James Shah

Meta released their New Grad software engineer and 2025 summer internship job postings! Here they are: New Grad - https://lnkd.in/e6KcE-wX Summer 2025 Internship - https://lnkd.in/e_9yMFyR Meta University Internship (for Freshman / Sophomores) - https://lnkd.in/edA9Ewwy I’ve been loving my time at Meta and highly recommend it. Here you work with, learn from, and are mentored by the best engineers in the industry. Hurry and find someone who can refer you and then get your application in ASAP! Heads up, feel free to reach out to me to ask for a referral, but with the large number of requests and limited referrals I can give, I can’t promise anything. But I’ll do my best to help in other ways! One of the ways I can help is by sharing spreadsheets I am maintaining that are full of internship and new grad opportunities at companies that would be at the top of my list if I was recruiting right now. The spreadsheets are in the same template that I used to track my application progress when I was recruiting. They also include some helpful tips on how to secure referrals. Send a connection request and comment “interested” on this post if you want me to dm it over to you. Good luck out there. #SoftwareEngineer #coding #recruiting

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An entrepreneur's job is to forge a pipeline. The components of the pipeline will fight against the entrepreneur, will not want to change and mold together because of inertia. This journey is about sticking to developing the pipeline anyways, and accepting the 1000 No's that come along the way, and continue anyways because you internally have complete belief that you can make this pipeline work.

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Here is my interview experience for the Software Engineer 2 role at Nordstrom, where I went through a series of diverse and challenging round. 💻 Round 1 - Coding round: The first round focused on linked list operations, with a question about merging two sorted linked lists. I had to implement an optimized solution that combined the lists while maintaining their order, ensuring efficient time and space complexity. This round tested my ability to manage pointer manipulation and handle traversal techniques effectively. 💻 Round 2 - Coding round: The second round covered graph traversal using Depth First Search and Breadth First Search algorithms. I solved problems involving both recursive and iterative approaches to graph traversal. It emphasized my ability to explore different strategies for complex graph structures. 🛠️ Round 3 - System Design : I was asked to design a real-time commenting system similar to Facebook Live. We discussed scaling for large volumes of traffic, ensuring low-latency communication, and managing database consistency. This round focused on building a robust architecture with optimal trade-offs. 🤝 Round 4 - Cross-Functional Team Interview: This round involved collaboration with product management and design, with a focus on questions related to teamwork and communication. I was asked about my experience collaborating with engineering and non-engineering teams, along with situation-based questions on resolving conflicts and aligning team goals. This round highlighted my ability to work effectively across diverse teams and manage real-world challenges. 🤝 Round 5 - Behavioral Interview: This round was centered on discussing my work experiences and handling challenges in a team setting. I shared examples in the STAR format, emphasizing my adaptability, problem-solving, and leadership skills. It provided a platform to demonstrate alignment with Nordstrom’s values and culture. Each round of the interview process helped sharpen both my technical and interpersonal skills. I'm grateful for the opportunity to interview with Nordstrom and for the valuable insights I gained along the way! #TechInterviews #NordStrom #SoftwareEngineer #CodingChallenges #InterviewExperience #TechJobs #SystemDesign

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The Andy Wong™ Challenge: Name another FAANGineer "influencer" who not only responds to their DMs, but also provides tailored, end-to-end guidance (i.e., more than just, "hOw To CrAcK tHe InTeRvIeW" or "hOw To GeT pRoMoTeD fAsT") for 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦? (Screenshot: Introduction to a seven-page document I wrote from scratch for a mentee who recently secured a return offer at a FAANGMULA company. (Because in addition to being a badass SWE, I can also be your agent/copywriter/financial advisor/paralegal/therapist/etc. in a pinch.)

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Here’s how DoorDash evaluates its RAG performance by using LLM As A Judge. It's able to monitor retrieval correctness, response accuracy, coherence, and relevance to support questions which are posed by Dashers. 1. First, thousands of chat transcripts from Dashers are reviewed to identify common issues. 2. The LLM Judge is prompted with open-ended questions to assess them, and its answers are summarised into actionable feedback. 3. From these, high-frequency issues are built into prompts or rule-based metrics for continuous monitoring. 4. Human review teams validate the LLM’s evaluations by reviewing random transcript samples. This human feedback is calibrated with the automated system for better coverage. LLM Judge helps address issues like inaccurate retrieval, hallucinations, and low quality prompts. It makes sure that there's a continuous quality improvement pipeline alongside human support agents. Link to their full report is in the comments. #AI #LLMs #RAG

