Sophia Reed

Who is Sophia?

Sophia Reed graduated from the University of Michigan with a bachelor's degree in Computer Science in December 2021. She currently works as a Software Engineer at Meta.

I enjoyed a great conversation with Sophia and I thank her for taking the time out of her busy life to speak with me. Here is a brief summary from my notes.

How do I know her?

I came across her profile while looking up software engineering alumni from the University of Michigan. She was a very recent grad, so I felt comfortable reaching out to her. I was drawn to her profile because of the Meta hackathon she participated in.

Due to the fact that she was a recent grad, I felt that she would provide a unique perspective about the transition from academic to professional life. I was curious whether she might have some tips to share with a current student.

What was her hackathon project about?

• Sophia and her team came up with a "Pinterest for Mental Health" board. Sophia was passionate about mental health and the project she described was very interesting.
• I asked her about what happens to the projects after the hackathon. She mentioned that sometimes the very interesting projects are escalated all the way up to Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg. She mentioned that the Instagram mental health features were born from a simiar internal hackathon.
• Sophia mentioned that she had the opportunity to speak with senior leadership about mental health and Meta's plans and actions regarding the space.

What are some tips Sophia shared?

Speaking from her university years and her professional life, here are some of the tips Sophia shared:

• Always say yes to everything, often times there is very little to lose. Don't be afraid of being embarrassed and just keep taking every opportunity as it comes.

• On the flip side, you must also know your own limits and must have the capacity to say no. Saying yes to everything is also detrimental if you don't say no to the right things.

• Find things that you are passionate about and do not settle.

• Meet and connect with great people.

• Keep your eyes open and look out for opportunities. Try to take advantange of everything around you.

What are some mistakes you've made?

• Don't try to do too much. Life is about balance - sometimes you need to grind, but sometimes you also need to have fun and pursue your hobbies.
• If you are stuck, try and get help. Fighting a problem alone is often counter-productive.
• Get enough sleep.

Thoughts on remote work?

Depends on your location. Being in-person will get you more noticed by senior leadership. If you are in a satellite office, perhaps begin in-person does not have the same benefits as it would being in the headquarters. However, being remote can also be advantageous because you can fearlessly reach out to any senior leader and schedule a meeting.

Thoughts on Leetcode?

Just keep doing Leetcode.

Startup or big-tech?

• Pros about big tech: there is a structured engineering process. There are a lot of very intelligent people around you whom you can learn from. There is job security, plus great pay and benefits.
• Pros about startups: there are limited resources, so you are forced to be scrappy and innovate. You can pursue your passion towards making your idea into reality. Not for everyone, need a lot of willpower and dedication to the startup otherwise you will burn out.