u/Realistic-Honey-9238

I’m ~6 months into my first full-time job as an SDE 1, after interning at the same company. I’m genuinely grateful for the opportunity and I want to do well, but I’m realizing I have basically zero idea how to navigate the unwritten parts of corporate life.
My main issue is that I’m still learning the codebase, but my work is spread across a lot of different areas. I often get stuck because I don’t have enough context, and I’m not sure where the line is between “I should figure this out myself” and “I should ask someone who knows this.”
I do try things before asking, but I’ve been told in 1:1s that I need to pick things up faster, take more ownership, and communicate better. I’ve also missed deadlines because I sometimes spend too long trying to solve things independently.
The frustrating part is that if I ask early, I worry I look dependent. If I don’t ask, I can waste hours and miss timelines.
I also have absolutely no idea about things like:
- How do you make your work visible without looking like you’re constantly trying to prove yourself?
- How long should you be stuck before asking for help?
- How do you push back on unrealistic timelines?
- How do you communicate blockers properly?
- How do you avoid becoming the person who gets all the leftover work because you’re willing to take it?
- How do you build trust with seniors and teammates?
What are the basic corporate “rules” you wish someone had told you as a junior?
I’m also WFH, so building relationships with the team is harder, and I sometimes feel like I’m missing the informal communication/bonding. Also a language barrier I face is that I don’t know to speak in hindi.
I’m currently working way too long some days (sometimes until 10 PM), and I don’t want “being a good engineer” to become synonymous with working the longest. I want to be a reliable engineer for my paycheck.
For experienced engineers/managers: what would you tell your 6-months-in SDE 1 self? What am I probably doing wrong, and what should I start doing differently?
I’m genuinely looking for practical advice, including criticism. I’d rather fix things now than develop bad habits.

I’m a software engineer (SDE 1) in my first full-time job after college, and I’m about 6 months in. I’m also working remotely, which I think makes some of this harder.
I worked *really* hard to get here, and on paper I’m in a company/job that I’m genuinely happy to have. But I’m slowly realizing that there seems to be a whole set of unwritten rules about how you’re supposed to operate in a corporate engineering environment that nobody actually teaches you.
And honestly, I feel like I’m currently the person who doesn’t know the rules.
I’m very willing to work hard. I don’t mind putting in extra hours occasionally, especially while I’m learning. I want to learn quickly and become good at what I do. My problem is that I’m not always sure **what I’m supposed to figure out myself versus when I should ask someone for help.**
My team has several different areas/services, and ideally I’m supposed to develop deeper knowledge in my primary area and then gradually pick up a couple of others. But because of team bandwidth and work distribution, I’ve ended up getting work across a lot of different areas. A lot of it is work that needs to get picked up because someone else doesn’t have bandwidth.
So instead of getting a few things and becoming really strong at them, I’m constantly context-switching and learning new things.
Sometimes I can figure things out myself. Sometimes I genuinely get stuck because I don’t have enough context or don’t know how that particular part of the system works.
I usually do try things before asking. I’ll look through the code, search around, investigate, try possible solutions, ask batchmates if they’ve encountered something similar, etc. But eventually I have to ask a senior or someone from another area.
And I can tell that there are times when my seniors probably feel like I’m more dependent on them than they’d like.
I’ve actually been told during 1:1s that I need to **take more ownership and pick things up faster**, and I completely understand that feedback. I’m trying to work on it.
But I’ve run into a weird catch-22:
If I take ownership and try to solve everything myself, I sometimes spend too long on something, miss the expected timeline, and then get asked why it wasn’t completed earlier.
If I ask for help earlier, I worry that I’m being too dependent and that people will lose confidence in me.
And I *have* missed deadlines fairly often. There are also things I finish quickly and on time, but new/problem-heavy tasks can take me much longer because I’m still learning.
My manager has also told me that my communication needs to improve, both verbally and through things like tickets/updates. So I’m realizing that maybe the problem isn’t just technical ability. It might be **how I’m managing work and communicating about it.**
This is where I feel completely inexperienced.
I genuinely don’t know the corporate “game.”
For example:
How long should I struggle with something before asking for help?
How do you ask for help without making it look like you haven’t taken ownership?
How do you communicate that you’re blocked without sounding like you’re making excuses?
How do you estimate work when you’ve never done something similar before?
When should you push back on a deadline versus just work harder?
How do you make your work visible without constantly announcing everything you do?
How do you make sure people know you’re reliable?
How do you avoid becoming the person everyone gives leftover work to just because you’re willing to take it?
How do you avoid overperforming to the point where that becomes the new expectation?
How do you build a good relationship with seniors and teammates without feeling like you’re constantly trying to “network”?
And how much of this is actually about technical skill versus simply learning how to operate in a corporate environment?
I also think being a woman and working remotely adds another layer to this. My teammates are mostly from different parts of the country, and sometimes there are already little social/communication circles that I’m not naturally part of. A lot of casual bonding happens through conversations I’m not always involved in, so I sometimes feel like I’m missing that informal context too.
My current workday has also become pretty unhealthy. I’ll start working in the morning, work through a lot of the day, take breaks around meetings, then continue in the evening and sometimes end up closing my laptop around 10 PM.
I don’t mind working hard, but I **don’t want my definition of being a good engineer to become “the person who works the longest.”**
What I actually want is pretty simple:
I want to be the person on my team who is **reliable, thorough, communicates well, takes ownership, asks for help intelligently, and gets work done within a reasonable amount of time.**
I want to be able to finish my work, close my laptop, have hobbies and a life outside work, and not spend the entire evening worrying about whether I’m falling behind or whether people think I’m incompetent.
I also don’t want to go to the opposite extreme and start doing the bare minimum. I care about my career and I want to grow quickly. I just don’t want to burn myself out trying to prove that I deserve the job I already worked incredibly hard to get.
So I’m hoping people who have been working in corporate engineering for a few years can give me some **very practical advice**.
Especially:
**What are the unwritten rules you wish someone had taught you when you were an SDE 1?**
And if you were in my position, what would you change about the way you’re currently working?
I’m open to criticism too. If something in the way I’m approaching work is clearly wrong, I’d rather hear it now and fix it than continue doing it for another year.

