What Entry-Level Engineers Get Wrong About Their Careers

This is the hard-won advice I wish someone had given me before time, loyalty, and bad advice nearly stalled me out

overworked engineer at his desk with his head in his hands

You did it. You graduated. Congratulations! You landed that first job as a Junior Engineer.

Now you just put your head down, work hard, stay loyal, and wait for the money to show up. That’s how it’s supposed to work, right?

Sorry, that story is broken. Worse, it’s dangerous.

Patience doesn’t get you anywhere anymore. Movement does. If you wait, you stall out. If you stall too long, you get boxed in and forgotten.

Here’s how I learned to avoid that trap and what matters most for your growth.

---

Your Network Moves the Needle Faster Than Hard Work

Nothing changed for me until I stopped believing my job description was the limit of my value.