Jacob VoytkoJun 13, 2025

I got asked a simple question:

“What advice would you give a high schooler who wants to work in tech?”
I wasn’t planning to write anything this week. But I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

I’ve been coding since I was 14. I’ve worked at places like Google, Etsy, and now Hinge. Here’s what I said, distilled from 25 years of experience:

https://www.clientserver.dev/p/a-staff-engineers-advice-to-high

A staff engineer's advice to high schoolers who want to work in tech

Are you a high school student interested in working in tech? Here's my advice as someone who has worked at everything from FAANG to research labs, and has been in the industry since 2008.

Client/Server
Show threadJacob Voytko
* Learn to code early.
* Don’t just take classes. Build something. Even small projects count.
* Get internships (or the closest thing you can).
* Learn how computers really work: OS, architecture, protocols.
* Understand where the industry is going. Right now? LLMs, agents, AI.
* Increase your luck surface area. Talk. Share. Meet. Post.
* Be curious. Be humble.
* And remember: there’s more to life than tech. Fill your life with stories, not just side projects.
Jun 13, 2025 at 6:06pmWeb