Have you tried the Logitech version of Herman Miller embody? It's much more comfortable in my opinion and probably the best option out of the ones you listed!

I've used the Gesture for 5 years and I love that chair as well, but after some time the cushion is less comfortable.

Software Engineer at Qualtrics

Amanuel Odicho

Hi, I hope you're well! Thanks for asking this question!

It's great that you have the flexibility of unlimited PTO at your company, but I understand the dilemma you're facing right now. Deciding how much PTO to take can be a bit tricky with this type of policy.

Here are some of the top considerations / actions to take when thinking about taking PTO.

1. **Understand your company culture**: Don't follow this too strictly, but just looking at your company's norms and how often formally/informally people take time off, should help give you an idea.

2. **Plan PTO around your workload**: I try to plan my PTO in advance for every quarter planning so that I don't take time off during critical times, and so that my manager also is aware. This will also help you out because you can realistically set expectations including the time off.

3. **Maintain Balance**: Prioritize your mental heath. If you don't feel well, let your manager know and take some time off.

4. **Avoid Burnout**: Don't hesitate to take time off when needed to prevent burnout. This hasn't happened to me yet, but I know several people who have fully revitalized by just taking a week or two off.

PS: Please keep in mind that these are just my personal approaches, and they've served me well. I'm open to hearing other suggestions as I'd like to learn more about this topic!

Entry-Level Software Engineer at Qualtrics

\+1 everyone and especially the "making sure people can **benefit from your work.**" For me, this has been the #1 driver of "recognition" and "visibility" within my team and cross-team.

Some things I do day-to-day that embrace this idea:

1. PMs / Managers will often ask questions in meetings / slack, that are targeted towards the engineers (you!). Only respond if you can actually contribute in a net positive: (1) ask good question to help them elaborate what they're asking for (sometimes the original question is a shot in the dark for several reasons); (2) provide a correct & succinct answer to their question. This is such a perfect opportunity to shine. It will help craft your communication skills + translation skills from eng -&gt; non-eng.
2. Pay attention to your co-workers struggles / blockers and ask them how you can help them! I've found this to be highly effective: (1) if the problem is in your area/domain it is an easy win for you that might just require a high level explanation; (2) if you genuinely don't know how to help, guide them to the right person. (Early on I tried to just tag team with everyone, but that clearly didn't scale) Be careful here though, don't stretch yourself thin, you still need to focus on your own core work (but this is also part of your work: collaboration).

At the end of the day, if you provide value here and there, people pick up on it quickly and you don't have to showcase anything, because your work will speak for itself and people will attribute it and talk about it!

Hi! Thank you so much for reaching out on Taro!

Alex put it well, and there isn't much more to be said initially.

I will try to add some additional value here:

Based on the feedback you received, it seems a bit too ambiguous. This is a complete guess, but I have feeling it is due to lack of information about you and your work. When it comes to improving based on feedback from your manager, one crucial aspect is to take charge of your own progress assessment. Your manager might not have visibility into every facet of your work, so it's up to you and your coworkers to accurately represent your contributions. Actively communicate your achievements and challenges, as this empowers your manager to provide more precise and valuable feedback. This collaborative approach ensures that the feedback you receive aligns better with your actual performance and helps you grow more effectively.

I hope you find this helpful!

Hi! Thank you so much for sharing all this information here on Taro! +1 Nicholas and Vaibhav, and I'll chime in with my two cents as well.

First of all, I want to commend your honesty and self-awareness in sharing your thoughts and concerns. It takes a lot of courage to open up like this, and it is definitely a crucial step toward personal and professional growth!!!!\
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Having only had 1 year of professional experience, I can relate to your feelings, especially the part where you mention that you feel like everyone else has found their niche. My ideology on this point is that all these people that you look up to, have more than likely gone through a diffuse path of confusion in different domains as well, and it is all part of the journey we're all in (together)!\
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When it comes to skills with a high ROI, it's a great idea to consider the industry's current trends and the direction your team or company is heading. Your willingness to put in extra hours can be channeled into acquiring these skills. You might also want to explore cross-functional skills that can complement your technical abilities and make you a more well-rounded engineer.

Furthermore, I really believe in the idea that you need/should enjoy something to be really good at it. Personally, I spend a lot of time outside of work to focus on my own ventures. I have explored and grown so much more, and I have imported things from my free time into work that has helped me accelerate my strengths. "I'm struggling to pinpoint where my strengths lie." -&gt; Instead of just working on work you've been assigned, you can actually let your curiosity explore in new areas and places you might be genuinely interested in. For me, this has allowed me to clearly outline what I am actually good at, what I can improve on, and what I am not so good at but super interested in (where I can see a path of me learning and specializing). I don't recommend this to everyone, but it's definitely something that has helped me a ton.

Personal side note:

Try setting up a note taking system where you track progress on a cadence. I personally do this every week or so, and then I will take a look at everything after a couple of months. This has several benefits:

(1) You have written evidence of why you should be promoted

(2) It will help you communicate your weaknesses and strengths with your manager/mentor, and it can help them help you navigate your growth path!

Newer devs think that their manager tracks their performance, which is true to an extent, but if you just rely on that, you'll be disappointed in the long run. Depending on your team size, but if your manager is managing say 3-7 people, there is no way for them to have a fine grained understanding of all the work you've done and impact you've had.

(3) Your job hunting self will thank you a lot!!

Your resume will include information from your current role, your interviewer will ask you about your previous experiences, and in both these scenarios, it will hugely benefit you to have all of this fresh in mind and articulated in a coherent manner.

I wish you good luck!