can you help them, even if it's indirectly?

This will help you get more context and the big picture of things beyond your manager's scope.

Also, if this is your first meeting, take the time to share what your responsibilities are and what you're hoping to impact. What kind of issues can he come to you for? I would also take the time to learn what his responsibilities are and what he affects, along with what his goals might be. 

Have you checked out this resource? <https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/TToehFEc738PBhJcALwL/how-to-effectively-leverage-skip-level-11s/>

Hope that helps!

If it makes it to a real person and speaks to specific qualifications referring to the job posting - Yes. 

Do not tell them your life story. 

Explain why you are qualified for the job and cite examples. 

If you have been networking beforehand especially and find out some real-world problems they are having, you can speak to how you solve those problems and bring value to the company. 

I have a generic cover letter for ATS but I always, always write custom cover letters if I'm handing my application via a person (e.g. a referrer). I investigate what issues I can help solve and bring them up in the letter along with all my experiences. 

Hope that helps!

Hello, thank you for this question!

I'm not a senior engineer yet.

But I can to give some insight to my Tesla ramp up process.

DISCLAIMER: THIS WAS JUST MY EXPERIENCE AND DOES NOT REPRESENT TESLA AS A COMPANY.

At the time, my team was very bootstrapped and there wasn't anyone to really help ramp me up. There was some guidance here and there but I was pretty much thrown in the water and told to 'swim'. They were definitely supportive but no one had the bandwidth to do any hand-holding and I had never worked in Big Tech before this.

So, here's what helped:

- **Asking specific questions.** I tried to be as specific with my questions so teammates could answer quickly and move on without giving me all the context. I would figure out most of the context on my own.
- **Reading the documentation** (if there is any lol). Depending on the team you're on, the documentation could be very spread out or super organized and detailed. Consume what you can through our Confluence. Start with exploring and trying to figure out the structure of the information. Some teams put everything on Confluence and if they don't perhaps this is a gap you could fill. I put some of my own guides on Confluence to help the next person out. You mentioned it's outdated, so this is an area you could start contributing as you learn.
- **Define expectations of 'ramping up' aka have a 30-60-90 day plan.** I came up with my own plan and proposed it to my manager and a few of my teammates on what I should work on. Find out what being fully ramped up means.
- **Leverage the Mattermost channels.** Unfortunately, there isn't a directory of Mattermost channels and can be pretty hard to find. But you can ask your questions there, read the stickies and headers. Most folks are pretty helpful.
- **Schedule 1-1s with all your immediate teammates.** Get to know your team and ask them what you should get started on or what you should focus on. Find out what the pain points are so you can start contributing. You'll need support at Tesla.

These are just some tips on how I ramped up fairly quickly although not smoothly because there are a lot of teams and technologies I had to work with but I think I did fair.

As for how to level up quickly, your manager should have given you a rubric. From my experience, Tesla values visible contributions and knowing your stuff on a deep level. Over time, you can choose a domain to 'own' and be the resident expert. That's how I've seen people level up.

AGAIN FOR ANYONE THINKING OF QUOTING ME ON THIS, THESE ARE JUST MY EXPERIENCES, IT IS NOT REFLECTIVE OF THE COMPANY.

Anyway, feel free to chat with me on Teams if you want to discuss further, I tried to be general here but I can chat about specific processes or where to find channels and resources.

Happy to help and good luck!

\
(Dear reader, please drop a like if this was helpful in any way, I'm trying to improve the format of my responses)

There are so many ways to break this question down. I don't think there's an exhaustive or complete list right now. 

But what are you trying to improve? \
\
I will contribute two categories I see my team falling into:

**The Generalist**\
They do it all and pick up all the random tickets that come through. They know at least a little about every codebase. They experience a variety of roles during their time. They are empowered by switching between different projects. 

**The Specialist**\
They are masters of their domain and have a deep knowledge of a specific codebase or stack. They understand how everything works together beyond the surface level. They are empowered by honing in on their craft. 

To improve, you can focus on your weaknesses or strengths in each of the archetypes and try to develop them. For example, if you are typically a generalist, try to gain a better understanding of your system. 

Here are some other links to explore which I found humorous: 

- <https://spin.atomicobject.com/2022/11/12/developer-archetypes/>
- <https://www.infoworld.com/article/2078776/the-14-characters-you-meet-as-a-coder.html>

I would love to hear more about what others think, thanks for the question! 

Hey! Alex posted some great resources so I don't have much to add. 

In addition though, I would have a killer portfolio. Do you have stuff you can show off? 

A website, a collection of past work, etc. 

If not, I would start trying to remember your best past work and compile them into a demonstrable document. If they were proprietary, you can be vague and leave out some details but focus on your implementation. 

Good luck!!

Hey! Thanks for the question. 

I'm sorry to hear you don't feel on-par with some of your colleagues in terms of this. However, it's not the worst thing. I don't have a great memory either. 

So here's my solution to this: Take great notes! 

