Finding your dream software engineering job requires strategic planning and intentional action — both of which have to start with a clear understanding of what you want in your career.
According to a 2023 McKinsey report, aligning one’s career path with personal values and interests not only increases job satisfaction but also enhances performance. This alignment is crucial in the tech field, where work styles, team dynamics and company cultures vary significantly. Taking the time to identify your professional aspirations can help guide your search and decision-making process.
This means reflecting on your strengths, the type of work environment you thrive in and the impact you want to make. Do you see yourself working in a fast-paced startup, or are you more inclined toward the stability of a large corporation? Are you looking for a highly collaborative role or do you prefer independent work? What about the work environment — in-person, hybrid or fully remote? Understanding these factors is key to narrowing your search and focusing on roles that resonate with your long-term aspirations.
For those candidates who have found a dream role, the same report advises companies to focus on keeping them engaged with ongoing opportunities, a balanced workload and a flexible response to preferred ways of working. For software engineers, this could mean offering opportunities to explore new technologies, participate in innovative projects or pursue technical leadership roles. Ensuring a culture of recognition, respect for personal career goals and adaptability to changing work preferences helps keep employees committed and motivated.
To better understand what finding a dream role looks like in practice, Built In heard from 10 software engineers about how they found their dream roles and what keeps them showing up enthusiastically each day.
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Lowe’s is a home improvement retailer offering products and services for homeowners, builders and DIY enthusiasts.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
My tech career journey has been shaped by my unique blend of design and engineering skills, strategic thinking and purpose. My background allowed me to find my niche, delivering value through a mix of creativity and technical expertise. I continuously challenged myself by tackling complex problems and gaining hands-on experience that deepened my understanding while fostering strong mentoring relationships to expand my skill set. My technical product management experience taught me the importance of building strong stakeholder relationships and prioritizing customer needs. I wasn’t afraid to speak up or ask tough questions, demonstrating my commitment to clarity and integrity.
By integrating both convergent and divergent thinking, I am able to creatively tackle challenges while being resource-efficient. This proactive approach led me to the complex selling team at Lowe’s, where I lead the enterprise configurator platform — aligning perfectly with my passion for intricate problem-solving.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
During my job search, several specific skills and experiences set me apart from other candidates. My background in design and engineering enables me to develop innovative solutions that are both aesthetically pleasing and functionally robust. My experience in product management has honed my ability to prioritize customer needs effectively and ensures that I always advocate for the end user, which is crucial for delivering successful products.My time with the Lowe’s Enterprise Configurator Platform Team has deepened my problem-solving skills and showcased my ability to handle intricate challenges under pressure.
Additionally, I communicate with confidence, readily addressing difficult questions and fostering meaningful discussions. I strive to be a servant leader and lead with empathy and camaraderie. I believe in never asking others to do something I wouldn’t do myself, which strengthens trust and collaboration within the team. I feel these qualities collectively make me a strong contender in the tech sector.
“I believe in never asking others to do something I wouldn’t do myself, which strengthens trust and collaboration within the team.”
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations?
I am grateful to be in a role that truly aligns with my passions and goals. I’m currently focused on building an extensible configurator platform that tackles a wide variety of complex problems, which is incredibly rewarding. The dynamic nature of this work keeps me engaged; there’s always room for improvement and growth, ensuring that each day brings new challenges and opportunities.
That said, the technology industry can be demanding. It requires tremendous commitment and perseverance, and it isn’t always glamorous. Long hours are common, but the reward of delivering value at scale makes it worthwhile. Having served many roles at Lowe’s, I’ve witnessed our tech evolution firsthand. This journey has not only deepened my understanding of complex technologies, but also allowed me to contribute to significant advancements.
I take great pride in how far we’ve come, both as a team and in my own professional development. What excites me most about coming to work each day is the opportunity to collaborate with a talented team, expert peers and inspirational leaders. Learning from them is invaluable, and it continually fuels my passion for the work we do.
