What a Software Engineer at an Advertising Company Wishes They Had Known Before Entering the Industry
Tristan, a software engineer, advises that the interview process is "much, much harder than the actual role itself," a fact that initially caused self-doubt but which they learned to approach by consistently improving skills using "space repetition" and focusing on interview preparation rather than taking feedback personally.
Job Search, Overcoming Challenges, Resilience, Industry Realities, Practical
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Tristan Hilbert
Software Engineer
Advertising Company
Major: Computer Science
Loyola Marymount University - Masters : Computer Science
Computer Science
Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. The interview process for software engineering roles is significantly more challenging than the actual job.
2. Interview feedback can be vague and impersonal; focus on improving skills and persistence rather than taking feedback personally.
3. Consistent, spaced repetition of skills is crucial for interview preparation, rather than cramming before each interview
Transcript
Q9: What do you wish you knew before entering the industry?
What have you learned about this role that you wish someone would've told you before you entered the industry?
I think the primary thing, especially for those coming in, is that interviewing and getting into the actual role is much, much harder than the actual role itself. This is a topic that comes up a lot within software engineering: the interviews are much harder than the actual work.
For me personally, I got down on myself because after interviews, the feedback I would get was very vague. It wasn't really accustomed to my skillset. After a couple of years, you learn that they're not after you personally, and they don't really care.
It's really that they have stakeholders themselves that they're trying to justify to, and it's better to just keep pushing forward. Try your best in the next one, and also study up; keep those skills fresh.
I had a professor back in my master's degree who said spaced repetition is a really good thing if you are not trying to cram right before the interview. Just doing an hour each day to reinforce the skill could be very helpful, and I wish I had known that going into my bachelor's.