Hey! I’m planning a 1-week workation in Pondicherry from Aug 14th(leave from Bengaluru) to Aug 21st and thought I’d see if anyone else is around during the same time.
The rough plan is:
Work remotely during weekdays
Explore locally in the evenings
Stay in a hostel rather than a private room
Do a bit of beach walking, French Quarter exploring
And explore sightseeings on weekdays
I’m haven’t locked in the hostel yet, so I’m open to suggestions.
If you’re also working remotely, travelling solo, or doing a short workation in Pondicherry around Aug 14–21, feel free to DM me. It’d be nice to explore the town, try cafés, work together during the day, or overlap for a part of the trip.

Hey! I’m planning a month-long workation around South India starting in the 3rd week of August.
The rough plan is:
• Work during weekdays (remote job)
• Explore places in the evenings
• Travel between cities/towns on weekends
• Stay mostly in hostels instead of private rooms
I haven’t locked in the itinerary yet, but I’m looking at a mix of coastal, hill, and city destinations across South India.
If you’re also working remotely, travelling solo, or planning something similar around the same time, feel free to DM me. Could be fun to explore new places, work from cafés/hostels together, or even overlap for part of the trip.
Open to ideas, destinations, and fellow workationers. :)

Hi everyone! 👋
I’m looking for a single room in an already occupied flat. I’m also open to staying with a good family that has a vacant room, as long as there’s enough privacy and a comfortable living environment.
📅 Move-in
Anytime from August 2026, depending on when I find the right place.
💰 Budget
Up to ₹15,000/month (including maintenance and other charges).
📍 Preferred Locations
Looking for places in North Bangalore near a metro station.

Also considering:
RMV Extension
New BEL Road
Sahakar Nagar
Hebbal(from Bel circle to Hebbal flyover stretch)

🏡 Looking For
Gated society preferred (for shared flats)
Semi-furnished or fully furnished
Reliable Wi-Fi
Washing machine
Power backup
Gym/clubhouse is a bonus
👋 About Me
I’m a female working professional, mostly working from home with occasional office days.
I’d describe myself as easygoing, friendly, and respectful. I enjoy meeting new people and having a good conversation, but I also value my personal space and quiet time. My routine is fairly regular, and I like keeping shared spaces clean and comfortable.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find me watching shows, reading books, making art, trying out light sports, or exploring cafés and the city whenever I get the chance.
🌿 Lifestyle
No dietary restrictions—veg or non-veg is completely fine.
Okay with smoking, as long as it’s not inside the house.
Fine with occasional drinking, as long as the house remains peaceful.
Pet-friendly. 🐾
Prefer female flatmates.
If you have any leads or know of a vacancy that fits, I’d really appreciate it if you could DM me.
Thanks in advance! 😊

