Mid-level Engineer Career Development Videos, Forum, and Q&A

Can someone help me with a roadmap to switch to AI/ML engineer . As in what should I learn and upskill upon .. to get a role at some of the top companies in this domain Thanks In Advance

I like my team and management. I would like to stay here and yet address the comp concerns. Promos are too difficult. So I would like to learn from Alex, Rahul and community members here on how I should go about the retention offer. What are the things I should do in order to increase my chances. I want to plan it thoroughly and execute it without getting burnt out.

My manager and skip both put me up for a promotion, but I was told it was blocked because it is not in the budget. They seem to empathize with me and was told there is a possibility for promotion during the midyear cycle but it's not certain, so I don't want to get my hopes up. I'm really disappointed because I been working hard and taking on additional responsibilities that are beyond the scope of my level. I have received feedback that I am a "top performer" and "workhorse" of the team, so this is a hard hit to my morale. I feel I have done everything I could do, but it seems like there is nothing more I can do and that is what's bothering me. I been trying accept that is out of my control but it lingers in the back of my mind.

Hey everyone, I’m right now exploring breaking into Big Tech and want to determine if Formation.dev is for me :). Background: BS in CS (2022), 1.5yr SWE at Series B YC startup ($150M) Left Jan 2024 for break, explored GovTech/startup ideas Pivoted to Big Tech goal (Nov 2024) Completed 150+ Leetcode, 26 mock interviews on TryExponent Did 5 startup interviews Jan 2025 (rejected) - realized startups need different prep & chose Big Tech. Along the way, I’ve tried creating interview prep groups but that failed. Current state: Formation TIRA score: 525/1000 (could pass easiest tech interviews at JP Morgan Chase) Have referrals at Meta/Stripe/Google/Microsoft Got and failed Uber L4 first recruiter screen (7/18/24) Solo prep isn't working well & I’m clearly not at a level to pass any Big Tech interview. My main priorities rn: Find a community. Interview prep alone is tough & feels inefficient. Have accountability to level up. Have real-world challenges (such as mocks interviews with real Big Tech engs) Know what to work on. Spoke with recruiter and Formation.dev offers: AI-generated DSA exercises Weekly small group interviews (5 people) with industry eng Weekly 1:1 mocks with staff eng Job recommendations Daily manager check-ins Cost: $5k upfront + up to $15k ISA Worth it or not: Alex said: “So Formation.dev is one of the better interview bootcamps out there. They have results, and the founders are legit. However, their results have definitely dwindled in this market, especially among junior engineers.” My current thinking is to do the 7 day free trial and just see how it goes. Questions: Given the 2025 market, is Formation.dev generally worth it? How about given my situation? Is the cost ($20k total possible) concerning? What Big Tech level should I target? I received a L4 recruiter interview at Uber (7/18/24) and failed the recruiter call so that makes me a bit confused.

I work for a consultancy company. The client I was assigned to recently changed to another service provider and all my team (7 contractors including 2 project managers) were put on the bench. The staffing team is looking for another project where I might be a good fit and they say there's no deadline to assign me to another project, but I'm not sure of that and every day it feels like I will be fired in any moment. My motivation went from 100% to literally zero. I don't know what to focus on now and I feel lost. It is an odd feeling. What can I do now? Things I've done so far: Created a side project for helping people manage their finances using Django + PostgreSQL. I've been practicing in leetcode and hackerrank. Now I'm reading Elements of programming interviews in python.

Hey everyone, I'm new to Meta, and while I’ve enjoyed the onboarding experience and the sheer scale of the work here, I’ve found myself navigating through this incentive-induced rivalry culture. On one hand, the competitive atmosphere can be motivating, but I also sense it might lead to employees chasing artificial metrics or competing for scope in ways that don’t always align with the bigger picture. Everyone talks about this, and I’ve caught myself wondering if I’m slipping into this mindset and whether it’s making me feel jaded. There had been a few instance where a coworker would ship something that is half working, claim impact and then move off to a different thing, where I am left to fix and get it actually working. Have any of you felt this way before? It feels less like I'm playing regular chess and more like I'm trying to navigate 5D chess—or maybe even alien chess! If so, how did you approach it without losing sight of the impact you truly want to make? Looking for some candid advice or strategies to stay grounded and authentic while thriving in this environment!

