New Grad expectations at a startup
Got a new grad job offer at a fast paced startup. Asked the hiring manager what the expectations are and he said "even the interns start making significant contributions within couple weeks". Tbh, this scared me a bit. I used to think new grads are expected to be somewhat "useless" as they lack experience and don't have the mental models of an experienced developer. I do not have prior internship experience so I am a bit afraid I will not be able to keep up with the pace and expectations of the startup. Most employees are ex-faang, so bar seems to be quite high.
I am also not very familiar with the tech stack they use. That coupled with a large, complex codebase and the high expectations - is making me worry.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
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Discussion
(6 comments)- 33 days agoMid-Level Software Engineer at Walmart
I think this may be a classic case of imposter syndrome. First off, you got into the startup, which, in itself, is quite significant given how you had to pass multiple rounds of interviews.
If it is a fast-paced startup, they'd expect you to start contributing as soon as possible, given that you're probably in a team of < 10 people. I have seen interns in teams that I have worked at (in a startup and elsewhere) who contribute quite significantly to the team. As for new grads, once again, spending time to understand the code base, asking questions and formulating your own solutions are essential skills in startups and outside too. And you've been selected only because you passed that bar, so cherish it!
If you think you could probably spend time learning/scouring through the tech stack before you join, that would give you a great head start. Trust me, I have been there. Endlessly doubting my skills, being very resistant to opening up about 'getting stuck', and not asking any questions to other folks in the firm.
It's a wave and once you ride it, you're going to get better at coding! - 1
3 days agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course HeroCongrats on getting the job! Startups are crazy, but you'll learn a lot and have a ton of fun if you have the right mindset. It seems scary, but I think what the hiring manager told you is good. They are simply being honest with you and setting expectations. I would say the same thing to a Taro new hire.
In terms of having the right mindset, I recommend starting with this: How do you learn "on the job"?
From there, go through the onboarding course: The Complete Onboarding Guide For Software Engineers
Finally, take the junior engineer growth learning path: Nail Your Promotion: Junior To Mid-Level (L3 -> L4)
Good luck!
- 0
2 days agoSoftware EngineerTaro CommunityThanks Alex. Was curious about how you recommend learning new technologies (language/framework). Certainly we don't have the time to sit down and go through an entire course when the company expects us to ship asap. Do you recommend building my own projects using that technology (although this approach might be slower) or just jump straight into the company codebase and figure things out as I go (even though I do not know that technology)?
- 2
2 days agoML EngineerIt helps to build a small side project to get familiar. My approach is to spend 45 mins watching a simple video series. Helps understand the basics but dont sink too much time here, just enough to get familiar. Then pick a project something that will get you the grips and then build and learn as you go. Good projects are building CRUD apps, auth, stuff like that
- 12 days agoTech Lead @ Robinhood, Meta, Course Hero
Do you recommend building my own projects using that technology (although this approach might be slower) or just jump straight into the company codebase and figure things out as I go (even though I do not know that technology)?
You can do both! (I am assuming that you aren't married with kids or something as a new grad and you have free time after work)
At both Course Hero and Facebook, I would go home and build side projects to deepen my Android understanding and increase my overall coding efficiency.
Just try stuff. Run into walls, get hurt, learn to never run into those particular walls ever again, run somewhere else, hit some other walls, repeat. I don't believe in super tactical courses that "teach you how to code". As Sai, just do 1-2 basic ones max (or even 0 if you're comfortable being uncomfortable).
Also, just because a startup moves fast doesn't mean that it can't have a culture of helping others and providing support (quite the opposite in fact). At a good startup, everyone should be aggressively available to help you out and walk you through stuff. You just need to take the initiative to ask for the help as the startup engineer's default mode is to be heads down and super busy, oblivious to their surroundings.
- 13 days agoTech Lead/Manager at Meta, Pinterest, Kosei
Big Tech has bespoke technology, custom frameworks, and tons of code; that's why you're given more time to ramp up.
In a startup, there's more emphasis on quickly showing impact, and it should be more possible as well, since there will be more off-the-shelf technology.
I agree with Karthik that you are facing imposter syndrome. You've cleared the interviews and you should assume that your company + manager want you to succeed.
I recommend spending time on the section about getting help in the onboarding course, since you'll do that a lot in your first few weeks: The Common Misconception With Help
This will also be relevant if you can leverage AI: How to understand a code-base using AI?