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Do Data Engineer profiles hold less value compared to Software Engineer profiles?? Looking at the compensation for the Data Engineer 1 position at Amazon, it seems quite good in terms of numbers 🤑 but appears lower when compared to an SDE role. Some argue that the two roles are almost the same in value, but in reality 📌 , other companies often show a significant difference in compensation between data and developer roles. I believe 😎Data Engineers are no less important than leading roles such as Data Scientist, Software Engineer, or Full Stack Developer. Moreover, it’s not easy role for someone starting their career in DE or transitioning from another domain. What do you think about this parity, and what makes Data Engineers stand out? 👇 Follow Gunashekar Chenna for more 😊 #dataengineer #softwareengineer #seniorsoftwareengineer #amazon #intuit #kotakmahindra #qualcomm #tcs #interviews #compensation #datascientist #dataanalyst

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Just opened a Staff Backend Engineer role with GameChanger! This is a pretty specific team, so please read the job details prior to applying. Job Title: Staff Backend Engineer, Revenue Growth Job Description: https://lnkd.in/gakPtyGw Location: Remote within the US* (Must have current authorization) The Position: GameChanger's Revenue Growth Team is responsible for increasing subscription rates through A/B testing, building new subscription purchase flows, and iterating quickly to determine what features are most valuable to users of GameChanger. The Growth Team is responsible for the entire experimentation platform as well as subscriptions, pricing, and packaging. As a Staff Backend Software Engineer, you’ll be responsible for setting the long term technical direction for our subscription and pricing services. You’ll also make architectural decisions within our backend in order to support our web, iOS, and Android clients. Needs for this role (💡 ie what we want to directly see on your resume!): Our backend APIs are built with TypeScript, Node.js, Redis, and PostgreSQL and run in AWS. 💻 7+ years in a software development role. ⌨ 5+ years experience with Node.js 🖲 Strong experience with A/B testing. <-- this is strongly needed as this is not a feature-based team. We'll want to see that demonstrated in your experience 🖱 Experience with TypeScript is strongly preferred. 🗣 Strong leadership and mentorship experience. 💾 Experience leading architectural decisions and API design. Please see the full job description for role criteria and expectations. What joining GameChanger offers you: 👍 Compensation $210,000 - $250,000 (including equity, bonus, etc) 👍 Unlimited PTO 👍 Full benefits including medical, dental, 401K matching and more! 👍 Remote work within the US or come work out of our Manhattan office *DICK’S Sporting Goods has company-wide practices to monitor and protect the company from significant compliance and monetary implications as it pertains to employer state tax liabilities. Due to said guidelines put in place, we are unable to hire in AK, DE, HI, IA, LA, MS, MT, OK, and SC. 🚨 Rather than messaging me inquiring about the role, please apply directly to the link and the hiring team will review. If there's a strong fit, someone will reach out to set up a call to speak further. We cannot consider candidates without an application. Due to volume of inquiries, I will be prioritizing direct applicants vs general DM's. No C2C or agency/bench sales inquiries please. This is not a contract position and not available outside the US or for those without authorization. Interested in this role? Please apply directly. Know someone who may be a good fit? Share this post with them: https://lnkd.in/gakPtyGw #staffengineer #engineeringroles #techjobs #remotejobs

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As I mentioned in my last post, I’m sharing a series of guides to help you land interviews at top tech companies like Microsoft, Adobe, Google, Airbnb, and more. 🚀 First up: crafting a standout resume for coding interviews. 💻📄 Your resume is often the first thing recruiters see when scanning applications. Don’t ignore it—it’s your first step in the interview process, and a weak resume can reduce your chances of being considered. In this series, I'm sharing actionable tips to craft a resume that gets you noticed by top tech companies. 5 Key Tips for a Winning Resume: Keep It Concise and Structured 📝 Limit your resume to one page. Use bullet points, clear headers, and consistent formatting to make it easy to scan quickly. Showcase Technical Projects & Quantify Your Achievements 🛠️📊 Highlight key projects and include the languages and tools you used. Your projects should show what you've learned—be ready to discuss them! Use metrics to show impact, like “Improved efficiency by 20%.” Keep It Simple and Straightforward ✍️ List only what you’re confident in. Avoid adding skills or technologies you don’t fully understand, as this can backfire in interviews. Highlight Key Technical Skills 💡 Focus on your tech stack—languages, frameworks, and tools you’ve mastered. For example: Java, Python, React, AWS. Mention Soft Skills 🌟 Soft skills matter! Highlight teamwork, leadership, or communication. It’s the cherry on top of your technical skills. Bonus tip: Proofread carefully for any errors—it’s a quick way to make a strong impression. Use tools like Grammarly or QuillBot, or AI tools like ChatGPT to review your resume from a PDF and help catch mistakes! P.S. Need a starting point? Check out some resume samples here: https://lnkd.in/dzrerCdF This post kicks off the series—stay tuned for more interview prep tips! 🔥 Follow me for more insights, and drop your questions in the comments. I’ll aim to cover them in future posts! 😊 #TechCareers #CodingInterviews #ResumeTips #CareerAdvice #Microsoft #Adobe #Google #Airbnb #TechJobs #SoftSkills #Programming #JobHunt #AItools #ResumeBuilding #InterviewPrep #LinkedInTips #CareerDevelopment

