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/AmanManazirListen to our new podcast, @TheEntropyShow: https://youtu.be/MDJQXbXPngg?si=vQqITmNzy3fhfcV1I’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 Introduction02:15 From Pre-Med to Computer Science05:51 Landing Nordstrom Without CS Background07:23 Exploring Different Career Paths10:59 Getting Quant Trading Internship Offers12:00 Microsoft Rejection to Multiple Offers14:35 Learning from the Microsoft Failure16:16 How to Get Interviews at Top Companies20:12 You Don't Need Full Software Skills21:37 The Power of Stubborn Problem Solving23:27 My LeetCode System and Strategy24:37 Is LeetCode Dying with AI25:18 LeetCode as IQ Test for Engineers28:56 System Design Matters More Than LeetCode29:51 What Recruiters See in Six Seconds32:00 Choosing Meta Over Google and Lyft33:55 Starting Salary at Meta36:17 $52 to $40K in My Bank Account37:04 When Facebook Became Meta40:05 Daily Life Inside Meta42:31 Why Tech Companies Give These Benefits45:14 Free Asset to 10x your Engineering Journey45:42 Meeting Mark Zuckerberg as Intern46:42 How to Get Promoted at Meta50:33 Fast Promotions vs Stuck Engineers51:45 Watching Layoffs Happen Around Me52:50 Seeing AI Used in Interviews56:01 Will There Be Fewer Engineers57:09 Staying Relevant in AI Era59:05 Meta Stock Going to the Moon59:48 Why I Left $500K at Meta1:05:00 The Next Chapter: Startup and Content1:06:40 Where to Find Rui1:07:50 Outro