Who should I ask for help?

You cannot rely on your intern manager for everything - It's a hard expectation for Meta interns to get at least 1-2 glowing pieces of feedback on top of your intern manager's. I talk about this in the Meta intern course here: https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-return-offer-as-a-meta-software-engineer-intern/part-6-meta-intern-success-series-how-most-interns-fail/

One of the first things you can do after joining is asking your intern manager for 1-2 other engineers on the team who are a good fit to help you (tactically, you can immediately start putting them on your diffs for review).

You should absolutely ask people beyond your intern manager. This is valuable because:

• You have more people who can unblock you
• You will maximize your learning since there's a huge variance in the skill of engineers to explain things.
• People have expertise in different areas, so you should logically go to an engineer who can actually help.

The last point is how you avoid your IM from feeling sidelined. You should explain why you're reaching out when you ping people for help:

I saw your presentation/code change on this topic and I'm doing something simlar. So I wanted to get your feedback on this

Absolutely! It’s not only acceptable but encouraged to ask others for help—especially if it keeps you unblocked and moving forward. Here’s how to approach it effectively:

1. Prioritize Your Manager First, But Don’t Be Stuck

Your intern manager is your primary point of contact, but they expect you to be proactive. If they’re busy, it’s totally fine to reach out to others. Just be transparent about it so they’re aware you’re taking initiative.

2. Start with Team Members Who Own Relevant Areas

• If you’re stuck on a technical issue, find the right person on your team who has context and ask them directly.
• Look at past commits, documentation, or team Slack channels to identify the best person to ask.

3. Be Thoughtful in Your Ask

• Be specific: Instead of "I’m stuck," frame it as "I tried X and Y, but I’m still running into Z. Do you have any suggestions?"
• Respect their time: If someone seems busy, ask "Is now a good time?" or use async communication (Slack, email).

4. Keep Your Manager in the Loop

Your manager won’t feel sidelined as long as they know what’s happening. A quick message like:
"Hey, I had a quick blocker on X, so I checked with [teammate] since they worked on it recently. They helped me move forward!"
This reassures your manager that you’re being resourceful, not bypassing them.

5. Balance Self-Sufficiency and Asking for Help

• Try to debug first before asking—this shows initiative.
• If you’re stuck for more than 20-30 minutes, it’s time to reach out.
• Watch how your team communicates—some teams prefer Slack over direct messages, so adapt accordingly.

Bottom Line

Your goal as an intern is to learn, deliver, and integrate into the team. Being proactive while keeping your manager informed shows both Ownership and Bias for Action—qualities that will help you stand out.