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Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

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Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#41

Post by giantg2 »

nonameiguess wrote: post #39
giantg2 wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you're in America, you're fucked. One mistake and your marked for life. Be that legal issues, work history, etc. We'll hold that shit against you until you die. Edit: why disagree?

Because it's not even remotely true. I've been homeless, divorced twice, kicked out of a school under suspicion of crime, driven nearly insane at one point, desperate enough to embezzle cash from a retail employer 21 years ago, guilty of arson when I was teenager. I still have a perfectly good job that puts me in a higher pay echelon than I ever would have imagined at one time in my life, even a top-secret clearance.…

Oh, sounds like you're part of a prior generation. It doesn't seem to work like that anymore per my anecdata.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#42

Post by wryyy »

Based on all these sorts of articles, it feels like the only way to advance your career in the US is to get into management at some point. In the EU, and Finland where I'm from, there's nothing wrong and there's a path for being a more senior IC long term, working on more and more complex tasks. The culture is different though, there is not always the same kind of hierarchy as in the US either.

I guess in the US a similar path could be a Staff Engineer role where you could stay more technical I guess.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#43

Post by aristus »

71a54xd wrote: post #16

What if my career history isn't perfect? I'm trying to overcome this now and it's been a real struggle.

Also a heavy case of survivor bias, but my career history was also imperfect around the same time as OP when I applied to Facebook. No college degree, born in the wrong city and economic level, etc.

I had a huge bit of luck working for a startup in early 2000s that was acquired by Yahoo (ha ha shut up). They overworked me and even screwed me out of my promised shares but I had that pip on my CV. Went to work at a couple of other places later, mostly chosen for interesting work. Later later had the dubious luck to be bought by Yahoo again, and parleyed that plus contacts to get an invite to Facebook.

I bombed the first round of interviews. Only by the strength of my contacts and unexpected help from people I didn't know but for some reason wanted me there, I got another chance and joined a couple years before the IPO.

TLDR: this story has almost nothing to teach you or replicate. Except! Not having a mainline pedigree is a handicap but not necessarily a career death sentence.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#44

Post by astrange »

giantg2 wrote: post #35
glitchc wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Barring a criminal record, America is the land of second chances. People come from all over the world to start a fresh life here. If it can't be done here, it can't be done anywhere (except maybe Somalia but that's absolute anarchy).

Look at job applications. Some ask if you've ever been arrested or charged with a crime - not convicted even. Guess what, you answer yes for some stupid summary offense like having a dog off a leash and your application is in the garbage. I see tons of bias in hiring too. What about people that take a break from working due to childcare, medical issues, etc? They struggle. There's a never ending amount of those stori…

> It seems like many places in Europe have better options for second chances from the legal perspective. Perhaps better from a financial standpoint with the support programs too.

One reason Europe doesn't have startups is that it's so shameful for your company to fail that nobody would ever consider risking it.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#45

Post by crop_rotation »

giantg2 wrote: post #26

The real lesson is to join a company poised for rapid growth (bonus points if it turns into a mainstream name like Facebook) and getting lucky as they expand. Try that at a mature company and you'll get nowhere. Do it at the small companies that never blow up and you'll get nowhere. Even if you're in the right company at the right time, there's a good chance someone else will be given the opportunity over you.

This is the best advice. And even within large companies, choose teams that will grow. If your team and org all grow you too have a very high chance of growing. If your Director/VP is not growing/getting a bigger org, your own growth chances are inherently limited for very senior roles.

It becomes a bigger risk/reward scenario for joining companies.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#46

Post by gabereiser »

wryyy wrote: post #42

Based on all these sorts of articles, it feels like the only way to advance your career in the US is to get into management at some point. In the EU, and Finland where I'm from, there's nothing wrong and there's a path for being a more senior IC long term, working on more and more complex tasks. The culture is different though, there is not always the same kind of hierarchy as in the US either. I guess in the US a si…

Those who are busy at the principal level and above don’t usually write blog posts about how they got there. You read more about management because of the very nature of management. It’s a people thing. I’ve read equally as important articles from distinguished engineers. No, you do NOT need to go into management to advance your career. In fact, most engineers I’ve met in my 20-odd years engineering and leading, would make lousy managers.

Most companies worth the weight will have IC tracks all the way to Director or even VP.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#47

Post by willis936 »

cogogo wrote: post #20

Not a dig but it’s always better to be lucky than good. I’ve had an extremely lucky career but nothing like that. Two of the biggest brand blue chips then 3 really well funded startups that have been positive experiences but financially there is zero doubt I would have been better off at the big listed not faang companies.

I like to say "being good is good; being lucky is great."

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#48

Post by crop_rotation »

wryyy wrote: post #42

Based on all these sorts of articles, it feels like the only way to advance your career in the US is to get into management at some point. In the EU, and Finland where I'm from, there's nothing wrong and there's a path for being a more senior IC long term, working on more and more complex tasks. The culture is different though, there is not always the same kind of hierarchy as in the US either. I guess in the US a si…

The thing is the IC role has an implicit ceiling unless your org is deeply technical with a complex technical product. The US has the same path with arguably more options and better compensation at higher IC levels, but the non IC path has both of these even better, and you will have a much better chance of influencing what exact gets done.

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#49

Post by yieldcrv »

siliconc0w wrote: post #29

I feel like you have a choose your own adventure at these companies: * climb the ladder - try to be 'in the room' with L+1&2. Get assigned high visibility work, define and deliver some intermediate milestone, declare success, groom perception, etc. * get hired at a competitor at L+1. * start a side hustle/lifestyle/real estate business. Subscribe to the FIRE subreddit/podcasts. * have kids, develop increasingly esote…

* and then make all your money riding a random crypto token but focus your story on “how you made so much” from your hustle

Re: Engineer’s guide to career growth: Advice from my time at Stripe and Facebook

#50

Post by 71a54xd »

aristus wrote: post #43
71a54xd wrote: post #16

What if my career history isn't perfect? I'm trying to overcome this now and it's been a real struggle.

Also a heavy case of survivor bias, but my career history was also imperfect around the same time as OP when I applied to Facebook. No college degree, born in the wrong city and economic level, etc. I had a huge bit of luck working for a startup in early 2000s that was acquired by Yahoo (ha ha shut up). They overworked me and even screwed me out of my promised shares but I had that pip on my CV. Went to work at a cou…

Thanks for your thoughts.

I feel lost because I get the impression from my resume I look like damaged goods. I've had some recruiters give me solid pointers on my resume and things have improved slightly - but right now I feel like I'm spinning my wheels and wasting time trying to "make a living" doing this like I used to. Making less than my initial FAANG offer after college also hurts.

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