Why I Left ByteDance as a Software Engineer | 我为何离开字节跳动

[@chloeshih]

Hi Nian! So great to see your experiences in the SG office. Thank you for referencing my video and comparing the differences. I think I definitely had unique circumstances and I'm glad there are more perspectives out there since not everything is as black or white. Thanks for sharing again! Wishing you all the best in your next team! :)

[@NianLi]

Wow, can't believe you watched my video! It's my great honor! All the best to your endeavor at Discord as well! Cheers 🥂

[@chloeshih]

@@NianLi Yes of course! Great breakdown and insights. Pumped for your next chapter!

[@biancafxy]

Thank you for sharing your insights. I’m approaching my 1st month as a ByteDancer and I am assessing my employment with them as much as how they assess me as well. This is helpful! More power to you.

[@ProgrammerSpace]

Thanks so much for sharing Nian Li! Singapore tech scene really has very few videos like yours and a lot of the times, we don't know how's the culture like when we join a new company. I hope you continue to do this when you join your new company!

[@NianLi]

Hey Space. It means a lot to me. Sure, will do!

[@rex870426]

It's a bit sad to see you go because your videos help me understand how bytedance Singapore works and lead to my decision to join next week, but I think you made a very mature decision and I'm pretty sure you will achieve big success in your future career. All the best!

[@NianLi]

Glad my video helps you made your decision, I believe you will have a good time at Bytedance in SG office! Thank you very much for your words and support to my channel, all my best wishes as well!

[@Chryosify]

All the best! I’m also in BD and sometimes does wonder if there’s any promotion chances within the team, although I do enjoy working in BD, especially how much you can learn in your day to day task

[@NianLi]

All the best to you as well!

[@dominictsui363]

what a classical pattern. People are great! I met a lot of talented people there! Many has become my good friends. However, I had to leave. A story "almost" to everyone leaving a big company.

[@sfgedgnrepg]

Thanks for you share your experience, i am going to interview with Tiktok, this helped me a lot to continue and be positive even though there is some passive comments on the job market!

[@NianLi]

Nothing is perfect, just take what suits you best:) all the best!

[@shiauji40074]

Thanks for your sharing. Good luck for your new position!

[@NianLi]

thanks a lot!

[@dotnetcoder7809]

As a 9 years software engineer here . I can honestly tell u that title or junior,none junior or senior doesn’t matter. What matters Is money. If you really wanna know the difference between a senior and a junior developer. Apart of technical skills, you need to be equipped with good soft skills.

[@dotnetcoder7809]

Working 1.5 years is not long. And 1.5 years of experience who do you wan to interview? Trying to be a interviewer? Lol

[@dominictsui363]

May be you can summarize the issues in categories: time zones, Languages (Chinese and English), ... so on and so forth. It'll give the audience a clearer takeaway. Thanks a lot for sharing. All the best! Keep in touch

[@dominictsui363]

Awesome! Thanks for sharing!

[@shastasilverchairsg]

Agree happiness is the most important. I cannot imagine working until 9-10pm 6 days a week regularly like the folks in China. Actually, even 1 hour of doing things I don't want to do is already too much for me. Haha!

[@M43782]

Have you seen the video "I Left TikTok In 4 Months - Here's Why" made by Jamie Lim Yin Yin? He is from Singapore.

[@i_am_acai]

If ending the day at 8 is normal I'd definitely consider that long workings hours by US standards

[@Lakshmi-uz7sg]

Feeling sad😒😒but happy for you have a great career ahead al the best

[@NianLi]

thanks :)

[@mikhailmont4109]

I feel you. I was a regular officer back in RSAF. Worked till 1030pm everyday handling my primary role and secondary and tertiary projects. My annual review was similar to other regular officers who "chaokeng" and took MCs for 2-3 months. I threw a tantrum. My Commanding officer told me, "even if you worked 24 hours, 365 days a year, you will not win the pilot who flew the state flag on national day for 30 mins". That woke me up. I gave the finger to rsaf, and left to be an investment banker. I have level playing field with people who have masters in finance, CFAs, and people who love to suck to their bosses BUT it doesn't matter because I thrash their sales figures and laugh at their faces (for fun) because I have only a stupid private degree. And they hate it because now it's finally fair and sorry they just don't make the cut since they were born.

[@NianLi]

What another inspiring story! Your experience will definitely motivate more young people to chase their dreams!

[@sergei_volodin]

Thanks for this video, it is very helpful

[@itzy9284]

Hi, Im also in BD. I think i joined at the same time with you but now I still stay haha. I also have mixed feelings towards the company. However, just wanna bring a point of view to some of the thing bugging you, the annual review. To be honest, impact is the thing that matters, the ugly truth is working OT doesn't convert to competence. I understand it is much frustrated that one working our ass off but receiving an average grade. However, just from a general assumption, a fresh grad definitely cannot beat with a mid/senior level engineers. Its bugging a freshgrad to receiving an M (assuming again), imaging when you're a mid/senior and also face the same thing. Not to mentioned If your team is a big one ( >25), the managers and co-workers cannot remember all of your contribution if it is not much noticeable. Again, i dont mean to defend the company or say you're wrong, I'm not in your shoes, I just wanna bring out a different view and say that the situation may be the same for all company which filled of tons of talented people who also working OT like crazy, and therefore it is quite expected that a freshgrad receiving an average grade. Anyways, thanks for the video, all the best for your future.

[@NianLi]

Totally agree, thank you very much for your comment! All the best to your future as well!