General Motors is a global automotive company that designs, manufactures and sells vehicles under brands like Chevrolet, Cadillac and GMC.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
When searching for a new role, I sought qualities that would provide a diverse range of opportunities, growth potential and the ability to explore different roles within a large company like GM. I sought a job that would keep me engaged, allow me to solve problems, make a meaningful impact and provide continuous learning and creative expression. In my current role at GM, I found all of these qualities.
Through the years, I’ve remained engaged and passionate about my contributions and eagerly anticipate each workday. This assures me that I’ve found the right fit.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
During my job search, my broad skill set in various technical disciplines — such as infrastructure planning, scripting, front-end and back-end development, database administration and network administration — helped set me apart from other candidates. This demonstrated my ability to work across multiple disciplines and adapt to new technologies.
Additionally, my positive attitude, passion and drive expressed during interviews made a significant impact with the hiring manager. My experience in multiple programming languages showcased my versatility and ability to quickly learn and apply new coding languages as needed. The combination of my technical expertise, proficiency in multiple disciplines and experience in multiple programming languages helped set me apart from other candidates.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations?
My job at GM hasn’t just met my expectations — it has exceeded it. I have the freedom to work independently and come up with creative solutions. I work in a lab setting where I explore and experiment with different technologies. New things are always on the horizon and each new project brings new challenges and excitement. My current project is a full-stack web-based tool for managing physical test assets and performing automated testing. I am excited to come to work each day because I get to develop innovative technologies that don’t yet exist. I’ve even submitted my work for multiple inventions and have been granted a patent.
“I am excited to come to work each day because I get to develop innovative technologies that don’t yet exist.”
McCain Foods is a global food company known for its production of frozen potato products and other prepared foods.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
I’m currently an Azure DevOps engineer at our Global Technology Centre based in Florenceville, New Brunswick, Canada. I started my journey with McCain in 2018 when I participated in a year-long co-op program as a business analyst for the Global Application Delivery Team. As I finished my undergrad in 2020, I immediately rejoined the McCain technology team as full-time employee. I started off again as a business analyst, then an operations technology specialist and recently transitioned to my current role.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
There are three main reasons why I decided to come back to McCain after graduation.
First, I love working for a global company in a small town in my home province. I enjoy working with technology, but I love New Brunswick.
“I love working for a global company in a small town in my home province.”
Second, during my short time in Florenceville I met some of the kindest, most thoughtful and community-centered people I had ever met. I truly couldn’t wait to finish university and come back to the area.
Finally, I found meaning both in the day-to-day work and the volunteering McCain encourages all their employees to partake in.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations? What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
Since rejoining McCain, I’ve had many opportunities to grow as a technology professional, as a leader and as a person. In the few short years that I’ve been with McCain, I’ve had the opportunity to lead the deployment of a critical security system in our operations technology space, develop software to increase supply chain resiliency, work with leaders to analyze how to better monitor and manage our technology environment and so much more.
I’ve also developed tremendously as a leader thanks to my many mentors and through leading an employee resource group called the Young Professionals Association based here in Florenceville.
I have found the most growth and meaning through taking part in the many volunteering opportunities McCain provides, such as supporting the valley food bank, getting involved with local schools and other community outreach programs.
The culture of the McCain Technology team is one that supports and encourages those who wish to learn, to develop, to grow. I couldn’t have picked a better company to start my career with and I’m really looking forward to what is yet to come.
Gusto is a cloud-based payroll, benefits and HR software provider designed to help small- and medium-sized businesses manage their workforce needs efficiently.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
Landing my dream job in the tech industry was a journey of perseverance and intentional growth. I tracked my performance between interviews using a Notion workspace, identifying areas for improvement and staying organized. Regular practice on platforms like LeetCode sharpened my problem-solving skills, while networking with other engineers and staying current on emerging technologies kept me engaged.
