###### tags: `WebHack#30`

# Panel Discussion: Secrets to going up your career ladder

## Panel Questions

1. What is the one piece of advice you wish you had heard at an earlier stage in your career?
2. Which skill plays the most critical role in going up your career ladder?

- Always learning
- Communication
- Be open and question yourself
- It's okay to be not perfect and it's great to have feedback; but don't be not to grow

- New grad -> junior
- Junior -> senior tech
- Junior -> manager
- Junior -> senior
- Tech lead -> tech fellow
- Manager -> director

3. Techniques to manage up (manage your manager)? (ex. about negotiation, promotion and so on)

- Poromotion does not happen because of what you did. It is better to be a plan that you discussed with your boss and list down what do you need to do to be promoted.
- So when is the best time? You can do it right after your first promotion so that you keep moving.
- Don't be shy and asking for feedback.
- Make it easy for your leader to evaluate.
- Work one level higher than you are now. Thus, people can see you have already eqipped with that ability.

4. Please tell us of a story where you overcame a large obstacle and what were some of your learnings?

- Don: The biggest obstable for me is my own ego. For example, I need to tell myself I don't really understand Java pretty well and I need to learn more.
- Rutong Li: How to start to trust others' work.

5. When choosing between individual contributor or manager...?

- It's difficult to build bigger thing if not through other people
- Not so necessary to choose in the beginning. Because many soft skill is shared with these two roles. So maybe spend more time on what you really like and keep growing.

## Question from attendee:

Q1. I am wondering why there is no women leader on the podium? can you give us some advice to do it?

A1.

- See people who are in that position and look into how did they do it.
- Try to seize the opportunities, eg. be a volunteer.
- In U-Next, we ignore which **gender** you are so it won't affect your interview or so.

Q2. Been in Japan for a bit more than a year. work for a traditional Japanese compy, dont speak Japanese. I would like you guys to briefly differentiate about environment in a Japanese company and what steps need to be taken to move up the ladder asides generic steps discd so far. (https://twitter.com/iambaaziger/status/1217403340037877763)

A2.

- Educate yourself
- Japanese culture is pretty different with western culture. Try to talk to an open person in your team first.

2. how to negotiate a promotion?
3. How are you able to set expectations and work with your manager in order to ensure not only fulfilling your responsibilities but also develop as much as you can within your role? 

## Question from speaker:

Q. Why do people love Dark Mode so much?

A. because the bug will be attracted by light

## Poll

1. Choose IC or Manager (Engineering track or Managing track)?
2. What are important factors to consider when deciding between continuing as an individual contributor versus moving into management?
3. What are some techniques to turn working hard to working smart
4. What’s the best way to find a mentor at work?