Career Journey 1: Interviewing & Getting Promoted | Thiago Ghisi
Sep 5, 2023
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Thiago Ghisi, Director of Engineering at Nubank, discusses the journey to becoming an engineering manager, the four C's paradigm for career management, skills and qualities for engineering managers, tips to stand out in the interview process, and the benefits of promoting from within the same company.
Promoting from within the same company as an individual contributor to manager is highly recommended for in-depth knowledge and prior managerial experience within the organization.
When preparing for interviews, focus on both technical and behavioral aspects by practicing coding exercises, system design, and mock interviews, and having a framework and specific examples ready for behavioral questions to highlight accomplishments and problem-solving abilities.
Deep dives
Importance of Promoting from Within
Promoting from within the same company as an individual contributor to manager is highly recommended. This allows the manager to have in-depth knowledge of the technical details and makes it more likely for the company to hire a manager who has prior managerial experience within the organization.
Preparing for Interviews
When preparing for interviews, it is crucial to focus on both technical and behavioral aspects. Practicing coding exercises, system design, and mock interviews can help with technical proficiency. For behavioral questions, it is important to have a framework and specific examples ready to highlight accomplishments, leadership roles, and problem-solving abilities.
Initial Steps for Onboarding as an Engineering Manager
When starting as an engineering manager, it is essential to prioritize understanding the people, the problem space, and the systems or architecture. Building relationships with team members and learning about their concerns can provide valuable insights. Gaining knowledge about the product, customers, and roadmap is also crucial, as well as familiarizing oneself with the systems and technical aspects of the organization.
Successful Start as an Engineering Manager
A successful start as an engineering manager involves actively seeking feedback, asking relevant questions, and summarizing findings. Engaging in conversations about team members' concerns and pain points showcases leadership and problem-solving abilities. Additionally, having discussions with product teams, customer service, and architects to understand the roadmap and system design helps build a strong foundation for decision-making and addressing challenges.
How do you become an engineering leader? Is it the right fit for your career? And if you do, how do you become a good one?
In this multi-part series on the career journey of an engineering leader, Dev Interrupted answers these questions and many more by inviting expert guests from the software industry to share their experiences, lessons, failures and triumphs as leaders. Whether you started your career today - or 20 years ago - this series has something for everyone.
In our first episode, host Dan Lines is joined by Thiago Ghisi, Director of Engineering at Nubank. Together, they explore the nuances of beginning a career as an engineering manager: from acing the interview process and securing a promotion to confidently navigating your first 3 weeks on the job.
Join us for a series of real-world lessons and insights from top engineering leaders.