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In my time as a SWE Intern, here are some of the "Best Practice" lessons I've taken away: 1. Write Comments: Writing comments for other devs who need to work through your code is essential. At my current internship, there are some comments dated from before I was born (...I'm looking at you .NET) explaining various code functionality. While commenting on code and documenting changes are essential, it's best not to overdo it and make unnecessary comments. 2. Thoroughly Test Code: It's critical to test your code before creating Pull Requests and sending it down the pipeline. Just like you wouldn't want to turn in a paper without re-reading or math without recalculating, you wouldn't want to turn in untested code. The consequences of untested code can be severe, leading to bugs, system failures, and even security vulnerabilities. It's best to thoroughly test every instance the code is being referenced and document testing so it doesn't come back to bite you. This is definitely something you want to take into account. 3. Peer Review: Your peers and coworkers are valuable resources. Review your changes with them, preferably with someone more experienced. However, it's always beneficial to bounce ideas off those around you. This collaborative process can provide you with insightful answers and diverse perspectives about your code. It's also crucial for coordinating work to avoid stepping on each other's toes and producing merge conflicts. Remember, you're part of a team, and peer review is a key part of our collaborative process. 4. Meaningful Naming Conventions: If you code a lot in your free time, you might be familiar with the temptation to give your variables or functions whimsical names. I've been guilty of naming variables after characters in the show I'm currently watching. While this might be acceptable in personal projects, it's crucial to maintain a professional standard in a work environment. Your code should be readable and informative, guiding another developer to understand its functionality. Your naming conventions reflect your professionalism and responsibility as a developer. 5. Limit Duplication: It's so easy just to Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V your way through different coding tasks, but when coding, giving more thought to your work is essential. You should think, "What's the best way to go about this?" "How can I make my code more efficient?" You'll often find that there are better answers than copying coding, and you might need to sacrifice time for efficiency's sake. Copying code can be handy, but just be mindful when doing so. Here are just some of the helpful tips I've learned. If you have any other "Best Practices" I haven't mentioned, please share! I'm always intrested to learn #Engineering #STEM #TechTrends

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My Journey Through the AWS SDE-2 Interview Process 🕰️ Every challenge in our career is an opportunity to grow, and my recent experience interviewing for the Software Development Engineer 2 (SDE-2) position at Amazon AWS was a testament to this belief. Although I didn’t land the role, the journey refined my technical expertise, deepened my understanding of scalable systems, and strengthened my resolve to continue evolving as an engineer. The process began with a Online Assessment (OA), designed to test both advanced technical capabilities and behavioral alignment: After clearing the OA, I advanced to the loop interviews, which consisted of three coding rounds and one system design round, each lasting one hour: • Coding Rounds: These involved solving medium to advanced data structure and algorithm challenges. Each round required precision in problem-solving, optimization, and writing clean, efficient code. • System Design Round: This focused on architecting scalable, cloud-based solutions. I was asked to design a system end-to-end, justify design choices, and consider trade-offs, ensuring alignment with real-world scalability and reliability requirements. On the behavioral front, each interview integrated questions rooted in Amazon’s Leadership Principles, requiring me to reflect on past experiences, articulate my thought processes, and demonstrate my ability to make impactful decisions. Though I didn’t make it to the final offer stage, the process was invaluable in identifying areas for growth, including mastering distributed systems design, optimizing for high-scale applications, and improving my ability to communicate technical and architectural decisions effectively. Looking forward, I’m focusing on hands-on cloud architecture projects, delving deeper into AWS services, and enhancing my skills in microservices and scalable system design. This experience has reaffirmed my commitment to continuous learning and prepared me for the challenges ahead. Every experience, whether it leads to an offer or not, contributes to our growth. This journey wasn’t just about an interview—it was a profound learning opportunity, equipping me to become a more impactful and versatile software engineer. #AmazonAWS #InterviewExperience #SDE2 #ScalableSystems #CloudComputing #LeadershipPrinciples #CareerGrowth

