Engineering Career Advancement Strategies

#Diversity in high-tech fields remains critically low. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) recently reported that #Black and #Latino professionals are underrepresented in high-tech roles, especially in leadership. These numbers highlight ongoing structural barriers in hiring, promotion and retention. This gap is a missed opportunity to tap into a wealth of diverse talent and perspectives essential to the future of tech. However, addressing and thoroughly fixing these challenges will require time, consistent effort and a long-term commitment to systemic change. Companies can support the progression of representation in tech by investing in training, mentorship and internship opportunities that open doors for people who were historically shut out. Programs like internXL, a platform that is committed to increasing diversity and inclusion in the internship hiring process for top companies, are making a significant impact. Similarly, the expansion of STEM education at institutions like Cornell University is helping to connect talented young people from underrepresented communities with opportunities for high-tech careers. When we work together to remove these barriers, we’re fostering a more inclusive workforce and strengthening innovation, problem-solving and leadership in the industry. Let���s build a tech future that reflects the diversity of our society. https://bit.ly/3UNtOCh

"I like my job and my company, but my salary doesn’t feel right". Aisha had been working in her company for three years. She enjoyed her work. Her team liked her. Her manager was supportive. But every time she saw her salary, she felt unhappy. “I’m doing more work now, but my salary is still the same,” she thought. This happens to many people. They’re happy with their company, but not with their pay. Aisha decided to take it up. Here’s what she did (and what you can learn too): 1. She did her research. Aisha checked online to see what others in her role were earning. She made sure her salary request was fair. 2. She picked the right time. She didn’t just ask suddenly. She booked a proper meeting with her manager—at a time when things were calm at work. 3. She made a list of her work. She wrote down her achievements: A process she improved Clients she helped keep happy Extra tasks she had taken on This showed how she was helping the company grow. 4. She knew what to ask for. Aisha had a clear number in mind. Not too high, not too low—just right for her skills and work. 5. She practiced what to say. She talked through her points with a friend first, so she could speak clearly and with confidence. 6. She stayed calm and polite. During the meeting, she didn’t complain or compare. She simply explained her work and asked for a raise. 7. She talked about the future. Aisha also shared her plans to keep learning and doing even better work in the company. 8. She was ready to talk it out. Her manager didn’t agree right away. There was some back-and-forth. Aisha listened and stayed open to different options, like bonuses or new projects. 9. She followed up. After the meeting, she said thank you. This showed she respected her manager’s time. 📌 What happened next? A few weeks later, Aisha got a raise—and a new opportunity at work. 💡 What can we learn? If you like your job but feel underpaid, don’t stay silent. Make a plan, stay professional, and speak up—just like Aisha did. Hope you have liked the article on how to ask for Salary Increment. Follow Me Smriti Gupta for Career & Resume tips #salarynegotiation #career #leadership

The old approach of sending resumes and hoping for the best isn't working anymore. Thousands of talented engineers are competing for fewer positions. In this market, being skilled isn't enough. You need to be visible. The engineers who are landing roles fast aren't necessarily the most qualified. They're the ones who know how to promote themselves and stand out from the crowd. That's why I created this 5-𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝗶𝘀𝗲: 📍 Step 1: Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile ↳ Your headline should immediately showcase your specific expertise. ↳ Quantify your achievements. ↳ Make yourself discoverable when recruiters search. 📍 Step 2: Build a Killer GitHub Portfolio ↳ Create 3-4 production-grade projects with detailed READMEs. ↳ Show your thinking process. ↳ Prove your skills instead of just listing them. 📍 Step 3: Write Technical Content Document what you learn. ↳ Share project walkthroughs. ↳ Write about common mistakes. 📍 Step 4: Share Strategically Post your insights with context. ↳ Explain why topics matter. ↳ Document your learning journey consistently. 📍 Step 5: Grow Your Network ↳ Connect with recruiters proactively. ↳ Engage meaningfully with posts daily. ↳ Build relationships before you need them. The result: Instead of competing with hundreds of identical resumes, you become the engineer they already know and want to hire. This system works because it positions you as a known solution, not an unknown candidate. 📌 Want the complete breakdown with actionable tips? Download the full guide here: https://bit.ly/4mZk17A I really hope this is useful. Share this with someone in your network who could benefit from these strategies. 💬 What's the biggest challenge you're facing in this competitive market?

