One senior engineer weighs her options about what’s next — On reaching the senior level In February this year, I was promoted to senior software engineer (Individual Contributor — IC5) at work. A huge accomplishment for anyone, I, an underrepresented minority in tech, felt like I was breaking barriers. However, in the following months, my pride and enthusiasm for my role began to wane. For…

A step-wise approach to increasing your impact at work or at home — Context For the second anniversary of my first blog post, I decided to write another piece on writing. A meta-post, if you will. I am a software engineer with two major outlets for writing in my life, and both are in the form of “posts”: My work posts on Workplace (a…

A simple checklist I use to maintain a flow state — We live in an attention economy that limits our mental capabilities and receptiveness to new information. Daily interruptions such as a notification or a knock on the door may prevent us from being fully present at work. When we can’t focus on the task at hand, we work extra hours…

A software developer’s strategy for leaping into your fears and tackling self-doubt — “I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the…

How did a tech culture blog get here, and where are we going next? — When I published my first blog post in April 2021, I had one goal in mind: scale. While networking, one topic kept coming up again and again. I have a Bachelor’s degree in biology, but I became what’s considered a “self-taught” software engineer. People naturally ask, “How?” I would launch…

Reflecting on the software career development cycle in 2022 — The Journey of a Junior IC Imagine: the path of junior individual contributor (IC) begins. She is in early into her first software development role. She sits, tucked away at her desk, cranking out thousands of lines of code per month. She delivers high quality work and begins building trust among her teammates. Over time, she…

Sometimes, the best opportunities are the ones we never knew existed — Context Working in tech is an immense privilege. It gives us the opportunity to create meaningful impact on the surfaces we interact with daily. I’ve been developing internal products for four years. …

Improve your shot by requesting their support with clear goals instead — Regardless of your career choice, advice across the board for leveling up is to “find a mentor.” And, it’s with good reason: mentors are crucial to success in every industry. When we are early in our careers, we may naturally think, “I will ask someone to be my mentor.” …

Receive and understand job offers with confidence — Previously on Young Professionals’ Guide to Financial Literacy… In Part 1, we covered some of the basics of financial literacy: budgeting, planning for your future, investing, saving strategies, and more. We discussed how to increase compensation from your current job including 401(k) matching and other employee perks. …