Starting out in tech? Advice to remember

Recently, our early career engineer program (a hands-on apprenticeship) saw its first graduate, Rue. During her final formal review with the mentorship team, Rue asked a question that sparked a variety of answers.

“How do I become someone people want on their team not only because I’m ‘nice’ to work with, but also because I am trustworthy and have the skills?”

The responses from our team are worth reading. Personally, in my early career, I would have greatly appreciated these recommendations, which I view as “advice to remember.”

Provide and ask for visibility

Visibility and reliability form the foundation of professional trust. Make yourself visible to stakeholders and collaborators, and be reliable by doing what you say you will do. If you cannot deliver on a commitment, communicate that early rather than disappearing. Speaking up and asking for help also builds trust, as does being open and honest about your abilities. Even if you “make a mess,” navigating out of it successfully increases trust in your skills, which reinforces the value of asking for help when problems arise.

Remain independent while staying engaged with your team

Independence and judgment are closely related. Tackle tasks on your own and communicate with stakeholders without needing to be constantly steered; avoid overpromising, overcommitting, or acting on an assumption, which may require external correction. Recognize that while there’s an infinite amount of work to do, you know your capacity and limitations best. Avoid taking on more than you can handle. When participating in a project or when handling a task isn’t feasible, say no. Gently but firmly push back when people ask to add more to your workload. By not overpromising, you can help protect your team and project commitments.

Balance technical work with product outcomes

Most users don’t care about the code itself. Balance writing clean code with accomplishing tasks and making products usable. Maintain professionalism and calmness even when there’s interpersonal conflict—productive collaboration under tension is essential.