I sought a company that loves to innovate — a place where collaboration is ingrained in the culture, team members eagerly share knowledge, and the ability to swiftly ship products is valued. I knew I found the right fit when I joined Gusto and felt the vibrant culture that welcomed me from day one. Simple gestures like celebrating my first pull request or seeing kudos boards highlighting team accomplishments made me feel valued. Receiving quick feedback from consumers about how our products made their lives easier reinforced that I was in the right place. By aligning my personal values with those of the company — prioritizing innovation, collaboration and rapid product development — I secured my dream job.
“By aligning my personal values with those of the company — prioritizing innovation, collaboration and rapid product development — I secured my dream job.”
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
What set me apart from other candidates were key skills and mindsets. I have a strong ability to think on my feet, always digging deep to find the why behind problems. This curiosity helps me solve technical challenges and understand user needs more thoroughly. I also have a passion for learning and building new things, which keeps me on the cutting edge of technology. During my job search, I worked on side projects that showcased my proactive attitude and commitment to continuous improvement.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations? What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
Working at my dream job has exceeded my expectations. I’m part of a team creating tools that expedite benefits processing. Currently, I’m automating benefits enrollment systems to make them more efficient and user-friendly, helping small businesses’ employees enroll in their benefits. Collaborating with cross-functional teams allows me to innovate and tackle challenging problems, which excites me every day. The company’s culture fosters continuous learning and values everyone’s contributions, and knowing that my work makes a real difference gives me a strong sense of purpose and satisfaction.
Sierra Space is an aerospace company focused on developing space transportation and infrastructure, including the Dream Chaser spaceplane.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
While I was in college, I had the opportunity to intern as a software engineer, which gave me invaluable exposure to the aerospace industry. This experience was pivotal in shaping my career aspirations as I worked alongside some remarkable individuals. Observing the dedication and enthusiasm for their work made me excited about the possibility of joining their team full-time in the future.
As I prepared to graduate and enter the workforce, I knew I wanted to be part of a company that shared my values of hard work and passion for innovation. I was looking for a culture that fostered collaboration, continuous learning and a strong sense of purpose. When I was hired by Sierra Space, I knew that I had found the right fit.
“As I prepared to graduate and enter the workforce, I knew I wanted to be part of a company that shared my values of hard work and passion for innovation.”
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
My background is heavily in mathematics, which is what I originally went to college to study. I later added on my computer science degree. I believe having a solid foundation in mathematics has been instrumental in solving complex problems and optimizing algorithms. This skill is particularly valuable in developing efficient and reliable software solutions.
Additionally, I have a continuous drive to expand my knowledge and adapt to new technologies. This eagerness ensures that I stay current with industry trends and can quickly integrate new tools and methodologies into my work.
What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
During the time that I’ve been at Sierra Space, I’ve had the chance to engage in a wide range of tasks, from DevSecOps work to integrating high-level applications into our software, and even developing low-level drivers. My manager encourages me to continue learning and to pursue areas I am passionate about. This has been instrumental in my professional growth and has kept me motivated to learn and innovate.
Currently, I’m working on testing device drivers on an avionics unit. This project is particularly exciting as it ensures the reliability and performance of critical components in our flight systems. I am fortunate to work with a fantastic team of people who are committed to excellence. They challenge me to grow and contribute to creating outstanding products.
What excites me most about coming to work each day is the combination of technical challenges, the opportunity for continuous learning and the collaborative environment. Being part of a team that is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of aerospace technology and contributing to innovative solutions is incredibly fulfilling.
Two Barrels is a tech company that provides what it calls PSaaP, or professional services as a product, delivering in-house marketing, software and IT services to product owners within its parent company.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
In my opinion, there are two primary factors in any job being a “dream.” The first is to be able to hold an interest in the work involved with the job. I couldn’t say a job was a dream job if I couldn’t enjoy the work, even if an employer has all the best perks and people. I discovered programming was work that I truly enjoyed doing, which led me easily to the software engineer career path.
