Inside Figma: my time as a new grad | Figma Blog (opens in new tab)
The post argues that choosing a first job should involve more than checking boxes such as “interesting problems,” “smart people,” and “good culture.” Josh Shi reflects on joining Figma as a new graduate and encourages readers to examine how work fits into their broader lives, interests, and changing goals. His conclusion is that the most useful job-search framework is built around personal questions rather than universal criteria. ## Rethinking Work-Life Balance - Work and life are not opposing forces in a zero-sum equation. - The hours spent working and not working together constitute a person’s life, and each affects the other. - Job satisfaction can influence life outside work, just as personal circumstances can affect satisfaction at work. - Measuring balance only by the number of hours worked ignores the nature and meaning of the work. - The author acknowledges that treating work as a career is a privilege, especially during economic hardship or when employment is uncertain. - People who have the opportunity to choose should ask: - What kinds of work interest me? - Does this workplace support those interests? - Will I be able to learn and develop? - Can the role adapt as my interests change? - What skills or crafts can I build? - Does the job leave room for other interests? ## Learning as a New Graduate - At Figma, Shi gained new technical experience, including: - Full-stack development - Writing C++ for the web - More significantly, he learned to own features and participate in the full product-development process. - This included scoping projects, clarifying ambiguous goals, and taking ideas from inception through launch. - Mentorship and support from colleagues made it possible for him to challenge himself and take ownership. - The same people he met during his interview continued to provide guidance and expertise after he joined. ## Company Growth and Change - Figma had changed substantially during Shi’s first few years as the company and product expanded. - The company began transitioning toward a hybrid model, illustrating that workplaces evolve over time. - This reinforces the importance of considering not only whether a company fits current interests, but also whether it can accommodate future growth and changing priorities.