Significant Career Lesson From a Software Engineer at Big Tech Company
Matthew, a Software Engineer III at Big Tech Company, emphasizes the importance of "assum[ing] accountability for things and tak[ing] responsibility without being apologetic," advocating for a "growth mindset" where mistakes are viewed as learning opportunities. In a high-pressure industry where work is "under a microscope," cultivating resilience and assuming goodwill from colleagues is key to long-term sustainability and success.
Resilience, Accountability, Growth Mindset, Problem-Solving, Communication
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Matthew Gagliardi
Software Engineer III
Big Tech Company
University of San Diego
U.C. Berekely . M.A. mathematics
Mathematics, Data Science, Statistics, Philosophy
Arts, Entertainment & Media, Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
Took Out Loans
Video Highlights
1. Accountability and Responsibility: Take ownership of your work and mistakes without excessive apologizing. Complex projects involve errors, and resilience is key.
2. Growth Mindset: Embrace the idea that mistakes are learning opportunities. Give colleagues the benefit of the doubt and assume goodwill.
3. Vulnerability and Learning: Understand that errors are inevitable in the tech industry. Focus on how you react to mistakes and use them as chances for deeper understanding and improvement.
Transcript
What is one lesson you have learned that has proven to be successful in your career?
A significant lesson I've learned is to assume accountability and take responsibility without being apologetic. You're working on complex projects with many moving parts and people, so things will go wrong, and you will make mistakes.
Learning to be resilient is important. An expression I hear a lot, and something I might have found corny years ago, is having a growth mindset. It's actually a useful idea, even though it sounds like it's from a self-help book and easy to dismiss.
It's crucial to take seriously the idea that mistakes are learning opportunities. You have to give people the benefit of the doubt at work, assuming they want you to succeed. While not always true, as human nature and office politics can interfere, assume goodwill.
Assume people want you to succeed, and that when you make a mistake, which will probably happen several times a day, it's a gift. You'll gain a deeper understanding of what you messed up, be able to help others, and the product will improve because you stumbled, fell, and picked yourself up.
This is key in our intense industry. You'll feel constantly judged for your critical thinking, and your work will be under a microscope. It's not sustainable to always be on guard or at high alert. You need to be attentive, but also allow yourself to relax and be vulnerable.
Understand that something will go wrong, and you control your reaction. When an alert goes off because you broke something and users can't access the product, and people are upset, that's okay. Life will go on, and you'll learn from it.