Hi everyone!
I’m currently in Sikkim for about a week and could really use some advice on how to spend the rest of my time here.
So far, I’ve explored parts of Gangtok:
Hanuman Tok
Ganesh Tok
Ropeway
Flower Exhibition/Orchid Museum
Himalayan Zoological Park
I also heard that North Sikkim is currently closed, so I’m assuming that’s off the table.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) I’ll mostly be working from home, so I was thinking of exploring MG Marg in the evening, maybe visiting the casino and, if time permits, the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.
The part I’m really confused about is Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
I’d love to visit South Sikkim and/or West Sikkim (places like Namchi, Ravangla, Pelling, etc.), but I have no idea:
What’s the best way to do it?
Should I book a shared taxi, a private cab, or a package? If anyone has contact numbers of local taxis who do these trips, please let me know😭🙏
Is it better as a day trip or should I stay overnight?
Which places are absolutely worth prioritizing if I only have 2–3 days?
I’m traveling solo, so I’d also appreciate suggestions that are safe and reasonably budget-friendly.
Any itinerary suggestions, transport tips, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

I am in dire need of help on this rn😭😭

I’m planning to travel to Sikkim in about a week, but the only thing I’ve booked so far is my flight to Bagdogra.
I’m honestly not sure how to plan the rest of the trip. I’ve been seeing a lot of negative reviews about tour packages, and with the current weather conditions, I’m wondering if I should even plan an adventurous trip.
Another option I’m considering is turning it into a workation—finding a hostel with reliable Wi-Fi in Gangtok (or anywhere else near Bagdogra) and working from there while exploring whenever possible.
I’m completely open to changing my base from Gangtok to any nearby place if it makes more sense. I just have no idea what the best approach is.
If anyone has recently traveled there or has suggestions on where to stay, how to plan the itinerary, whether to book packages or travel independently, or any tips considering the weather, I’d really appreciate your advice. Please drop a comment!

I’m planning to travel to Sikkim in about a week, but the only thing I’ve booked so far is my flight to Bagdogra.
I’m honestly not sure how to plan the rest of the trip. I’ve been seeing a lot of negative reviews about tour packages, and with the current weather conditions, I’m wondering if I should even plan an adventurous trip.
Another option I’m considering is turning it into a workation—finding a hostel with reliable Wi-Fi in Gangtok (or anywhere else near Bagdogra) and working from there while exploring whenever possible.
I’m completely open to changing my base from Gangtok to any nearby place if it makes more sense. I just have no idea what the best approach is.
If anyone has recently traveled there or has suggestions on where to stay, how to plan the itinerary, whether to book packages or travel independently, or any tips considering the weather, I’d really appreciate your advice. Please drop a comment!

I’d love advice from experienced travellers:
How secure is 1AC? Do unauthorized passengers ever enter cabins?
Do you lock your luggage to the berth?
What do you do with valuables while sleeping or using the washroom?
Any etiquette or unwritten rules?
Things you wish you’d known before your first long train journey?
Choosing the train mainly for the experience and to save some money. Any tips are appreciated!

Hi everyone,

I’m considering relocating to Himachal Pradesh for a couple of months and working remotely from there. The main reason is to take a break from city life, experience the mountains, and spend some time in a calmer, more scenic environment.

I’m from Bangalore, and since I’d be living there alone, I have a few concerns regarding safety, internet reliability for WFH, and whether there are any challenges one might face while settling in for a couple of months.

For those who have done something similar, what should I look for when choosing a place to stay? Are there any towns or areas you’d particularly recommend (or avoid) for someone working remotely?

Also, if there are any people from Bangalore/Karnataka currently living in Himachal or who’ve spent an extended period there, I’d love to hear about your experience.

Any sort of advice, tips, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

If interested please dm

Hi everyone,

I’m considering relocating to Himachal Pradesh for a couple of months and working remotely from there. The main reason is to take a break from city life, experience the mountains, and spend some time in a calmer, more scenic environment.

I’m from Bangalore, and since I’d be living there alone, I have a few concerns regarding safety, internet reliability for WFH, and whether there are any challenges one might face while settling in for a couple of months.

For those who have done something similar, what should I look for when choosing a place to stay? Are there any towns or areas you’d particularly recommend (or avoid) for someone working remotely?

Also, if there are any people from Bangalore/Karnataka currently living in Himachal or who’ve spent an extended period there, I’d love to hear about your experience.

Any sort of advice, tips, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thanks