Interview Insights with Stefan: From Big Tech to Interview Prep
Welcome back to the channel! This week features Stefan, a software engineering veteran with decades of experience, who will be sharing his insights. Stefan has worked at companies like Amazon and Meta, and now runs Hello Interview, a platform for interview preparation. Let's dive into the discussion.
Stefan's Background
Stefan has been in tech for about 15 years. He started early with computers but initially found it challenging to break into the industry.
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He began his career in startups, optimizing industrial models.
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He then moved to Seattle, working as a software consultant with Expedia, where he developed a taste for scalable system design.
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Later, he joined Amazon as an engineer and then transitioned into management, building systems for ads and ML models for forecasting.
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His last role in Big Tech was as an Engineering Manager at Meta, leading a team focused on harmful content, before starting his own ventures.
Performance of External Hires at L5/L6 Levels
Many external hires at the L5 and L6 levels struggle with the transition into a new company. A key factor is often the ability to adapt to the new company culture and generalize their skills.
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Ramping Up: Engineers often fail to allocate enough time to properly ramp up and learn the new environment.
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Building Relationships: Another challenge is not putting in the effort to build the trust and relationships necessary for effectiveness.
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Cultural Resistance: A common mistake is trying to change everything to match their previous environment, which is met with resistance and fails to appreciate the existing culture.
Stefan emphasizes allocating time (6-7 months) for new hires to build skills and trust within the team before taking on significant projects. Rushing this process can damage trust and hinder success.
Performance Review Misconceptions and Calibration
The performance review process for new hires should include an allowance for ramping up and getting acclimated. Managers should set the stage for new hires, but some may not.
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Level-Appropriate Work: Ensure the projects you are working on align with your role. If brought in as a staff-level engineer, you should be leading projects with multiple engineers.
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Visibility: Make sure your work is visible. Other managers and peers will weigh in on your performance. Socialize your work, understand their concerns, and adjust as necessary.
One-on-ones are crucial for assessing an engineer's understanding and vision. Managers look for engineers to identify problems, propose solutions, and contribute to the team's future direction.
Addressing Concerns with Your Manager
It's important to constructively communicate concerns to your manager. Frame issues in a way that suggests solutions.
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Consider Your Manager's Perspective: Put yourself in your manager's shoes and consider what actions they can take.
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Peer-to-Peer Approach: Treat your manager as a peer or partner. Most senior engineers should be able to handle situations similarly to their manager.
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Technical vs. Organizational Issues: Address technical issues with senior ICs first, while organizational or team issues can be directly discussed with your manager.
Common Interview Pitfalls for Senior Engineers
While general interview advice is abundant, it often falls short for senior engineers.
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Coding Interviews: These are less critical for staff-level roles, assuming basic coding proficiency is already established.
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Design Interviews: Candidates often try to regurgitate rehearsed structures, which doesn't allow the interviewer to assess the candidate's core capabilities. A better approach is to quickly get past the fundamentals and focus on the unique aspects of the design. Show how you can apply your past experiences to this novel problem.
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Behavioral Interviews: Engineers often struggle to effectively communicate their experience and insights. They may not take enough credit for their contributions or fail to convey the complexity of their projects. Interviewers should be looking to gauge competencies that are well beyond the surface of the questions being asked.
Stefan emphasizes that interviews are an opportunity to showcase your skills and experience, not just answer questions. Understand the interviewer's underlying goals and proactively demonstrate relevant competencies.
Final Thoughts and Hello Interview Plug
Stefan encourages candidates to understand what interviewers are looking for and proactively address those areas.
- Hello Interview offers coaching for candidates at all levels, specializing in system design and behavioral interviews.