When I started leading a high-powered recruiting team, I had the traits of the TYRANT leaders I now call out. Here's why: Despite my degrees, certificates, and ongoing professional development, nothing prepared me to transition into leading. I still had an individual contributor (IC) mindset, which unintentionally led me to compete with my very capable team. At the time, I engaged in behaviors like: Taking over projects instead of developing my team. Working long hours, thinking it showed commitment. Making unilateral decisions vs collaborating. Giving orders instead of providing clarity and context. Hoarding information instead of communicating transparently. Prioritizing my metrics over team goals. A month in, my boss at the time sat down with me and told me to own my transition and to stop taking over work when someone asked for help. (she's one of the best Leader's I've ever had) To transform my mindset, I sought out a few internal sponsors and observed how they managed their teams. I also asked my team for feedback on where I could do better. Once I made the changes: mindset and action, I began demonstrating new leadership behaviors: Coaching my team and developing their problem-solving skills. ↳Created an authorization matrix to empower them to make decisions. Promoting work-life balance through prioritization and delegation. ↳I stopped working on vacation to set a better example. Making collaborative decisions to increase buy-in. ↳They worked on the reqs, so I asked for their ideas and where I could implement them. Painting a vision and equipping the team to get there themselves. ↳I translated the organization's vision down to how it affected our team goals. Openly communicating to build trust and transparency. ↳I promoted democratic decision-making and explained when it needed to be autocratic. Aligning on and championing team goals over my individual metrics. ↳I held weekly reviews where I celebrated their success because it was OUR success. Here's what I want you to take from this: 1. Develop your team's skills rather than trying to be the expert. 2. Delegate decisions to increase buy-in and leverage diverse perspectives. 3. Openly share information rather than hoarding knowledge and insight. 4. Recognize and elevate your team's contributions rather than taking individual credit. #aLITTLEadvice #leadership

Ever seen a city without an architect? Buildings rise, but roads don’t align. Pipes leak. Traffic jams become the norm. That’s what many data teams look like—developers everywhere, but few architects connecting it all. Data Engineers, it’s time to level up! 75% of technical companies are facing significant talent gaps, a situation exacerbated by alarming retention rates. This reality raises a crucial question: How can we bridge this skills gap and nurture more resilient career paths in tech? Transition from a Data Engineer to Architect with the step-by-step guide from my experiences: Most Data Engineers are closer to becoming Data Architects than they think. It’s not about abandoning engineering—it’s about elevating it. Let’s break it down: 🛠️ 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 (𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻) - SQL, Python, ETL Pipelines - Data Warehousing & Modeling - Orchestration tools like Airflow - Cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, Azure) - Tools like dbt, Spark, Kafka These are your building blocks. But they’re just the beginning. 📚 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 - Data Governance & Security: Understand compliance, lineage, and access control - Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, CloudFormation for scalable infra - Advanced Modeling: Star/Snowflake schemas, domain-driven design - Cost Optimization: Architecting for performance and budget - Metadata & Master Data Management: Designing for discoverability and consistency 🧠 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 From “How do I build this pipeline?” → To “How do I design a platform that scales across teams?” From “Let’s fix this bug” → To “Let’s prevent this class of issues system-wide” From “I own this DAG” → To “I own the data ecosystem” 🧭 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁’𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 ✓ Aligning data strategy with business goals ✓ Designing resilient, scalable systems ✓ Mentoring engineers and influencing org-wide decisions ✓ Communicating with stakeholders, not just writing code Here's the reality? - This takes more time upfront. - Costs more initially. - Requires new hires. But the payoff? - Scalable systems that actually work. - Data teams that deliver value. - Business stakeholders who trust your data. Data Engineers, buckle up to level as a Data Architect! Find a project that INFLUENCES your team to INSPIRE and be more innovative. Image Credits: Deepak Bhardwaj 💬 So here's my question: What's the one architectural decision you wish someone had taught you earlier?

