Becoming professional. Really need advice

Apr 15, 2021 17 Comments

I am really desperate at this point and struggling with becoming a good software engineer. I have been working full time in the industry for 3 years now. How did you people do it?

My story short: I was not any kind of child prodigy and I haven't even known of programming until I was in college. But I was talented in math and analytical thinking, and I did fall in love with programming, that's how I survived college but it was really tough for me, and I don't think I really learnt much. My college wasn't very good, but I tried my best but never built anything "big", just a few small projects for courses at best. I never deployed anything to "production", neither in college nor at job [roughly speaking]. At my first and only job right after college I got in FAANG [for those of you who are surprised: I am smart by nature and that's how have been able to survive so far and even get such a job but I applied for junior role and they never asked anything hard, I was lucky], I have never been given any "projects" to build the muscle of designing things from scratch. It has been mostly maintaining things and writing a few lines here and there. I am extremely afraid I am no good and that I am losing time by not learning anything, and say, if I were faced with a task of building a production system, I would not know where to start.

I wonder, how do people actually become architects and just really good programmers?

Especially when your senior colleagues are not really teaching/explaining. I realize it is also extreme privilege to be at such a place where you can learn.

To give you a concrete example, just when I started, I was given a task of implementing a certain feature and it took me 7 months. I felt so awful and really ashamed, and cried at night many times. When I asked for some help, I got some general discussion at best but never actual help as in: "I have a build problem I can't resolve for a week now". I was given an answer "well [starting at the ceiling] how would YOU resolve it?" or "I don't know ask X". X replies a few days (!) later with "I don't know either". (it was during corona times so everything online) The most helpful person ended up being on the other side of the world - in the US from a completely different team. I ended up with a design which was never really reviewed even though I presented it, got no feedback... and it was probably not the worst, but also not the best design...I basically had just one iteration and was extremely scared of breaking things by changing anything, once I got it to work, because I knew no one would help me if something goes wrong and I break production.

How do people actually become good at software engineering? and also while at big companies? I am in FAANG but I feel like trash. I feel like I am not learning anything and sitting at one planning meeting until the other. At the same time, I am scared to leave because I am afraid it is going to be same or worse in other companies (smaller or FAANG) since the good mentors and senior engineers willing to share the knowledge do not necessarily corelate with FAANG. in my experience.

I want and wanted to learn, and do a good job!! I want to give back to the society, I want to bring value to the world...(and not bullshit corporate "value" but actual value, in any form - since I know not everyone is lucky like me to go to college etc.) On that project, I felt like I am a blind kitten that is given a stick and a stone and is told to build a rocket. with no guidance, and the attitude "you figure it out". And I realize there are probably lots of engineers who would have done great! I only wish to ever become one of those, but I do not know how.

As for personal projects, I mean, you can only learn so much by building your own website and such. #careeradvice #faang #junior #mentorship #softwareengineering #engineer

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TOP 17 Comments
  • Amazon
    sassursaas

    Go to company page Amazon

    sassursaas
    Step 1 - Chill. You’re probably doing well. Consider investing in your mental health and self image.
    Step 2 - Read books, papers, blogs. Study good open source projects
    Step 3 - Invest a little time in building things on your own.
    Step 4 - Continue that for 10 years. It takes time. You might have unrealistic expectations. If you look around you’ll probably notice lots of people with their own strengths and shortcomings. You might not be the next John Carmack, but that’s ok. Almost no one is.
    Apr 15, 2021 1
  • Microsoft doesn't really have a lot of good software engineers.
    Apr 15, 2021 4
  • Google / Eng
    ABC-CEO

    Go to company page Google Eng

    ABC-CEO
    Read logs and wikis and ask the people who last touched the wiki or code related to the logs. Don't be afraid to roll your own solution if nobody stop you. But again you most likely won't ever build anything big from scratch.
    Apr 15, 2021 2
    • Microsoft / Eng
      nast87

      Go to company page Microsoft Eng

      nast87
      OP
      I wonder how big software is then built? If no one builds it from scratch. I understand that’s the case for most regular folks out there but how those non-regular folks become “stars”?
      Apr 15, 2021
    • Google / Eng
      ABC-CEO

      Go to company page Google Eng

      ABC-CEO
      I don't know about now, but before they started logging everybody's keystrokes, a small USB is enough to help you build things from "scratch" when you leave for a start up.
      Apr 15, 2021
  • Which office and org are you in, btw?
    Apr 15, 2021 2
  • Microsoft / Eng
    ElonSucks

    Go to company page Microsoft Eng

    ElonSucks
    I feel the same way. I’m about 5 months in now and I’ve yet to feel like I can actually contribute anything meaningful. The ideal case would be that you’re given a well defined first project with clear steps and contact points, along with a manager that mentors you and teammates that give you helpful pointers, but, as I’ve learned from grad school and industry jobs so far, the real world is way more ambiguous and unguided. What I’ve found helped me was to just focus on trying your best everyday, and not tie your sense of worth with what you’re contributing at work. Also my peers have told me that it’ll take a whole year before you’ll start feeling productive. So hang in there!
    Apr 15, 2021 2