Impact Is a Skill, Not a Company Perk

Many engineers see Big Tech as a place where they can finally work on impactful projects. While it is true that this gives you the opportunity to work on products used by millions, it doesn’t mean high-impact opportunities will land in your lap. Quite the opposite. You’ll be expected to find and deliver them yourself. That’s especially true for senior+ engineers.

You’ll also compete with other strong engineers on your team for those opportunities. Because they have the same goal: clear impact in their performance reviews and the bonus that follows.

The ability to identify and deliver impactful projects is a skill, not a perk that arrives with a badge. And you can use that skill in a company you already work for.

So, how do you develop this skill?

Pay attention to what your skip-level manager, director, and staff engineers write about. They usually surface the real challenges the organization is facing.

Understand that nobody has all the answers. Not senior engineers. Not your manager. Not your director. This mindset shift can help you get started and stop being afraid to propose your own ideas.

You don’t need to change companies to start creating impact. You need to change how you approach your work.