This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kanish Shah, a 26-year-old software engineer at Walmart who lives in Milpitas, California. Business Insider has verified his employment with documentation. His words have been edited for length and clarity.
I moved to the US from India in August 2021 to pursue a master’s degree in computer science at the University of Southern California. Soon after, I began looking for a summer internship — but things didn’t go as planned.
Like many aspiring software engineers, I was excited about the idea of working at a Big Tech company like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta, or Netflix. I targeted those tech giants during my internship search, but the competition was intense. I ended up being rejected by all of them, which was disappointing.
It wasn’t just the tech giants that turned me down. I ended up applying to hundreds of internships and received fewer than 15 callbacks — one of which turned into a role at Walmart. I learned that Big Tech isn’t the only route to take for a successful tech career.
I’m glad rejection forced me to look outside Big Tech
While I struggled to gain traction with tech giants, I eventually secured interviews with several startups and midsize companies.
One of the internships I applied to early on — without a referral — was a software engineering role at Walmart. A couple of months later, around October 2021, a recruiter reached out about an online assessment followed by two technical interviews. I received an offer soon after the interviews and started the internship in May.
I treated the internship like an extended interview — I asked for weekly feedback, stayed vocal during meetings, and found a mentor. I believe that approach helped me secure a full-time software engineering role with Walmart, which I started in June 2023.
Walmart has provided the learning environment and culture I was looking for
When I joined Walmart full-time, the company was in the midst of a major transformation — evolving from a traditional retail giant into a tech-driven, AI-powered organization. It felt like an opportunity to contribute to meaningful technological change while accelerating my own learning. That was a significant reason I decided to stay after my internship.
I’m very happy with my decision. In addition to growing as a software engineer, I’ve found that the work culture and work-life balance at Walmart are really great. My hours can vary, but I generally work from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and have time to spend with family and friends on the weekends.
I live in Milpitas, California, about a 25-minute commute from Walmart’s Sunnyvale office. I’m required to go in two days a week, though in-office expectations vary across teams. The office itself is great. It has a lot of amenities, including boxing and pilates classes, a basketball court, a large gym, and good food.
Walmart offers a wide range of cuisine options in its cafeteria. For lunch, I usually opt for the “make your own salad bowl,” but there are also options featuring Asian, Indian, Italian, and Mexican dishes. The food isn’t free, but it’s subsidized, so it’s not costly — and drinks like fountain beverages, tea, and coffee are complimentary.
There are potential advantages to working in Big Tech, but I don’t feel I’m missing out
At a traditional Big Tech company, you may find early exposure to systems operating at a massive global scale — along with access to specialized internal tooling, research teams, and long-established engineering playbooks. There’s also the brand recognition, which could make future job mobility feel more straightforward.
That said, those differences haven’t felt like gaps for me. I haven’t felt that I’m missing out on meaningful learning or career development where I am. For me, the quality of work, mentorship, and ownership has mattered more than the logo.
My advice for young tech job seekers
My advice to other young tech professionals is this: aiming for Big Tech is completely valid — those roles can be great aspirations. However, not landing one of these roles shouldn’t be too discouraging. High-impact work can be found in many environments, including startups and emerging tech companies. I also believe that strong compensation is possible outside traditional Big Tech — my compensation is in the six figures.
From a job security perspective, I believe the entire tech industry has undergone a period of recalibration over the past couple of years. Layoffs have affected companies of all sizes — including Big Tech, midsize firms, and even large enterprises like Walmart. So I try not to view job security as something tied to a single company or sector.
What gives me confidence is focusing on the factors I can control: continuously building relevant skills, staying adaptable, and making a meaningful impact in my role. In short, my advice would be not to limit yourself to a narrow set of companies. Stay open to opportunities where you can learn, contribute, and grow — because the tech world is much bigger than just one path.
