How do you know when it’s time to leave a job vs. stick it out and push through a rough patch? For me it comes down to whether the core reasons I took the role are still intact. If the work is still interesting and the people are decent, a rough patch is survivable. But if I’m dreading Mondays every single week, that’s usually a signal worth listening to.

Do you think engineers are better at solving problems or preventing them? I think prevention is harder because success is basically invisible.

My job is stable and pays decently, but I haven't picked up a new skill in over a year. I keep waiting for a reason to leave that feels urgent enough. Has anyone left a job that's comfortable but stagnant?

Do you think engineers spend enough time thinking about the user experience of internal tools? I’ve seen teams tolerate painful internal systems that they’d never ship to customers.

Obviously, no one expects a newly graduated hire to know everything during their first week, but early impressions stick. Question for the managers and senior engineers on here: What can a new grad do in those first few days to make you incredibly glad you hired them? What sets them apart early on?