“I couldn’t say a job was a dream job if I couldn’t enjoy the work, even if an employer has all the best perks and people.”
The second, but just as equally important piece to making a dream job, is finding an employer with qualities that you prefer. After working for several companies, I figured out that I highly prefer working from home and a good work/life balance, as well as a good company culture where people are upfront, honest and easy to get along with.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
I think my experience with the entire spectrum of application runtime is my strongest selling point. I’ve worked with many different cloud providers, infrastructures, CI/CD platforms, programming languages, frameworks and more, and I believe having this experience allows me to more easily adapt to new ones that a job could require.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations? What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
Honestly, I don’t think I could’ve picked a better career. It has its ups and downs, as all careers do, but I can’t see myself enjoying anything as much as I enjoy the work that I do now. I’ve got my fingers in a lot of pots currently, but my favorite project at the moment is the creation and management of our CI pipeline templates for projects. It’s a win-win scenario — I get to enjoy the process of building them out and improving developer’s testing and deployment processes, and the developers get to focus more on programming instead of what knobs to turn or levers to pull in order to compile the app and deploy it out correctly. This fulfilling work that I do, coupled with the trustworthy and friendly people that I work with, is what makes me excited to come to work each day!
Red Canary is a cybersecurity company that offers managed detection and response services to help organizations identify and stop cyber threats.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
Before I joined Red Canary, I was working on large enterprise projects mostly written in Java and Ruby and spent a lot of time keeping up with those communities on best practices as well as with new frameworks and technologies. Opening myself up to these communities of developers, specifically through the Boulder Ruby Meetup group, helped me land a previous job and, not incidentally, also helped me find my current role as a software engineer at Red Canary.
I first came across the position through a Slack workspace for Ruby on Rails developers. I was casually looking for a new job, but primarily, I was looking for an environment with a defined growth path for individual contributors as well as an environment that would foster individual growth through the kind of engineering culture that the company created. I was also looking for this kind of environment within a programming framework I knew how to develop in and had an interest in mastering.
Immediately upon interviewing, I had a sense that this was going to be a great fit for me.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
Beyond the specific technical experience that is required for any software engineering job, two things that I believe set me apart from other candidates were an interest in teaching myself on the job and, crucially, knowing a specific area on which I wanted to focus my attention.
I knew I wanted to learn more about how to design and manage cloud infrastructure and how that ecosystem interacts with large applications. When I came across an opening at Red Canary, it was a perfect mix of having the right opportunity that I had been searching for open up, and one that I was ready to take on.
“I knew I wanted to learn more about how to design and manage cloud infrastructure and how that ecosystem interacts with large applications.”
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations?
This position at Red Canary has lived up to my expectations and then some.
My team almost exclusively works on third-party integrations, specifically on how to get data into our system and how to interact with the customer platform as we analyze that data. When we design interfaces between an external security platform and our own, we not only have to take into consideration how those interfaces will be used by other internal engineering teams, but also how they will be managed by non-technical stakeholders like many of our customers.
Every engineering discipline has to balance the trade-offs between outcomes and resources, and nowhere is this challenge more apparent than when we have to curate a customer onboarding experience that achieves the data and access requirements we need to successfully analyze security data, while creating the least-intrusive access points into a customer environment.
With a system as large and complex as ours, there are invaluable lessons to be learned from seeing the work of others. Each day we have to confront commitments that we made and ones that were made before us.
Clear Street is a fintech firm specializing in modernizing capital markets infrastructure and providing trading, clearing and prime brokerage services.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry. What qualities in a job or an employer were you looking for? How did you know when you found the right fit?
As a staff software engineer at Clear Street, I landed my dream job through due diligence and research to find the perfect fit.
