When entering the job field, many people believe that their early career growth will follow a straightforward path. You study, master, find a job, and apply your skills. However, things are often not that simple in today’s complicated job market. Instead, entering the professional realm can prove far more difficult, and what helps you succeed in school may not be sufficient in these ever-changing, incomplete, and ambiguous systems.
This critical shift in understanding altered Chuanrui Li’s perspective on engineering. After earning his Electrical and Computer Engineering degree from the University of Toronto, he established a solid groundwork in programming, systems design, and mathematics, complemented by business acumen from finance electives at the Rotman School of Management. Chuanrui was committed to creating an impact at the crossroads of technology and the global marketplace.
On paper, Chuanrui seemed prepared, yet the reality of the industry presented a different challenge right away.
“In school, problems are clearly defined—you’re given a project, you implement a solution, and you get a grade,” Chuanrui explains. “But in the real world, software engineering is much more than writing code. The biggest challenge was dealing with ambiguity—learning how to understand ill-defined problems, define clear scopes, and create actionable plans.”
The transition from knowing how to execute the position and knowing what he needed to demonstrate to acquire the position became the cornerstone of Chuanrui’s growth. Over time, he was able to turn this unique approach into his advantage. Chuanrui quickly realized that coding was only one aspect of the job; the real skill lay in navigating undefined problem spaces and transforming them into executable plans.
Chuanrui’s story is not about mastering the known—it’s about thriving in the undefined. He has built a career through technical prowess and by turning ambiguity into opportunity in a tech industry shaped by volatility, rapid evolution, and shifting expectations. Chuanrui’s journey reflects a more profound truth about modern engineering: the real edge lies in learning to lead when the path isn’t clear.
Learning to adapt to a business-driven world
One of Chuanrui’s initial professional challenges was grasping the business context within engineering. Unlike the consistent pace of academia, the software industry is dynamic and focused on return on investment (ROI).
“In school, the environment is stable—your classmates and professors don’t change. But in industry, the workplace is driven by ROI. Projects get cancelled, teams reorganize frequently, and priorities shift based on business needs,” Chuanrui says.
Chuanrui realized that today’s significance might lose its importance tomorrow, not due to a lack of quality work, but because businesses constantly evolve. Consequently, when a business shifts, the engineer must also adapt.
“I had to learn to stay flexible and quickly adapt to new projects and teams as they came,” Chuanrui recalls.
Although it wasn’t always easy, this experience taught him the professional value of flexibility without friction. By maintaining the capability to remain productive amid changing conditions, Chuanrui embraced change rather than opposing it. Whether it involved starting a new project or adjusting to various team cultures, he acknowledged the necessity for an adaptive mindset that enables engineers to be effective regardless of the environment’s challenges.
Learning that speed is essential
Although the gap between academia and industry was considerable, Chuanrui always recognized the worth of his academic background. He believes it provided him with one of his greatest professional strengths: learning quickly.
“The most valuable skill I gained from my academic background is learning quickly. As a computer engineering student, I covered a wide range of topics—circuit design, embedded systems, computer networks, power electronics, and software development.”
This academic diversity compelled Chuanrui to quickly grasp new technical concepts and switch contexts across various domains. Not only did this skill prove highly valuable in his schooling, but it proved doubly beneficial in the professional field of the fast-paced software industry.
While Chuanrui’s academic background might not have equipped him for every kind of uncertainty, it instilled the confidence to tackle unfamiliar systems. He urges others looking to make a similar career transition to broaden their learning and master the ability to learn “on the fly.”
Learning the hiring process
Many aspiring engineers focus extensively on enhancing their technical skills, which is essential and can help them stand out. However, to do so without refining your interpersonal and communication skills is putting the cart before the horse.
Chuanrui recognized early in his career that strong technical abilities alone won’t guarantee opportunities. It’s just as crucial to comprehend and navigate the hiring process strategically.
Chuanrui’s pivotal realization occurred in 2016 when he secured an internship at Okta, a rapidly growing, pre-IPO unicorn. This experience gave him valuable insights into the dynamics and organization of top-tier engineering firms dynamics and organization.
