Meta Software Engineer: “Didn't Study CS, Still Made $500k/Year!”

Today I sit down with Ray: a former Meta software engineer who went from pre-med with a failing AP Comp Sci score to making $500K a year. We break down how he landed tech internships without a CS degree, used referrals to get offers from Google, Amazon, and Uber, and built an interview system after getting rejected by Microsoft. We also unpack why you don't need full software skills to get hired at big tech, his LeetCode strategy, and why he walked away from $500K to pursue startups and content in his 20s. If you're breaking into tech or questioning the 9-to-5, this episode is a must-listen. Computer science students, new grads, and software engineers…want to land your dream software engineering job or internship? Click here 👉 https://www.amanmanazir.com/coaching/?utm_source=transistor&utm_medium=podcasts_description&utm_campaign=Rui_MetaSWE&video=h3td0TPxZAc 🚀 Get my free Software Engineering Crash Course – https://www.amanmanazir.com/7dayengineer 🎧 Listen to all episodes of the Software Engineering Accelerator Podcast on YouTube: youtube.com/AmanManazir Listen to our new podcast, @TheEntropyShow: https://youtu.be/MDJQXbXPngg?si=vQqITmNzy3fhfcV1 I’m Aman Manazir, a career coach and software engineer. I interned at companies like Amazon, Shopify, and HP in college, and the day I graduated I landed a $168,000/year* full-time software engineering job. I help you make it as a computer science student & software engineer and get your dream job offer. 📄 Get my free resume template – https://www.amanmanazir.com/resume 🧠 Get my free LeetCode Roadmap – https://www.amanmanazir.com/leetcode 💌 Free weekly productivity insights/advice – https://amanmanazir.com/newsletter 📕 All my free Notion templates – https://www.amanmanazir.com/notion 📝 Sign up for Notion – https://affiliate.notion.so/2nh3pjr6l5l6 📷 Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/amanmanazir/ 🐦 Twitter – https://twitter.com/amanmanazir 👉 Rui's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raycfu?igsh=MWpvM3JwMDV2dWxhMA== 👉 Rui's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fuchengrui?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app — ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction 02:15 From Pre-Med to Computer Science 05:51 Landing Nordstrom Without CS Background 07:23 Exploring Different Career Paths 10:59 Getting Quant Trading Internship Offers 12:00 Microsoft Rejection to Multiple Offers 14:35 Learning from the Microsoft Failure 16:16 How to Get Interviews at Top Companies 20:12 You Don't Need Full Software Skills 21:37 The Power of Stubborn Problem Solving 23:27 My LeetCode System and Strategy 24:37 Is LeetCode Dying with AI 25:18 LeetCode as IQ Test for Engineers 28:56 System Design Matters More Than LeetCode 29:51 What Recruiters See in Six Seconds 32:00 Choosing Meta Over Google and Lyft 33:55 Starting Salary at Meta 36:17 $52 to $40K in My Bank Account 37:04 When Facebook Became Meta 40:05 Daily Life Inside Meta 42:31 Why Tech Companies Give These Benefits 45:14 Free Asset to 10x your Engineering Journey 45:42 Meeting Mark Zuckerberg as Intern 46:42 How to Get Promoted at Meta 50:33 Fast Promotions vs Stuck Engineers 51:45 Watching Layoffs Happen Around Me 52:50 Seeing AI Used in Interviews 56:01 Will There Be Fewer Engineers 57:09 Staying Relevant in AI Era 59:05 Meta Stock Going to the Moon 59:48 Why I Left $500K at Meta 1:05:00 The Next Chapter: Startup and Content 1:06:40 Where to Find Rui 1:07:50 Outro