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Software Engineering Career Growth, Mentorship & Kubernetes at Microsoft
What does it actually take to grow into a senior software engineering role at Microsoft?
In this episode of The Modern Engineer, Paul Johnston shares his journey from struggling to land internships to becoming a Senior Software Engineer working on Kubernetes networking at Microsoft Azure.
Paul breaks down the mindset shifts, technical habits, mentorship lessons, and communication skills that helped accelerate his career growth. He also shares why internal tooling, ownership, and helping teammates became the foundation for his promotions.
Whether you’re a computer science student, junior engineer, or experienced developer looking to level up, this episode is packed with practical insights for long-term growth in tech.
What You’ll Learn
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction
[00:33] What Paul Does at Microsoft
[01:20] Struggling to Land Internships
[03:00] First Engineering Role as a Web Developer
[04:18] Landing Opportunities After Persistence
[05:30] Joining Microsoft During the Kubernetes Boom
[07:05] Building Internal Tools & Automation
[09:20] The Mindset Shift Into Senior Engineering
[11:15] Why Mentorship Matters More Than Prestige
[12:50] Side Projects, Coaching & YouTube
[15:05] Passion Before Profit
[16:00] Why Engineers Need Better People Skills
[17:00] Closing Thoughts & Coolster Codes
Want to share your story? Book a Call here: Click me!
View all episodes
By Syed IshaatWhat does it actually take to grow into a senior software engineering role at Microsoft?
In this episode of The Modern Engineer, Paul Johnston shares his journey from struggling to land internships to becoming a Senior Software Engineer working on Kubernetes networking at Microsoft Azure.
Paul breaks down the mindset shifts, technical habits, mentorship lessons, and communication skills that helped accelerate his career growth. He also shares why internal tooling, ownership, and helping teammates became the foundation for his promotions.
Whether you’re a computer science student, junior engineer, or experienced developer looking to level up, this episode is packed with practical insights for long-term growth in tech.
What You’ll Learn
Chapters
[00:00] Introduction
[00:33] What Paul Does at Microsoft
[01:20] Struggling to Land Internships
[03:00] First Engineering Role as a Web Developer
[04:18] Landing Opportunities After Persistence
[05:30] Joining Microsoft During the Kubernetes Boom
[07:05] Building Internal Tools & Automation
[09:20] The Mindset Shift Into Senior Engineering
[11:15] Why Mentorship Matters More Than Prestige
[12:50] Side Projects, Coaching & YouTube
[15:05] Passion Before Profit
[16:00] Why Engineers Need Better People Skills
[17:00] Closing Thoughts & Coolster Codes
Want to share your story? Book a Call here: Click me!