I'm a fan of Notion but I use OneNote at work because it's what my company approves. Be diligent in writing down all the important information. Tag them so you can easily find and recall them. 

If you're feeling dazed and confused, consult your notes. Have the wisdom to realize to write it down immediately, no matter how small. That's how I would start. 

Additionally, most of these engineers have probably been there longer than you have, so they have a lot more context and have probably gone through it a few times. 

Good luck! 

Thanks for your question! 

What is your goal? Are you trying to secure a return offer?

It depends on the manager but managers should not be making 1-1s 100% just status updates. That's what daily standup and other meetings are for. 

I use my 1-1s to dig deeper and for growth development. 

To answer your question, I usually do mine bi-weekly for 30-45 minutes. Yes, it includes status updates but only the most important ones. 

I also learned from Rahul to keep a log of our conversations, perhaps even a collaborative doc. Feel free to DM and I'll see if I can dig up the link, but it's on Taro!

Hope that helps!

Hey! I totally get it. 

There's tons of content out there to consume. You'll never be able to consume a 100% of the materials out there as new content is being created every day. 

What are your goals? What would you like to learn? Try to narrow it down and seek out those materials. 

If something resonates with you, my advice is to have a bookmarking system or a collection. I have a Notion page of all the articles/tutorials/guides that I find interesting and want to refer back on. 

Regular review also helps. 

Why do you feel the need to know everything all at once? We're all learning.

Hope that helps. 

I'm not L6. 

But I did have to prep when I had a full time job and landed a mid-level role.

I basically sacrificed my evenings and my weekend to do 1-5 hours of prep a day. 

I was able to find a community to do this with so it wasn't a straight grind AND I wasn't on a strict deadline. I would say, it took me maybe 6-8 months to land my offer (I took breaks in between). I was also very picky with the companies I interviewed with, as it sounds like you will be. 

I was aiming for consistency and progress over optimization because that's too much pressure for me. 

Finally, I also exercised passive strategies like networking with others, really tailoring my application to each position and coming up with supportive materials. 

I hope that helps with your first question, I don't know what your schedule is like but if you share more detail, I can provide more about how I went through my journey. 

Good luck!

You don't have to bring up pip. Your new employer might do background checks to check on your dates on employment. *Some* records also include the termination for cause details. 

However, *most* employers don't volunteer this information.

When I communicated with the company that did my background check (I had complications with addresses), they literally called to check that I worked on Date A to Date B for X company and if I had any criminal records. 

Hopefully you'll find a job before the end of your pip. 

Good luck!

I'll share as someone who's in an MBA program right now. 

I've spoken to a handful of hiring managers in my company and the company-specific answer I generally receive is this: 

- It helps if you have little experience but want to show that you're committed to leadership/management path

I personally chose to do an MBA because it aligned with my other goals along with wanting to move into management. 

But here's what I've been gaining from my MBA courses if that helps you narrow down your decision:

- How financials in business work
- How business strategies are evaluated and determined
- Investigating how companies work through case studies
- Fundamentals of marketing/finance/accounting and other business departments
- How to work in a team and exercise your leadership skills 
- Access through a huge network, Alumni love connecting and helping each other out

Hot take but I think the name brand of the MBA you pursue does matter since it's the connections and environment that you immerse yourself in that will provide the most value. The content I learn for my coursework is literally available online. So, I would take that into consideration as well. 

Hope that helps! 

I'm sorry to hear that your offer was rescinded. 

However, that was a pretty poor response on their part. I would say that would be a bullet dodge. 

At least now you know what your needs are and you can start targeting companies that meet those needs instead of them shooting you down when you express what they are. 

I can't believe their response, honestly. How unprofessional. 

Hello! Sorry to hear you are feeling burnt out :( 

I'm not fully understanding the context of this question. 

Are you quitting and taking a break? Or are you asking your current employer for a break?

If you are quitting and taking a break, that's no different than having an unemployment gap. You can choose to disclose it during interviews but 3-6 months gap between employment isn't a big deal because it usually takes that long to secure another job anyway. They may ask why you quit though. 

If you're asking your current employer for a break of 3-6 months and then returning to work, this is not something you need to disclose in your resume. 

Hope that answers your question. Happy to discuss more. 

Wahoo! Self-taught folks! \
\
When I get this type of feedback: "Focus on technical topics". I take it that I did not come off knowledgeable enough in the field they were testing me in.

This could mean a couple of things

- This was out of your area of expertise
- It was in your field, but you weren't confident enough in your answers
- It was in your field, but you were consistently wrong

If it wasn't in your area of expertise, you need to decide if you want to improve in this area. Because you can't be an expert at everything.

If it was in your field, practice trivia questions or problem-solving questions and focus on your delivery. Finding topics to study is the hard part but there's a bunch of interview questions online. I find that working on projects also gives me the experience I need to answer technical questions as well.

**"Is there a specific approach you recommend I take to this technical part?"**

With 2 years of experience, I suggest focusing on what you want to be good at. If you're trying to match company trends, you can look up some job descriptions at your target companies and see if there's a common stack they use.