I've helped two mid-career professionals each get raises of $300,000 to $500,000 from "frugal" Amazon. It turns out that 70% of people who ask for a raise get something, but also that most people never ask. Here is how to ask for and get your raise. One individual was a senior manager (L7) and had an external offer from Meta. The other was also L7, but was a Principal Engineer. He did not have an offer, but he was ready to start looking (no bluffing) if he couldn't get paid what he was worth on the market. "On the market" is the key. To get giant raises, you have to have the data to know what you are worth. Luckily, there are a couple of ways to get it. The first is Salary.com, which has enough data points for larger companies to figure this out. The second is to talk to peers in that position. If you talk to several people and tell them what *you* make, most of them are at least willing to say either "gosh, that's great" (which means you make more than they do) or "ohh, I think you can do better" (which means they make more). You also need to be a strong performer, ideally regarded as a star. Companies are willing to go out of their way to keep their stars. As a VP, I was either directly asked for raises or brought in to approve / deny raise requests all the time. Here is what a manager thinks when you ask for a raise: 1) "Oh damn. I have to deal with this and it will be a pain." Either the manager has to tell you no (awkward and you might quit) or the manager has to fill out forms and bring them to me and to human resources for approval (a pain). 2) "Is this person worth the pain? Do I prefer they just leave or do I need to keep them? Am I willing to fight for them?" You need the answer to this to be they feel you will be a big loss and they want to fight for you. 3) "Alright, let me think about what kind of case I can make for them..." Managers will try to feel out if you just are just greedy and hoping for a raise or if you really are upset enough to leave. You need to give them a plausible reason that doesn't feel like you are greedy or "just in it for the money." "Manager, I love working for you and Acme, inc. on our projects, but I've learned that my market rate is $$$ and I'm starting to feel really foolish for not being paid my value. As you know I have {college debt, three kids who need to go to college, elderly parents to care for... whatever} and I really need to do the right thing for my family." This formulation indicates that you like the manager and want to stay, conveying that "we're on the same team, not against each other - I'm not demanding a raise, I'm asking for your help to be treated fairly." Everyone can empathize with feeling foolish and wanting to avoid that. And no one will tell you that you shouldn't take care of your family. I'm at the character limit for a LinkedIn post. More in my fist comment. I also built a course with all the deep details: https://buff.ly/3SICtnK

A brilliant student sent 127 emails to potential PhD supervisors last year. 94 replied with some version of "Thanks for your interest, but I have no funding." This year he sent only 41. 7 of them invited him for interviews/applications. How did I help him find them? Here's what I asked him to check if they had: • Fresh grant money (personal website announcements) • Active recruitment posts (he spotted on Twitter at 11pm) • A student who just graduated (creating a probable opening) The System He Followed : 1: The Research Deep Dive Open Google Scholar and search the exact research keywords. But here's the twist — filter for papers published in the last 6 months only. Why? Fresh papers = active research area = probable funding. Found an interesting paper? Check: • Who's the last author (usually the PI) • Do they have recent grants listed in their website • Are there multiple recent papers (momentum) 2: The Social Media Stalk Schedule Twitter/LinkedIn hunting sessions. Search strings that worked: "fully funded PhD" + [your field] "new grant" + "recruiting" + [your topic] "PhD position available" + [dream university] Set up alerts. Follow the academics. Watch their posts. One professor tweeted about getting a grant at 10:47pm. I emailed at 11:15pm. First to respond = first considered. 3: The Strategic Outreach My old email: "I'm interested in your research..." My new email: "Your May 2024 paper on [specific topic] aligns with my work on [specific method] where I [specific achievement]..." The difference? Specificity shows you did the work. 4: The Follow-Through Create a spreadsheet with 7 columns: • Professor name • Recent paper/grant • Email sent date • Response • Funding status • Match score (1-10) • Next action This isn't networking. This is project management. But here's what really matters: Stop seeing rejection as failure. Each "no funding" email teaches you something: • Which fields are oversaturated • Which countries have better funding • Which months professors recruit • Which keywords attract attention After a while, you will often predict who'd say yes before hitting send. The professor who eventually became his supervisor? He found her through a co-author's co-author's new grant announcement. Three degrees of separation. One perfectly timed email. She later told him: "You were the only applicant who mentioned my new NSF grant and explained how your skills fit the project's requirements." He wasn't smarter than the other applicants. He was just more strategic. Your Turn: Stop sending hope-based emails. Start sending evidence-based ones. Here's your homework for this week: 1. Pick 5 professors in your field 2. Find their most recent paper (last 3 months) 3. Check their lab website for "Funding" or "News" 4. Search their name + "grant" on Google 5. Look up their recent PhD graduates on LinkedIn Send them the email! If you have received response, let me know down in the comments!