Good morning! I work at a company of around 5000 employees and specifically on a team of 5. The culture and team are great but I feel bored half the time at work and don't see any true growth or progression happening. I work as the front end specialist on the team and feel a lot of the time my work has no impact as it only supports one customer. My other question is in the current market landscape and given my work isn't even on the medium scale how do I go about transitioning to larger companies and having more impact? For context, my current job takes about 40% effort to complete my work and sprints ahead of schedule. Thanks!

One of the disadvantages of working at Amazon is that I don’t have enough experience working with Docker and Kubernetes anymore and frequently asked during recruiter calls if I know the technologies. I wrote a few Dockerfiles couple of years ago and I am pretty confident I will be able to pick it up if I have to use it on daily basis again. Should I be expected to know basics for tech interviews? What level of expertise should I have to say that I know docker and kubernetes to a hiring manager or recruiter?

I will be moving to a new team soon. Is it recommended to ask for feedback from my old team before moving out. I have good relationship with my team and I want to leverage them to know more about my overall contribution as a team player and engineer. What is the best way to do that ? What type of questions I can ask ? I want to avoid falling into same mistakes and grow faster in my new team.

I’ve only worked at startups and non-tech companies, but I’m joining Google next month. How can I make sure that I meet all expectations as an L4? When it comes to talking to my manager, how should I frame the conversation? Just ask something generic like “What are my expectations as an L4?” Ask for more specifics like how much code to write

I’ve recently had my first 1:1 meeting with my manager, and we touched upon several critical points that I believe will shape my journey here. Additionally, I learned that my assigned mentor is based on the East Coast, which adds an interesting dynamic to my collaboration and learning opportunities. After the meeting, when discussing working hours through the chat, my manager inquired about my preference. Considering the timezone difference and aiming for effective collaboration with my East Coast-based mentor, I’m contemplating proposing a work schedule from 12 PM IST to 12 AM IST. This would roughly translate to 1:30 PM EST currently and 2:30 PM EST after daylight savings adjustments. I’m eager to hear your insights on these matters, especially regarding the proposed working hours. Do you think this schedule is effective for cross-timezone collaboration? How would you recommend navigating these initial discussions and action points in a new role, considering the timezone alignment needs? Your advice and shared experiences would be incredibly valuable to me.

I'm a premium member from India and want to be in the same club.

A feature I'm building has no straightforward process or to-do list, where designs are unfinished, and designing and development go hand in hand for weeks. We have been pushed to develop in parallel, creating much rework. All my engineering manager asks now is ETA, even when they know it is difficult to achieve, and asks why it is late, pushing us to work late at night or on the weekends. They do it in front of everyone or via Slack to create pressure. What is the fundamental role of the Engineering Manager?

I've done various presentations throughout my career, and I always get stressed out doing them. I'll make slides/a script beforehand and pull all-nighters the day before. I'm okay presenting in front of smaller groups, but it's hard in front of larger groups. How can I get more comfortable with this, especially with higher stakes presentations like those trying to get buy-in from a large group of senior+ engineers and tech leads?

Hi Taro Community, I'm wrestling with a question about work hours that perhaps many of you have also encountered. Is it generally advisable to stick strictly to an 8-hour workday, or is it acceptable to work more when necessary? Specifically, if the tasks at hand don't get completed within the standard 8-hour window, should I extend my hours into the night to resolve issues? Here's my dilemma: I've found myself working additional hours at night to tackle pending tasks. While this has helped me keep up with my workload, I'm unsure about the implications of this practice: Should I expect acknowledgment or appreciation from my manager for these extra efforts? Is it beneficial to communicate my extended hours to my manager, and could it potentially influence decisions regarding bonuses or other forms of recognition? How do managers typically view overtime work, and what is the balance between demonstrating dedication and setting healthy work boundaries? I'd appreciate any guidance or personal experiences you can share on handling overtime work and how to approach discussions about it with management. Thank you for your insights.

My brother is very worried about getting a return offer at Meta - he'll be interning there this summer. He reviewed the videos on Nail Your Return Offer As A Meta Software Engineer Intern**,** but is still confused on who he would assign to review diffs/vouch for his performance other than his EM.

