The NoDegree Podcast – No Degree Success Stories for Job Searching, Careers, and Entrepreneurship

E154 | From Self-taught Freelance Developer to Microsoft Engineer–Shashi Lo

Episode Summary

He hated school but loved sports, girls and computers. Find out how the fifth of six children to immigrant parents became a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft.

Episode Notes

As the fifth of six children to immigrant parents, Shashi Lo was aware of the financial constraints of his parents. He enrolled in college but switched from a Bachelor’s program to an Associate's degree program so that he could enter the workforce sooner. 

Listen in as Shashi tells Jonaed about:

• Being a software engineer at Microsoft
• How his oft skills helped him to climb the corporate ladder
• The importance of feedback during the learning process

Timestamps:

• (01:14) How his soft skills helped him to become a Senior Software Engineer at Microsoft
• (05:41) Salary range for a Software Engineer
• (09:01) How he got his start in tech: Hated school, but loved sports, girls and computers
• (11:38) Why he switched to an Associate's Degree program
• (15:02) Learning on the job
• (16:23) Software developer vs software engineer
• (19:43) How he upskilled and started his freelance career
• (25:39) Transitioning back into the workforce...along with freelancing
• (30:13) How he moved up in his career
• (33:38) How he got into Microsoft
• (36:36) Why he’s most proud of the people he’s trained and mentored
• (38:54) How not having a mentor affected his career
• (42:14) How not having a college degree affected him
• (44:51) Warnings about bootcamps
• (48:10) The importance of feedback from more experienced professionals during the learning process
• (54:33) Reflecting on being 18 again

Support/Contact Shashi:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashilo/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/shashiwhocodes 

Books and resources mentioned in this podcast:

• Resume course: https://bit.ly/podcastpca
• Coursera: https://www.coursera.org/

Need career or resume advice? Follow and/or connect with Jonaed Iqbal on LinkedIn.

• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/JonaedIqbalND
• Connect with us on social media!
• LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/NoDegreeLinkedIn
• Facebook: https://bit.ly/NoDegreeFB
• Instagram: https://bit.ly/NoDegreeIG
• Twitter: https://bit.ly/NoDegreeTW
• TikTok: https://bit.ly/3qfUD2V
• Join our discord server: https://bit.ly/NoDegreeDiscord

Thank you for sponsoring our show. If you'd like to support our mission to end the stigma and economic disparity that comes along with not having a college degree, please share with a friend, drop us a review on Apple Podcast and/or subscribe to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/nodegree.

Remember, no degree? No problem! Whether you're contemplating college or you're a college dropout, get started with your no-degree job search at nodegree.com.