Your most valuable skill isn't what you know. It's how quickly you learn what you don’t. Many get stuck in their careers by mistaking time for expertise. Years of experience mean little if you stop growing, challenging yourself, and embracing new ideas. It happened to me. Don't let that be you. Here are five principles to keep your career moving forward: 1. Embrace the beginner's mindset. Even as you gain experience, stay humble and curious. Always be open to new ideas. → Ask questions. → Challenge assumptions. → Be open minded not jaded (seriously). The most successful people never stop learning. 2. Make learning a daily habit. Don't rely on your company to teach you (spoiler: they won't). → Block out focused learning time. → Set clear learning goals. → Share what you learn through content. An hour a day of deliberate learning can be the antidote to career stagnation. 3. Step outside your comfort zone. Break through plateaus by tackling challenges that push your limits. When things feel uncomfortable, you’re on the right path. → Try new projects. → Pick up complementary skills. → Start before you feel fully ready. Discomfort means you’re growing—keep pushing forward. 4. Let go of outdated thinking. Don't cling to old methods just because they once worked. Continuously update your mental models to stay agile in a changing world. → Question established “best practices.” → Adapt when new information emerges. → Be curious about new tech. What worked yesterday won’t always work tomorrow. 5. Turn knowledge into impact. Experience > knowledge. → Apply your knowledge by building or creating → Work on side projects to learn → Teach others what you know. Don't just consume. Create. Remember: Never stop learning, growing, and stretching yourself. What are you currently learning? Let me know what you're working on in the comments. ♻️ Repost to help someone grow their career. ➕ Follow me, Owain Lewis to stay in touch.

Your Meeting Influence Is Dying. Here's how leaders master the room in minutes: I've watched 1,000+ executive meetings. These are the 15 micro-habits leaders do to make their meetings more effective: 1/. Arrive 5 minutes early and scan the room first ↳ Never rush in last minute 2/. Keep devices face-down ↳ Show others their time matters 3/. Take physical notes ↳ The old-school way commands attention 4/. Sit up straight, lean slightly forward ↳ Body language speaks before you do 5/. Reference others' earlier points by name ↳ "Building on Sarah's insight..." 6/. Ask questions before making statements ↳ Lead with curiosity, not authority 7/. Pause 3 seconds before responding ↳ Thoughtfulness beats quick reactions 8/. Use "What if..." instead of "But..." ↳ Open possibilities rather than shut them down 9/. Acknowledge opposing views first ↳ "I see your perspective, and..." 10/. Keep comments under 60 seconds ↳ Brevity signals confidence 11/. Make eye contact with everyone ↳ Not just the highest-ranking person 12/. Summarise others' points accurately ↳ Show you truly listen 13/. End contributions with clear next steps ↳ "So I'll have that analysis by Friday" 14/. Thank people for specific insights ↳ Not just generic "good meeting" 15/. Send follow-up notes within 2 hours ↳ While everything's fresh The best part? → None of these require special talent or authority. → Just intentional practice. Which one will you try in your next meeting? Leave a comment 👇 ---- Repost if this resonates & follow ⚡️Harvey Lee ⚡️ for more.

Even after getting an internship offer from Google, I wasn’t satisfied. 😪 Because I knew I had to work hard to get a return offer as well. If you’re someone , who’ll be doing a summer internship around May or July, save this post as this tips will help you in getting that return offer or PPO: 1. Own Your Project & Go Beyond: Don't just complete tasks. Innovate. Ask, "How can I improve this?" or "What's the bigger picture?" Document your progress meticulously. Use tools like Notion or Confluence. Show initiative by suggesting improvements or identifying potential issues early. 2. Network Strategically (Not Just Casually): It's not just about collecting names. Schedule 1:1s with engineers, managers, and even other interns outside your immediate team. Ask insightful questions about their career paths and projects. Use these conversations to understand the company culture and potential opportunities. 3. Communicate Clearly & Proactively: Don't wait for your manager to ask for updates. Provide regular, concise updates on your progress. If you're stuck, don't hesitate to ask for help, but come with potential solutions you've already explored. 4. Seek & Implement Feedback: Feedback is gold! Actively seek it from your manager and peers. Don't just listen; implement it. Show that you're willing to learn and grow. Document the feedback you receive and the steps you've taken to address it. 5. Show Your Passion & Cultural Fit: Big tech companies value not just technical skills, but also passion and cultural fit. Participate in team events, contribute to internal discussions, and show genuine enthusiasm for the company's mission. Demonstrate that you're a team player and someone they'd want to work with long-term. Remember, your internship is a two-way street. Show them what you bring to the table and why you're a valuable asset. What other tips would you add? Share them in the comments! 👇 PS: The first pic is from my internship and the second one is taken recently! #internship #bigtech #google #careertips #techcareers #softwareengineering #returnoffer #tech #tips