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Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚡
Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚡

Posted on • Updated on

🧠 4 Traits of Successful Engineers

From my experience across different companies (Meta, Google, Amazon) and what I have observed across different engineering and product teams, there are 4 reasons that help engineers excel in their career:

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⭐ Continuous Learning

The tech industry is ever-evolving, with new languages, tools, and best practices emerging all the time. Developers who prioritize ongoing education, whether formally or informally, tend to thrive.

⭐ Problem-solving Ability

Beyond the technical specifics, the core of programming is about solving problems. Developers who excel are those who can break down complex problems into manageable parts and devise effective solutions.

⭐ Collaboration and Communication

Software development is often a team effort. Being able to communicate ideas clearly, listen to feedback, and work well with others is crucial.

⭐ Adaptability

The landscape of software engineering can change quickly. Successful developers are flexible and can pivot or adapt their skills and approaches as needed.

There is so much more that makes a great engineer than just coding.

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Top comments (5)

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felixmertin profile image
Felix Mertineit • Edited

Sorry, too short. Feels like an intro to an article.

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alexr profile image
Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚡

@felixmertin I was trying to give some direction for people. I would have an article (WIP) out soon and provide more context with practical examples from my experience and Engineering Manager from different industries startups/big tech.

That said, are there areas where you'd like to learn more, specific traits or behaviors that are expected from people at different levels?

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felixmertin profile image
Felix Mertineit

Hm, the 4 areas you covered are in general fine for me. What I would expect are concrete methods that one can use. Or embed recent developments of the engineering role such as newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com/p...

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alexr profile image
Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚡

If you want to grow your career and get into a FAANG read more on my engineering growth blog and if you need help with interviewing with FAANGs get support here

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alexr profile image
Alex (The Engineering Bolt) ⚡