What New Engineers Need to Know: Insights from Alibaba Mom’s Tech Graduates

During the recent graduation ceremony of Alibaba Mom’s technical campus‑recruitment program, senior engineers and the CTO answered questions from new hires, offering candid career guidance.

What traits do companies value in newcomers?

Senior Engineer "Xiao Bo" emphasized curiosity as essential; a willingness to learn about the business, people, and technology drives connections in a new environment.

He also highlighted the importance of soft skills such as communication and project leadership, as well as a solid technical foundation and good physical health.

Senior Engineer "Yaoyao" echoed the need for curiosity and added that data‑driven analysis of customer feedback, industry trends, and academic research can generate valuable insights for both business and personal growth.

What was the most challenging experience and the biggest takeaway?

Senior Engineer "Xiao Tian" described joining a small, newly formed team with unclear decisions. He spent two months stabilizing his mindset, learning to define problems clearly, and using data analysis to propose solutions, a practice that now applies to many scenarios.

Senior Engineer "Bingbing" recounted a project where the team chose the wrong people for the task, leading to a temporary halt. The key lesson was to objectively assess who is best suited for a job and to avoid letting personal expectations cloud decision‑making.

How can newcomers broaden their technical vision?

"Xiao Bo" advised maintaining curiosity not only about how to do things but also about why they matter; actively following topics outside one’s immediate responsibilities prevents stagnation.

How to quickly understand the business?

Senior Engineer "Xiao Liang" suggested learning through patience: ask questions, listen, read documentation, think, and practice hands‑on.

Senior Engineer "Xiao Yu" recommended finding a personal mission within Alibaba, then leveraging supervisors, peers, and project partners as resources; proactive communication with managers yields valuable business insights.

Book recommendations

"Code Complete" – praised for improving coding style and foundational skills.

"The Effective Manager" – defines what makes a manager and offers systematic advice on time management and self‑leadership.

"Design Patterns: Elements of Reusable Object‑Oriented Software" – essential for writing flexible, reusable, and well‑structured code.

Final words from leadership

CTO Zheng Bo welcomed the new engineers, urging them to ask questions, learn from seniors, record knowledge, and become contributors rather than just consumers of information.

Program "Principal" Xiao Di shared three personal tips: (1) deeply consolidate expertise in the first two years; (2) stay patient during plateau periods as growth follows; (3) maintain a positive mindset and use communication to turn setbacks into opportunities.

He concluded by encouraging each graduate to pursue a personal mission, stay curious, and continuously develop both technical and business acumen.