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I've been able to help many people land jobs using these strategies. I go over these points in even more detail in the Masterclass to Landing Tech Jobs. Here's the recording and slides: https://lnkd.in/ezmskWei Steps 1. Be What They What - "A Problem Solver" Gain technical skill and experience to be a top candidate and problem solver that companies hire for. 2. Be Where They Are - "A Great Networker" Network offline and online with people that can help you gain/find opportunities. 3. Communicate It Well - "Explain Your Value Clearly" Express the value you can offer clearly and remain respectful. 4. Organize the Process - "Make Your Life Simple" Track your progress and study plan in your job hunt. 5. Use Strategies - "More Focused Action" Have core strategies to work smarter and not harder.

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🚀 60 Days to Make your SWE Job comeback before 2024 Ends! 🚀 If you're looking for a job as 2024 wraps up, remember: there's still time to make it happen. I’ve been there myself—started applying in late December and landed an offer from Meta by early March. 💼 With a focused strategy, these last few weeks can be the springboard for your 2024 career goals. Here’s a quick breakdown of my approach: 1️⃣ If you’ve got a strong resume – ↳ Focus on applying strategically and preparing for interviews. ↳ Aim to submit 2-3 applications daily ↳ Practice coding challenges to build confidence for technical interviews. 2️⃣ If your resume needs work – ↳ Use the first few weeks to polish it and add impactful projects. ↳ Find real-world problems you’re passionate about solving ↳ don’t hesitate to reach out for hands-on experience—even if it’s with startups or school projects. 📈 Resources to Help: I highly recommend https://resumes.fyi/ for resume examples that have landed actual tech roles. Remember, you can do a lot in 60 days. Take consistent action, stay focused, and don’t let the holiday season slow you down. Persistence pays off in the end! If you’re aiming to land a full-time tech job in 2024 or just need some job-hunting advice, feel free to connect, reach out, or drop a comment below. #JobSearch #TechCareer #SoftwareEngineering #CareerAdvice #InterviewPrep #ResumeTips #TechJobs2024 #CodingInterview #DecemberJobSearch https://lnkd.in/eFBFmugq

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A few years ago, I wrote a post on Quora about interview process for Principal Engineer role at Amazon. In that post, I shared my own experiences as the recruiter owning that hiring process, as well as tips from other Principal Engineers who had been through the process. Even today, I get weekly emails and messages from senior engineers who saw that post and want to learn more about the Amazon interview. We often end up talking about more than just Amazon. We discuss career development and interview skills in general. I really enjoy those conversations! Since 2017 (when I wrote the Quora post), Amazon has created several helpful resources to prepare candidates for their interviews. Here below are those "official" interview prep materials. I hope you find them useful. Feel free to share them with your friends who are getting ready for job interviews. The Original Quora post: https://lnkd.in/gGVBsJfn Amazon Interview Prep Repo: https://lnkd.in/gnnanGCz Now that you have a starting point, in coming weeks, I plan to write about the "softer skills" that are hard to measure but can really make a difference in interviews. I will expand on those topics. I will breakdown topics like "technical leadership assessment in interviews", authenticity, dealing with ambiguity, "active listening during interview", and other topics. I will write about 'interview preparation' itself! DM, email me on what other 'non-obvious' topics you want me to write about? PS: I'll try to keep my writing practical and broadly applicable, even though my experience is mostly with Amazon. 😀 #interviewing #careeradvise #careergoals #careertransition #interviewpreparation #interviewtips #principalengineer #amazon #amazoninterview

