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Meta Platforms, Inc. is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns 3 of top 4 social networks in the world: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. More than 3.5 billion people use at least one of the company's core products every month.

Finding more scope internally vs. swapping company

Mid-Level Data Engineer [L4] at Google profile pic
Mid-Level Data Engineer [L4] at Google

I've been a Data Engineer for most of my career and my observation is that scope as a Data Engineer can plateau and therefore I see a lot more L4/5 DE's than L6+. I think it is because you don't impact the bottom line directly and regularly.

At FAANG's I've worked at so far, finding new scope can be difficult even when you are working with stakeholders: it is "easier" to scope/build a product (i.e. SWE work) and show metrics of success to add value vs building a data pipeline which may be limited to them having a reporting need for example which often isn't the case especially in a more established firm.

I moved into a partner facing DE role to help more with scope/stakeholder exposure. The highest impact project I worked on so far is influencing an internal team to change the way we measure a particular metric. This involved mostly stakeholder management and nothing more complex than SQL queries from a technical standpoint. While it was fulfilling, this is also something I 'stumbled' upon and is rare due to challenges like partner scope/vision is limited/slow (their leadership can change and therefore you projects/ideas can), technical challenges of automating things because of larger concerns (e.g. privacy, lack of infra on their side which you have no control over) and so on (you generally have even less control than an internal DE).

In my current role, I am generally able to derive projects, but (in my opinion) they are limited in scope/value: i.e. build a pipeline, deliver an analysis. Therefore, even though the projects 'ticks the boxes' for an L5, it is not really driving a 'transformation' as an L6+ would. I also directly asked my manager what are some of the hardest problems we have, and have been told we have a lot, yet, I'm not hearing or seeing them.

Given the situation, would you:

  1. Move to a SWE role internally at FAANG for a more established path 'up' (not sure this resolves the scope problem especially at FAANG as I think SWE-DE's can almost be even harder to get to L6+ on because they generally lack stakeholder visibility and focus on more top down work?).
  2. Seek roles outside of FAANG where the scope of the work is already scoped to L6+ e.g. Airbnb so the 'heavy lifting' has been done in terms of scope.
  3. Refine your scoping strategy within you own team, and if so, how?

Note: my motivation is to thrive at work, this isn't for a promo, just incase the post comes across as promo-focused. :)

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Posted 6 months ago
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2 Comments

Please provide great onboarding questions for a new hire

Staff Software Engineer [E6] at Meta profile pic
Staff Software Engineer [E6] at Meta
  1. Team Charter: Overview of our mission and values?
  2. Milestones: Key goals for 2 weeks, 2 months, 6 months - clear success indicators?
  3. Key Contacts: Priority teams and individuals for relationship-building; schedule meetings? Essential tech leads and engineers contacts for insights across the org?
  4. Priorities: Weekly/quarterly priorities and alignment with company goals?
  5. Challenges: Major team challenges and my role in addressing them?
  6. Time Allocation: Expected distribution of my time across tasks?
  7. Learning Resources: Key documents or experiments to review?
  8. Project Ideas: Prospective projects and their scope (T-shirt sizing)?
  9. Performance Criteria: Access to the performance and progression rubric?
  10. Meeting Cadence: Preferred frequency for one-on-one meetings with manager, skip and peers?
  11. Feedback Schedule: Ideal timing for feedback sessions for peers, manager, and skip?
  12. Communication Preference: Written or verbal communication preference? Anything else?
  13. Asking for Help: Procedure and contact for assistance; onboarding buddy?
  14. Proactivity & Dynamics: Steps to proactivity and understanding organizational dynamics?
  15. Current Focus: Main current team issue or project?
  16. Recent & Future Work: Recent achievements and future plans (month, quarter, year)?
  17. Innovation Opportunities: Any tool/process gaps I can fill with a new solution?
  18. Team Charter Feedback: My understanding of our mission and KPIs; do you agree?
  19. People to Meet: List of essential PM's and people to influence across org teams.
  20. Project Ideas: Observations and potential impact with rough T-shirt sizing.

Anything else, also please reply if you were my manager if you can Alex + Rahul?

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Posted 6 months ago
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3 Comments

Explain day-to-day operations and decision-making in Meta

Staff Software Engineer [E6] at Meta profile pic
Staff Software Engineer [E6] at Meta

What is the prevailing culture within the organization, and how does it manifest in day-to-day operations and decision-making? The prevailing culture within an organization is the shared values, beliefs, norms, and practices that shape the social and psychological environment of a business. This culture influences employee behavior, motivates management styles, and affects decision-making processes. What are those for Meta?

What are the hidden things to notice and to worry about? For example:

  1. Cliques and Silos: Pay attention to the formation of exclusive groups or departments unwilling to share information. This can indicate a fragmented culture that hinders collaboration.

  2. Resistance to Change: If there is noticeable resistance to new ideas or changes in procedure, the culture may be rigid and resistant to innovation.

  3. Overwork and Burnout: A culture that consistently expects long hours and overwork may prioritize short-term gains over long-term employee well-being and sustainability.

  4. Turnover Rates: High employee turnover can be a red flag for issues within the organizational culture such as lack of growth opportunities, poor management, or a toxic work environment.

  5. Office Politics: Pay attention to how much politics influence decisions and progress. A culture heavily influenced by politics rather than merit can demotivate employees.

  6. Feedback Mechanisms: Lack of mechanisms for providing constructive feedback, or a culture where feedback is ignored, can indicate a culture not open to self-improvement or employee development.

  7. Diversity and Inclusion: Observe whether the organization actively supports diversity and inclusion, not just in policy but in practice, reflecting a culture of respect and equality.

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Posted 7 months ago
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How to approach politics in organization like Meta?

Staff Software Engineer [E6] at Meta profile pic
Staff Software Engineer [E6] at Meta
  1. What are the key relationships you need to develop to increase your influence within the organization?

  2. How can you demonstrate your expertise and value to others without stepping on toes or appearing overly ambitious?

  3. What are the unmet needs or pain points within the organization that you can address to gain credibility and visibility?

  4. How can you leverage the principles of reciprocity and mutual benefit to build alliances across different teams or departments?

  5. What communication strategies can you employ to effectively share your ideas and persuade others without formal authority?

Fitting into an Established Organization:

  1. What is the prevailing culture within the organization, and how does it manifest in day-to-day operations and decision-making?

  2. Who are the key stakeholders and decision-makers, and what are their expectations for new members of the organization?

  3. What informal networks or communication channels exist, and how can you effectively navigate them to build relationships?

  4. How can you demonstrate respect for existing norms and traditions while also introducing fresh perspectives and ideas?

  5. What initiatives or projects can you undertake that align with the organization's goals and also allow you to showcase your skills and contributions?

  6. How can you seek out mentors or advocates within the organization who can provide guidance and support as you integrate into the company?

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Posted 7 months ago
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3 Comments