Career reflections
As I recently reached a career milestone, several people have asked for advice on building a career at a large tech company. Here are reflections on what helped me along the way.
Good work, consistently, over a long period of time. One Facebook executive has a poster in his office that reads, “Good work, consistently, over a long period of time.” The intention was to speak to the recipe for product growth. This mantra applies equally to careers: consistently delivering high-quality work compounds impact and recognition. As one manager told me, "You work for your reputation, and then your reputation works for you."
Find the people who see the magic in you. The role of a good manager in catalyzing growth cannot be overstated. The best managers align you with opportunities that enable you to do your best work and advocate for you in the ways that count. For example, in 2020, I was offered a role supporting the an Ads team. I had no experience in Ads and wasn't initially drawn to the space, I trusted the manager who encouraged me to take the leap. The work turned out to be more exciting than anticipated, and when we reorg’d six months later, I achieved my goal of becoming a people manager.
Cultivate leverage through “pull.” Success at big companies means manifesting influence without authority. My first manager advised me to invest in “peace time” relationships – building connections with colleagues without a transactional purpose. I was later introduced to the concept of the power of pull, which involves investing in relationships leading to the serendipitous exchange of information. Knowledge attraction, the idea that people bring information to you that you didn’t know you need, is built on trust and reciprocity with people who have expertise.
There’s no such thing as “above your pay grade.” It’s easy to view big companies as opaque systems with fixed constraints. Reject this mindset. One manager coached me to apply a perspective as if I were the CEO: with all the levers at the company’s disposal, what would I recommend? And then craft your plans accordingly. This mindset empowers you to tackle problems beyond your assigned scope and with uncommon creativity.
Embrace discomfort. Complacency is the enemy of progress. To grow, we must operate just outside our comfort zone, where we're challenged enough to build new skills without becoming overwhelmed. When your responsibilities grow, it's natural to feel uncertain or experience imposter syndrome. Instead of retreating, trust yourself to step up and tackle new challenges. Remember that today's stretch project will become tomorrow's routine task.