The Case for Working in the Office Early in Your Career

I worked for over 20 years in the tech industry, working my way up from intern to CEO. While I think there are real benefits to working remotely, if I were coming out of college and looking for a job, I would find a place that let me work in an office with great people. The first few years of professional life are critical for three things: learning how to work in a professional environment, bridging the gap between what you learned in school and what you only learn by doing the job day to day, and making connections that will help you on the job and later in life. Working remotely early in your career will not ruin it, but working in person will increase the likelihood of long-term success.

There is a different rhythm to work and different expectations when you are being paid by someone. Some people fit right into a work environment, but most people need to learn how to interact with others in a professional setting. Over the years, I’ve had junior engineers get caught watching movies or playing video games. That might be okay in college, but some people need help breaking those habits as they transition to professional life. When you’re in college, nobody cares if you miss a deadline. But at work, that could mean the project doesn’t hit a milestone and a customer doesn’t pay. The stakes are just higher.

Learning how to interact with co-workers and customers is critical to success. You need to learn how to interpret what people say, along with non-verbal cues, so that you can respond appropriately. When is it appropriate to push back on a customer or colleague? When is it okay to miss a meeting, and how do you let people know you aren’t going to make it? These are little things that matter as you work with other people. Workplaces are much more like that group project you hated in college, and learning how to be a good part of a group and how to communicate properly is critical for success.

I found my early years as an engineer gave me important lessons in how to be a software engineer. I could write code in college, but I had never experienced working in a codebase with millions of lines of code, large and complex modules, and huge numbers of contributors. I learned how to be a professional software developer. Oh, you do need to document code with more than something like “shuffles code.” Not everyone knows what the heck you were thinking, and in six months, you won’t remember either.

/* Shuffles data */

void shuffle(int *a, int n) { 

for (int i = n - 1; i > 0; i--) { 

int j = rand() % (i + 1); 

int t = a[i]; 

a[i] = a[j]; 

a[j] = t; 

} 

}

I learned how to break down large and complex tasks for successful software development, how to do testing, and how to create an actual deliverable product. So many of those things came from talking with the seniors in the organization who were there to support me. Maybe that was wandering into my mentor’s office where he couldn’t avoid me, or maybe it was sitting at lunch with a group of people, rattling off challenges I was having, and working with them to figure it out. In a remote environment, I could message my mentor or post to the group chat, but no one might respond. Now we have tools like Google and LLMs to help with that, and those tools are amazing. But every organization has its own unique style of work, and using LLMs you’re likely miss the mark when it comes to following the specific standards the company uses.

I met some of the best friends I could have ever imagined at work. At the right places you meet people who are interested in the same things, and you learn new concepts and ideas you’d never thought of. I found others who were focused and driven, who didn’t want to accept good enough and wanted to try new things. Working next to them daily challenged me and made me better at my job. Maybe it would have been similar if I’d been remote, but seeing someone get excited and fist pump, or even yell because they got some complex thing finished, got me fired up too!

As much as I wish it wasn’t the case, I believe being in the office can help you get promoted. We don’t live in a world of fairness, and if you want to be promoted and get big raises, you need to be known by and talking with decision makers. I started my work life at small businesses where I was lucky enough to know the owners. I got to sit with them and talk with them, and they would listen to my ideas and give me thoughtful feedback. When the time came for raises and bonuses, I am certain that had an impact. It wasn’t like doing good work wasn’t a factor. I was working on big projects and doing great things. But knowing the boss, and having them remember your work ethic and performance, helps you. I’ve sat in meetings where we review raises and bonuses, and the people in those rooms have to make tough decisions. There is only so much money and so many positions to go around, and any edge you can give yourself helps.

You don’t need to work in an office forever. Once you establish yourself at an organization, learn the skills to be successful, and make connections, working remotely would not have a negative impact on your growth and success. For those just starting out, the office remains the most powerful platform to build from, and that foundation will have a meaningful impact on your career success.