Compatibility was the main focus during my search for my dream job. Not only should I have the skills and know-how that the employer is looking for, but I should be confident in my technical solutions to solve problems. Second, I looked for company growth within the technology sector. A dream job in the tech industry should involve technology to drive the business forward rather than simply exist as a cost center. Finally, I stressed that the “right fit” for a job heavily depended on my colleagues, and I should have the space to grow in my role with the help of my co-workers.
“The ‘right fit’ for a job heavily depended on my colleagues, and I should have the space to grow in my role with the help of my co-workers.”
Clear Street was exactly what I was looking for, and the company met all my requirements and beyond. The company is one of the fastest-growing fintech firms in the industry today, using technology to solve legacy issues within the prime brokerage sector. I quickly adapted to my role and the culture of Clear Street, not only because the company gave me space to innovate, but because they also allowed me to make meaningful contributions with my skills and experience.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
As a job candidate, my breadth of experience is the most valuable attribute I offer. In my past roles at other financial institutions, I worked at the intersection of technology, banking, and prime brokerage. I also gained extensive knowledge about the derivatives business, order management systems, and execution management systems, among many other business software applications.
My soft skills learned through experience are equally as valuable as a job candidate. When the company faces a business problem, I can use my corresponding knowledge to determine how and when to implement a technology solution. For example, when we look to give our trading desk a competitive edge, my team automates the tools to efficiently provide data about their positions and risk management decisions.
This has been possible through decades of learning about technology and other related fields. I emphasize, especially to software engineers just entering the industry, that demonstrating continuous growth and adaptability is more valuable than the number of programming languages you know or other complex skills you have.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations? What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
Working at Clear Street has exceeded my expectations, even for a dream job. As I mentioned, one of our projects involved the development of a risk management system for our trading desk. Clear Street gave my team a blank canvas to build the system from the ground up. In just six months, we created and implemented a tool that feeds trade position data to the desk in real-time, and now we are working on a funding system that shows every trade in its current position, how it was funded, its associated costs and how costs will change based on market movement.
A large part of what makes this a dream job is the proximity to the trading desk, which allows me to expand my skills and knowledge beyond computer science. Rather than being in an isolated engineering team, I collaborate closely with traders and see my technology solutions in action.
Every level of the trade life cycle at Clear Street, from trade execution to client engagement to trade settlement, engages with the engineering team. This is another great avenue to learn more and expand my skills and knowledge base, which are incredible reasons to work here.
Garner Health is a healthcare technology company that uses data analytics to connect patients with high-quality doctors and improve healthcare outcomes.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
Ownership and growth opportunities were at the top of my list. It was really important to me, when searching for my next role, that I found a place that enabled engineers to be owners of the product they’re building, the process of how they build it and the culture of the team surrounding them.
“It was really important to me that I found a place that enabled engineers to be owners of the product they’re building.”
When I was interviewing, I was looking for leadership that enabled their employees to take chances and learn new things.
I knew I found it in Garner when talking with our CEO and head of engineering. Garner had set out to achieve a bold goal, and they knew they needed a strong team to do so. The intention and care that was put into building the team to succeed strongly resonated with me, there was a heavy emphasis on taking pride in the work you’re spending your time on.
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
I believe being an engineer with a broad skill set and flexible attitude is the key to success at an early stage company. The more flexible you are the more problems you are going to be able to handle and the more valuable you are going to be. That doesn’t mean always knowing the answers, but rather being willing to push yourself into new areas and figure it out along the way.
The best engineers I have worked with are not above any problem and don’t shy away from challenges in a domain they aren’t familiar with. They are relentless in their approach, making data-driven decisions and not relying on hunches or guesses without facts to back them up. I’ve taken inspiration from these people and it has served me well, especially when I’m working on something I’m less familiar with. I always encourage engineers to embrace opportunities to learn a new language, pattern or tool because the larger your toolkit is the wider problem space you’ll be able to apply yourself to.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations? What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
The ownership and autonomy I’ve had at Garner has surpassed my expectations. Early in my time here, we had an emerging need in a problem space well outside of my responsibilities at the time. I had a few conversations with our head of engineering and shared my ideas. The response was to let me shift my focus onto those problems to work with a few other engineers, propose and ultimately build the solution. I was surprised by how quickly I became a key piece of solving one of the biggest challenges facing the company and learned an incredible amount along the way.