[@DuyTran-ss4lu]

Great insights

[@dominictsui363]

Did you say how long you were at Byte Dance? if I had missed it>

[@izackwu]

All the best❤

[@NianLi]

thanks :)

[@xiaoranhuang3274]

Heyy! Stumbled across your page and i must say it was good sharing. I still remember managing your entry into SG and now its also been 1 yr since i left BD too! Anyway good luck to your future endeavour and all the best!

[@andyli3041]

Hi Nian Li, great video! I am currently considering an offer from Tiktok, so would like to know what's your take on the company's culture (did a bit of read up and some was saying a toxic working culture). With regard to work life balance, noticed that you mentioned some days got to work late, was it happening frequently?

[@Caesarelric]

Hey I’m in the same situation as you were, did you join TikTok? How’s your experience?

[@andyli3041]

@@Caesarelric I didn't take up the offer in the end :)

[@wreveals2238]

Hey Nian, would a livestream product operations manager, compliance platform enjoys work life balance and a 5 days work week?

[@Friends4ever3373]

Hey buddy, which country are you in. I am exploring a PM role in Livestream too

[@kittylee2534]

Thank you for sharing your insights Nian! May I realize that do you know what the go to market strategy position usually do? When you joined the Bytedance, the interview conducted in English or Chinese?

[@NianLi]

According to my experience, if you are working in marketing strategy, you will conduct with English interview, and your daily work will involve English customers in Singapore

[@kittylee2534]

@@NianLi Thank you so much Nian~

[@kittylee2534]

@@NianLi Hi, Nian, does the youtube close private msg portal....or any other ways I can reach to you, would like to further check with you on something related. Thank you

[@NianLi]

You can reach me out on Linkedin

[@uditjoshi199]

Hello brother I have an offer from Bytedance Singapore and actually I am from India ....I am happy with the salary they offer to me but I am concern about the work life balance ....I found on blind and other websites that there is no work life balance .....It's a 9 to 9 , 6 days week job or even 7 days sometimes. So can you please tell me is it true?

[@NianLi]

which department you are from? And what is your title?

[@uditjoshi199]

@@NianLi Full Stack Developer and i am a fresher

[@dominictsui363]

Repetitive. Time zones are different between Singapore and San Francisco. Isn't it way too obvious to mention and explain more than once. The audience isn't in primary schools. Respect them please.

[@weixiaoyang6810]

ah im currently in bytedance and about the interview part it's exactly the same feeling. I feel like excluded in the team. Am I not working hard? they don't like me? i don't know. I am considering leaving as well.

[@NianLi]

Well, if u r 1-2, usually they would give you m-. Because usually they don’t give m- to 2-1 or above, even though I r working hard

[@natphlix6396]

Does working overtime in ByteDance pays out OT pay as well?

[@NianLi]

In SG, no. In China, yes

[@user-eu6tr9yd5g]

@@NianLiwhaaaaat. Is it legal in SG?

[@thegametaka]

I think you should go to USA or China to join Tesla.

[@NianLi]

why?

[@thegametaka]

@@NianLi because Tesla programmer is more challenging than bytedance.

[@marysketch4772]

I wish a tech person could actually give us a sense of what you do. If a person is an architect then they can't help but talk about buildings if they are talking about their job. But I only hear you and another person talking about performance reviews and managers; there hardly seems to be any substance. It's like a mystery. I honestly don't know what you minute by minute. It seems it's just have zoom meetings and I don't know what else.

[@chamataititasparce]

I would reframe the diversity issue as an incentive for the employees to improve their Chinese.

[@chamataititasparce]

Now keep in mind, I say this as someone who has never had to deal with this kind of thing at all. However, I'd really like to :)

[@dominictsui363]

may be it helped more with a bit more introduction about yourself for 2-3 mins. You did mention that you were borne and grew up in China, which is great!. Did you go to college in Singapore like NUS or NTU. Are you a typical Chinese staff in Byte Dance Singapore? How would you compare yourself to other Chinese staff at Byte Dance, Singapore (a difficult question that can put you on the spot) ? Are you average, above average or below. I know it may be conspicuous rating by yourself as we all tend to see that we're better than the others in one way or the other. Did you feel that career advancement at Byte Dance Singapore is way beyond imagination for yourself? Many people left their companies because of gloomy career prospect? Were you denied of a promotion. I did that. But I've never said the real reason as I considered that it was embarrassing and humiliating. Who cares about a promotion? I was in the banking industry for a long long time. I used to work in Southern California, U.S.A then transferred to Japan and now in Singapore. I also worked in Shanghai for 1 year. (thank GOD) Who is your target audience for this video? Computer science students who are graduating and looking for a job in Singapore? Are you trying to indicate that Byte Dance Singapore is easier to work for than Byte Dance in San Francisco? (considering that there's no problem with time zones) Are you here on a Working Pass, PR or what's the status (though this may be personal) ? who're you trying to help? Anyway, sharing your experiences is helpful. I agree.

[@merianti4057]

Hi

[@dr4gonbloodx]

Bro can't find your linkedin profile

[@NianLi]

Hey my friend, thanks for your remind! Could you search again? It should be searchable now :)

[@gameacc6079]

bytedance pay so low lol

[@marklee249]

彷彿他较自负，有點性急，入世还浅，说得沒什麼內容⋯

[@ChineseSe7en]

Hmm...ByteDance/TikTok is the top place I wanted to work at...