Hi Taro Community, I’ve recently joined Microsoft India as an SDE-II, transitioning from Cisco where I had initially been based in the US before relocating to India in 2020 due to visa challenges. With an aspiration to move back to the US within the next 1-2 years, I’m seeking advice on how to strengthen my case for this potential relocation. Here’s a bit of background: At Cisco, I reported to a US manager, and post-layoffs in 2023, I embraced the opportunity at Microsoft India amidst a lack of other offers. The remote work model, extending from my time at Cisco to now, has been challenging, often involving late-night work to accommodate time zone differences. This has reinforced my desire to return to a US-based role. Understanding that I need to complete at least a year at Microsoft India to be eligible for relocation discussions, I want to proactively prepare and position myself as a strong candidate for such a move. I’m interested in hearing from those who have navigated similar paths or have insights into making a compelling case for international relocation within a large organization like Microsoft. What steps should I take in the next year to build a strong case for relocation? How can I effectively communicate my desire for relocation to the management team, ensuring they understand the professional (not just personal) benefits of such a move? Are there specific achievements or contributions I should focus on that would underscore my potential value to a US-based team? I appreciate any guidance, experiences, or strategies you could share.

I'm a mid-level SWE at a Big Tech company. I've been on contract for 7 months now and recently had my contract extended. I believe I met most expectations but didn't wow my manager enough to get full time. One month into my extension, my manager is leaving the team and his manager is replacing him. She extended me a full-time offer. Whoot! But wait, I'm not actually sure I want to take it now. Here's the deal. I currently make ~$250K in cash annualy charging at an hourly level ($130/hr). The full time offer will be ~$160K in base plus ~$100K in equity per year, with the vesting being like I get half the equity after 1 year and then quarterly after that. Plus I get benefits So already there are 3 disadvantages: The pay is about the same and instead my money is tied to company stock. I need to wait / be at the company for at least a year to get the stock. I lose the tremendous tax advantages that come with being a contractor since I don't have taxes deducted upfront, but instead pay them myself. So on a dollars and cents level, I think I should decline. The reason I'm hesitant to do that is obvious: I don't want to mark myself as an outsider on the team and hurt the feelings of my nice new manager. It's a nice problem to have, but still a problem! Any insights are appreciated. Thanks!

I started working as an entry level engineer at my current company a little over a year ago. I'm working with my manager to aim for promo in this next half (cycle would take place at the end of the year) to go from L3 -> L4. We both feel reasonably confident about putting up a packet. I also really like my manager and my team. I feel that I'm learning a lot and have decent WLB. Additionally, the L4 compensation range at my current company appears to be near top of market. However, the L4 -> L5 promo timeline at my current company appears to be somewhat slow (2.5-3 years) and there's always some risk that the promotion doesn't go through this cycle. Is it worth passively looking for jobs on the side to cross promote to L4 or should I just focus that time and energy on building a stronger promo packet for this half?

Engineer A on my team was working on big refactoring project. I joined same project around 65-70% completion. Now he’s leaving for a vacation and I’ll be leading project and finishing it. By time he’ll leave it will mostly be completed 90-95%. My questions are: Since project is almost done, I know I won’t have much scope but still how do I show my best in whatever is remaining? What are things to look into and clarify with that engineer during handoff or before he leave? Any other tips for making best out of this opportunity?

I would like to understand how can I drive an effective Tech discovery session (just had a PRD walkthrough) with the team (remotely working) before we start writing a detailed system design document. The engineers are mostly L4 and are still learning how to effectively collaborate instead of full blown meeting.

I am starting to realize that my manager might not be the most competent engineering leader. While he's a nice guy and has been very good to me, I have noticed recently that: he does not get much respect from his XFN coworkers - a data scientist on the team has confided to me that he does not think that my manager is technically capable - other stakeholders (e.g. PMs) do not seem to value his opinions he has not been able to show business impact and value for the team, and it's likely that my team will receive additional scrutiny as a cost center he always seems to over-promise and under-deliver every quarter, with the excuse that he can always move the goals/timelines around come review time my manager also mentioned that he did not get a great perf review rating in the most recent round of reviews, and I'm worried that this might percolate down to my own reviews In short he seems to be doing the opposite of what Taro advises (both as EM and IC). What do I do at this point? Jump ship to a different team? [Another recent question asked about toxic managers -- to be clear, my manager has been anything but toxic and I am on very friendly terms with him. I am just worried that continuing to be on his team would hamper my own career growth if he doesn't know what he's doing.]

I'm looking for a good resources I can study from to strengthen my front end knowledge in react and type script. And may be built some projects to solidify the learnings. Would greatly appreciate any feedback/suggesstions.

As a mid-level engineer, my goal is to advance to senior in the next year or so. I’ve been looking at the career ladder defined by my company, but I still want something a big more concrete.