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- Instagram's former VP of engineering shared his advice for young engineers, from networking to finding mentors.
- James Everingham said they should "go where the smart people are" in an interview on "The Peterman Pod."
- The young people Everingham notices are the ones who speak up, he said — even if they're wrong.
Engineers, take note. Instagram's former VP has some advice.
James Everingham spent over eight years at Meta, along with stints at Yahoo and Netscape, according to his LinkedIn profile. On "The Peterman Pod," he shared five tips for young engineers looking to forge connections and climb the ladder in software engineering.
First, it's all about being curious, especially about others' work. He recommended that young people "ask a lot of questions," calling it a "great way to build relationships within a company."
Then there's the mentorship question. When Everingham was starting his career, he wanted "good mentors around," he said. Finding them can be challenging, though — and he shared some advice he heard from Looker cofounder Lloyd Tabb.
"If you want to find a mentor, don't go and ask someone: 'Hey, I need a mentor,'" Everingham said. "Go offer them help."
Finding a mentor is also about where you are. Everingham's next tip: "Go where the smart people are."
In his early career, Everingham worked at Netscape and Borland. Those early engineers are now "owning the Valley," he said, giving the example of Marc Andreessen. "That's where I got the best mentors and learned the most," he said.
Having good connections is helpful — but avoiding poor connections may be even more so. That's his next piece of advice: Don't burn bridges. "Friends come and go, but enemies collect," he said.
Finally, it's up to you to make your mark. Everingham remembered being worried to speak up, fearing that people would think he was "an idiot." Now, he notices the people who speak out.
"Even if what they say is off, they're not afraid," he said. "So, speak up."