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Navigating Salary Disparities: Small vs. Large Companies 💵♟ As I scrolled through LinkedIn, I stumbled upon a job posting that caught me off guard—a small to medium-sized company offering an exceptionally high salary for a programmer and back-end engineer position, ranging from $330,000 to $380,000. This seemed anomalous considering the typical salary range for such positions, which usually falls between $80,000 to $120,000 for individuals with over 8 years of experience. This prompted me to delve deeper into the underlying factors compelling companies to offer such enticing remuneration packages. Factors Influencing High Salaries in Small and Medium-Sized Companies : 1. Location : The geographical location of the job significantly influences the offered salary due to varying costs of living. Companies operating in high-cost areas often find themselves obliged to provide higher salaries to offset living expenses. 2. Talent Acquisition : Small and medium-sized companies, lacking the brand recognition of industry giants, resort to offering lucrative salaries to attract top-tier talent in their niche. This serves as a strategic move to bolster their teams with individuals possessing the requisite expertise. 3. Productivity : Some companies prioritize efficiency, speed, and product quality, thus justifying the hefty salaries as investments in specialists who can single-handedly deliver the output equivalent to that of multiple employees. Consequently, this approach minimizes labor costs while maximizing productivity. 4. Risk Mitigation : Certain positions within a company carry significant weight in determining its resilience and software prowess. Hiring smart and talented individuals for these roles can tip the scales in favor of the company, fortifying its standing amidst uncertainties and market volatility. 5. Team Enhancement : Introducing a seasoned professional into the team acts as a catalyst for skill development among peers. Over time, this fosters a culture of continuous improvement, ultimately reducing the company's expenditure on external training programs. 6. Competitive Edge : In the cutthroat landscape of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), companies vie for market share by assembling teams comprising industry experts. Offering inflated salaries becomes imperative in securing top-tier talent capable of steering the company towards sustained growth and competitiveness. Reasons for Lower Salaries in Large Corporations : 1. Environment : Large corporations boast expansive ecosystems teeming with talented individuals, providing ample opportunities for skill development and networking. 2. Compensation Structure : While large corporations may offer lower base salaries, they offset this through stock options, attractive benefits packages (such as remote work opportunities) . 3. Reputation: Prestigious companies leverage their esteemed reputation to attract top talent without resorting to exorbitant salary offers.

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It’s been five years since I updated my portfolio, and I thoroughly enjoyed refreshing it after two years of primarily working in backend and data. Flexing my frontend skills again was refreshing. I built the new portfolio using Vite-React, Tailwind, and Three-fiber, which combined to make the development process both quick and enjoyable. The integration of Vite with a 3D library like Three-fiber particularly enhanced the speed, making my coding experience efficient and a lot of fun! It only took two days of actual coding! The most challenging part was finding 3D models that fit my theme, which definitely increased my appreciation for 3D modeling. Anyway, check it out here: https://kimlongtvo.com. It’s mobile-friendly but best enjoyed on desktop. See if you can discover the Easter egg—just click around! This project was not only a technical exercise but also a reflection of my personal growth and evolution in the tech industry. Excited by these advancements, I’ve embarked on a new chapter in my career, stepping away from my stable job to dive into the entrepreneurial realm and develop new apps and businesses. It was a decision fueled by curiosity and a desire to innovate. Risky? Perhaps. Brave? You tell me. What’s certain is that this transformative period allowed me the opportunity to reconnect with my roots. Recently, I visited Vietnam for the first time since my childhood. Returning to my home country after such a long time has given me fresh perspectives and inspiration I’m grateful for everyone I’ve worked with. Now, I’m eager to tackle new challenges and continue learning. While I may not be a ‘10x engineer’—more like an ‘8x or 9x’ but I love solving problems. So if you’re working on something impactful—whether it’s a project, product, or just an idea—let’s connect and make it happen. #Innovation #SoftwareDevelopment #ContinuousLearning #threejs #TechCareers

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Distinguished Engineers (E9) at Meta make $4m/year. That's 16x the Bay Area median ($255k) Let's break it down [output = input x leverage] We all have 24 hours in a day, so there is a cap on [input] But hey, let's say they manage to have 2x-3x more focused time, so their [input] is 2x-3x There is still 5.3x-8x to go And that's [leverage] Here is the [leverage] they have: 1️⃣ Writing Every piece of text they write is clear to everyone, and they write a lot, for a lot of people 2️⃣ They create something from nothing And that something has clear value to the business 3️⃣ They influence other Engineers around them They are often described as having a "Midas Touch" in terms of their ability to uplift and develop other Engineers around them The best indicator is that the Engineers in their teams get promoted faster 4️⃣ They are well known and have an impact beyond Meta, promoting the brand 5️⃣ They have industry-leading experience in some areas There are rumoured to be <50 E9s at Meta

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