How I Became a Software Engineer at Meta With No Computer Science Degree

Summary

In this video, the speaker shares their journey to becoming a software engineer at Meta, despite not having a computer science degree. Influenced by their father's engineering career, they initially struggled academically, studied economics, and worked in accounting before finding their passion in app development. After years of self-learning and a boot camp, they honed their skills, participated in hackathons, and eventually landed a job at Meta, achieving a long-held goal. The speaker reflects on the importance of perseverance and their ongoing journey in the tech industry.

Takeaways

• 👨‍💻 The speaker's journey to becoming a software engineer at Meta was inspired by their father, a hardware engineer.
• 🏫 Academic struggles and being an immigrant made it difficult for the speaker to pursue a STEM degree initially.
• 💼 The speaker's first job in accounting was unsatisfying, leading to a shift towards program management at a hardware startup.
• 🎮 A passion for app development was ignited through collaboration with friends on game creation.
• 🎨 Initially, the speaker contributed to app development as a designer, learning basic art skills.
• 💡 The desire to create complete apps led the speaker to learn programming, combining art and coding skills.
• 🏆 Participation in hackathons, including one at Facebook, was a pivotal experience and contributed to the speaker's growth.
• 🥇 Winning hackathons and gaining recognition helped the speaker build a strong resume and eventually land a job at Capital One.
• 🔄 The speaker had to retry and prepare more seriously for interviews to successfully join Meta after an initial rejection.
• 🌐 At Meta, the speaker enjoys the scale of impact and the opportunity to work on Instagram, fulfilling a personal goal.
• 🚀 The journey of becoming a software engineer is described as only 1% complete, emphasizing continuous growth and learning.

Q & A

What inspired the speaker to pursue a career in engineering?

The speaker was inspired by their father, who was a hardware engineer and loved his job. They grew up watching their father work with semiconductors, which sparked their initial interest in engineering.

Why did the speaker not pursue a STEM major in college?

The speaker had a negative relationship with academics and struggled as a student, which led to their grades not being good enough to get into a STEM major. They ended up studying economics instead.

What was the speaker's first job, and how did they feel about it?

The speaker's first job was in accounting at a small Korean firm, but they hated the job and quit within a year.

How did the speaker transition from accounting to a tech-related role?

After quitting their accounting job, the speaker's father helped them find a program management job at a hardware startup, where they worked for about five years and gained valuable experience.

What sparked the speaker's interest in app development?

The speaker's interest in app development was sparked when they and two close friends decided to make apps together, inspired by their love for video games.

How did the speaker begin learning programming?

The speaker started learning programming after realizing they wanted to continue building apps, and they thought that combining their art skills with programming could allow them to create apps independently.

What role did boot camps play in the speaker's journey to becoming a software engineer?

The speaker attended a boot camp to focus on filling in gaps in their knowledge. While they later felt they might not have needed it, the boot camp gave them focused learning time and opportunities like participating in hackathons.

How did the speaker's experience at a Facebook hackathon influence their career goal?

At a Facebook hackathon, the speaker had a moment of clarity while eating donuts at midnight, realizing that working at Facebook (Meta) was a major goal. This moment motivated them to work towards that dream.

How did hackathons help the speaker in their career journey?

The speaker participated in three hackathons during their boot camp, winning sponsor prizes at each, which helped them build a strong resume and ultimately secure job offers after graduating.

What were the key factors that helped the speaker land a job at Meta?

After failing their first attempt, the speaker took interview prep seriously, applied again, and successfully received multiple job offers. Meta's offer resonated with them due to their personal connection to the company, stemming from the hackathon experience.