I began my career while still completing my master's degree and have since worked in senior and principal roles at major companies such as PwC, IBM, Teradata, Expedia, eBay, and Facebook/Meta. I also successfully interviewed for and received offers from Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. Besides working as an engineer, I have been a part of the recruitment loop, conducting over 150 interviews at top companies. I also have attained advanced technical certifications and enjoyed teaching numerous technical courses to seasoned professionals. As someone who loves teaching and coaching, I often find myself sharing hints, best practices, and career advice with new colleagues who are onboarding. Writing a book has been a long-standing goal of mine, and now is the perfect time for me to share all my advice.

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This book will be a valuable resource for managers and team leads who want to help their colleagues succeed and grow. It will also be useful for anyone seeking advice, coaching, and actionable guidelines on how to thrive in a modern, dynamic, and successful company. While working on this book, I found myself using it for my own benefit when mentoring and working on performance reviews. It covers a wide range of useful topics that make it a great career companion throughout the years, not just when you are looking for a job, interviewing, or onboarding to a new company or team.

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As an avid reader with a broad range of interests, I have incorporated a wealth of knowledge gained from literature spanning software engineering, psychology, and social sciences. I have also been blessed to work with great managers, with whom I've spent countless hours discussing performance expectations, career development, and performance reviews. These conversations have provided me with a deep understanding of the intricacies of performance evaluations, calibrations, and promotions. This diverse background has informed the insights and advice shared within these pages.

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This book can be read chapter by chapter in sequence, or you may choose to focus on the chapters that are most interesting and relevant to your current situation. Some important topics resurface in more than one chapter, and we go deeper each time we touch on them.

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If you are preparing to land a job in the tech industry or are interested in learning more about the interviewing process, starting with Chapter 1 would be the most beneficial. For those who are already entering a new job or joining a new team, Chapter 2 is an excellent place to begin. You may also want to revisit this chapter when it's time to move on to a new role or team.

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From Chapter 3 onwards, the book serves as a handbook focusing on managing your career, developing soft skills and technical execution, making it a valuable companion throughout your professional journey. These chapters cover a wide range of topics, from effective communication and collaboration to leadership and personal growth. It will be particularly beneficial to read and re-read the chapters related to performance reviews before major evaluation cycles, as they provide insights and strategies to help you showcase your achievements and navigate the review process successfully.

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In the later chapters, we'll explore how you can thrive under pressure, manage challenging projects, and bounce back from layoffs and restructuring.

Whether you are just starting your career or are a seasoned professional looking to take your career to the next level, this book offers guidance and practical advice to help you succeed in the dynamic and fast-paced world of the tech industry.

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This book is not about superficial techniques or ways to manipulate people. It is about developing better habits, becoming a better engineer and communicator, removing obstacles and friction. I strongly believe in helping yourself and others, in growth and in a win-win mindset that creates most value for everyone involved.