“That internship was my first exposure to agile development at a top-tier Silicon Valley company. It opened my eyes to modern development practices, open-source tools, and collaborative workflows.”
Inspired by what he observed, Chuanrui aimed to join a Silicon Valley firm full-time, yet he understood that intention alone wouldn’t suffice. Thus, he dedicated himself to technical interview preparation and documented his journey in a Hacking Silicon Valley Interviews guide.
Chuanrui points out, “My approach wasn’t about shortcuts—it was about intentional, focused practice and learning the unspoken norms of the hiring process.”
By examining how organizations evaluate talent, understanding how to highlight their strengths, and aligning with the actual needs of teams, Chuanrui turned opportunity into progress.
As Chuanrui details, “Collaboration and communication are always the key for software engineers. During my interview, a senior product manager from the company told me that great communication skills are more important than technical skills throughout the software development process. In addition, many of my friends said that they solved all the coding questions correctly in interviews, but the companies did not give them an offer. I would say that is fair. They are more interested in interviewees who know how to design, analyze the trade-offs, and give suggested plans for solving problems.”
To this end, technical skills are crucial for engineers hoping to break into the industry. However, knowing how to communicate, test under pressure, and read between the lines in interviews is just as important.
Growing with pressure, rather than shrinking from it
After gaining experience in Canada, Chuanrui relocated to New York City for graduate studies at NYU, concentrating on machine learning and data mining. Although New York had a robust fintech scene similar to Toronto’s, its scale, speed, and intensity were unprecedented for him.
Additionally, the tech downturn of 2022–2023 intensified the competition significantly.
The transition wasn’t easy, but this phase taught Chuanrui that growth sometimes requires pushing through uncertainty and embracing pressure. Instead of backing down, he embraced the challenge. Chuanrui intensified his preparations, upheld discipline, and ultimately landed a position at a leading fintech firm with high stakes and expectations even higher. The intensity of this environment taught him to think clearly in complex situations, remain focused despite volatility, and grow precisely due to the constraints he faced.
As Chuanrui puts it, “It’s in those moments that you build real resilience. Real growth doesn’t happen in comfort; it happens when you’re under pressure but moving forward anyway.”
Staying ahead of tech, leading with vision
To succeed in a high-performance fintech setting such as NYC, Chuanrui required more than just raw talent or technical expertise. Instead, he realized that to remain a valuable asset to companies, he had to stay ahead of his competition and technology. In engineering, it isn’t enough to respond to technological change as it happens. One must be prepared and able to anticipate such dynamic shifts before they happen.
“In fintech, particularly in trading and infrastructure, C++ remains dominant. Deep expertise in C++ is extremely valuable. At the same time, generative AI is emerging as a transformative force—AI-first trading algorithms could be the next big wave,” he adds.
However, Chuanrui emphasizes that tools alone do not ensure a significant impact. The key difference between lasting engineers and those who contribute temporarily is their mindset. In industries characterized by continuous change, being present while considering long-term goals is paramount.
“In terms of mindset, I recommend a combination of present focus and long-term vision. Markets will rise and fall. Projects will change. But if you consistently work hard, collaborate with strong leaders and teammates, and focus on delivering long-term value, success will follow.”
This principle anchors Chuanrui’s final lesson: lasting success belongs to those who lead with clarity, adapt with intention, and use technology to react and drive change.
Beyond the textbook: the real skill for future engineers
Chuanrui Li provides valuable insights that blend realism with optimism for future engineers. He is candid about the challenges of moving from academia to the workforce and the unpredictability of high-performance settings.
However, Chuanrui has established a path for others to emulate through preparation, flexibility, and a commitment to continuous learning. His guidance remains timely and enduring for engineers entering fields such as fintech, infrastructure, or AI: clarify where others perceive complexity, learn rapidly, act purposefully, and take the initiative to create it instead of waiting for stability.
VentureBeat newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.