Three and a half years into my time at Garner, I’m still excited for the variety of problems I get to work on. Lately, I’ve been focusing on improving our member experience around searching for providers. We have a long way to go, but have made huge improvements in the last few months thanks to the amazing team I get to work with.
Now that our team has grown, I’m stepping into a management role and I’m very excited to support other engineers on the team to develop their skills, make an impact on our product and achieve their goals. This brings a whole new set of challenges which will again give me a new area to grow into.
Lob is a direct mail automation platform that helps businesses send personalized physical mail with API-driven solutions.
Describe the key factors or strategies that helped you land your dream job in the tech industry.
Landing a dream job in the tech industry requires a thoughtful approach and a clear understanding of your needs. A key strategy was thoroughly reading job descriptions for insights into roles and expectations, helping me filter opportunities effectively. Assessing a company’s core values was crucial to ensure their culture aligned with mine. I was drawn to Lob for its commitment to inclusivity, innovation and sustainability.
Lob actively encourages diverse candidates to apply if they meet the minimum criteria, fostering an environment where varied perspectives drive creativity and problem-solving.I wanted a dynamic field that would keep me motivated. Lob’s focus on automating direct mail operations with innovative technology was appealing.
Equally important was finding a supportive, fun team, as a good culture is essential for doing your best work. At Lob, I found a balance between meaningful technical challenges and a positive environment. During the interview, I sensed I had found the right fit; the assessments mirrored my day-to-day work. Once I joined, the onboarding experience showcased Lob’s commitment to employee growth, solidifying my confidence that I made the right choice
What specific skills or experiences do you believe set you apart from other candidates during your job search?
During my job search, a combination of resilience, effective communication and relevant experience set me apart from other candidates. I applied exhaustively and embraced the possibility of failure as part of the learning process. This mindset allowed me to approach each opportunity with confidence. I treated interviews as a two-way conversation, focusing on mutual fit rather than merely showcasing my skills. This approach encouraged open dialogue, enabling me to express my thoughts candidly.
“I treated interviews as a two-way conversation, focusing on mutual fit rather than merely showcasing my skills.”
My previous experience in the web publishing industry significantly contributed to my qualifications, likely enhancing my resume’s appeal.
I believe in being honest about my knowledge gaps and acknowledging when I don’t have the answers. This honesty fosters a genuine connection with recruiters and interviewers, demonstrating my willingness to learn and grow. Adopting a growth mindset allowed me to view challenges as opportunities, making me a more adaptable candidate. Overall, these qualities helped me stand out and align with employers seeking genuine, motivated individuals ready to contribute to their teams.
How has your dream job lived up to your expectations? What are the types of projects you’re working on and what makes you most excited to come to work each day?
My job at Lob has truly surpassed my expectations. As a member of the personalization team, I have the exciting responsibility of transforming a wide range of customer creatives into high-quality PDF files for printing at scale. Our mission is to empower customers to design the mail they envision, all without requiring specialized tools.
I am excited about the opportunity to learn new, domain-specific concepts related to the printing industry and how we can leverage technology to address these challenges effectively. What excites me even more is our collaborative culture, which encourages open communication and allows everyone to do their best.
We are currently developing an enhanced rendering engine that will unlock new opportunities for our customers to create impactful designs. The print industry is ripe with potential, and I find it fulfilling to work in an environment that nurtures technical creativity. I’m proud to be part of a supportive and fun team that celebrates all our wins, big and small, fostering trust and camaraderie among us.
Each day, I’m inspired by the knowledge that our work makes a meaningful difference and presents new challenges that keep us engaged.