React is super popular and marketable so that's a good start.

It depends on how you learn. If you are a structured learner, invest in some courses.

**"Do I need to learn more data structures and algorithms since I do not have a Computer Science degree?"**

Learning DSA was helpful for me personally and I recommend it. It helps you think about how to leverage data structures to write better code.

**"In order to build a strong foundation, should I consider applying to a FAANG company?"**

Interview experience is good to have but if those are not the type of companies you are targeting, I wouldn't invest too much energy into it. It's good practice though. And as I always say, solving the problem isn't necessarily the most important factor. How you communicate your ideas, discuss trade offs and collaborate are critical as well and interviewing at FAANG might help you practice that.

To build a strong foundation, I would put my energy into building projects on your own and PRACTICE what you've learned. There's so many youtube tutorials out there available for free.

That said, if you feel you have the technical skills already. It could also be a communication issue. Perhaps your problem is showcasing those skills in an interview. 

Hope this helps. Happy to dig deeper.

Good luck!

Hello thank you for the question! My answer will be similar to the one I gave in Slack but I will format it here for others to read as well.

First off, companies do not care how you 'feel' or what you do on your weekends. It's simply not a priority during negotiations.

I would highly recommend you avoid bringing up the statements you mentioned.

Instead, focus on what you bring to the table, what are the specific technical skills that they require from you? **Use your evidence and experience as justification for a higher salary.**

Say something like:

*"Thank you for the offer!*

*I would like to respectfully negotiate for x amount for 32 hours/week.*

*I am highly interested in working for Company based on my interview experience and research. My technical skills in skill Y and skill Z would be applicable in helping to solve CompanyProblem. My experience with stack A shows that I am able to contribute to furthering Company in this specific department. I am excited to join the team and have enjoyed the interview experience.*

*Thank you for starting the conversation, hoping to engage and hear from you."*

At this time, you're not threatening to reject the offer. You're trying to work with them on an agreement. The best way to negotiate is to remind them of your value.

If they push back, respectfully ask them how they arrived at that offer to help you understand why it is below market rate for your experience and skillset. Then, you can retaliate and help fill some gaps in areas they may have missed.

For your other questions:

I'm not sure what it's like outside the US, someone else might need to chime in here. I would start at a reasonably higher number to start negotiations. Also ask for other benefits, moving stipend, things like that.

Hope that helps, good luck!

Hey!

Emails sound appropriate in this situation.

**To the director's manger:** \
"Hello, I am Name from Department, working under/with ManagerName. I wanted to write this email to recognize how DirectorName went above and beyond in personally assisting me with a sensitive situation. He was helpful, empathetic, and connected me with the right people. His support is greatly appreciated and a positive reflection of our company's values. "

Keep it short and simple. I doubt he'll ask for details. If he does, say you appreciate the follow-up but mention it was a sensitive HR situation and reiterate that you wanted to highlight your gratitude.

**To the director:**

"Thank you again for your help with my situation. I am grateful to have had your counsel and support during that time. I have forwarded my appreciation to DirectorManagerName. Let me know how I can ever assist you."

You can go into detail more to express your appreciation but it's not necessary. If there's some formal way of giving kudos to someone during evaluation, I would offer to fill that out.

I wouldn't overthink it.

Good luck!

Hey! Thanks for your questions!

I'm glad the Leetcode hustle has been positive for you and congrats on passing through those interviews. As you observed, leetcode =/= software engineering. It's one of the ways for interviewers to evaluate your problem solving skills (I personally think the system is broken, but not hating the players)\
\
Here's what I would recommend someone just starting out:

1. **Be solid on your fundamentals of your programming language.** Know your syntax, loops, if-statements, most-used library functions, good naming conventions, etc.
2. **Brush up on data structures and common algorithm patterns.** You probably got this covered but having good intuition of these is very helpful when writing code.
3. **Write good tests.** Learn to test your code in a holistic manner. Cover happy path. Do isolated tests. Look up test-driven development.
4. **Organize your code well.** There are many ways to organize your code. Pick a file structure and code structure. I like to organize my files by relevancy rather than file type.
5. **Practice problem solving.** Console log debugging. Rubber duck debugging. Test your assumptions. Use StackOverflow, Google, ChatGPT, etc. Tailor and refine your questions. Process of elimination to get to root cause asap (this really comes with experience).

As for 'understanding complex systems', it depends on your learning style. What is most effective to help you learn? For me, it has to be interactive or project-based. Maybe the Feynman Technique would be helpful for you. 

Those are some specifics that helped me when I was just starting out. It's an iterative process rather than a linear one like what you're asking for but I hope it helps.

We can dive deeper into each of these and come up with a solid plan together.

Good luck!

Playlist

If you're a software engineer, you can't progress in your career by simply doing what you're told. Over time, you need to learn how to create you own scope, especially as you reach senior and staff levels.