Success Story: How Drew Bartlett landed a Senior Software Engineer role at Atlassian

Welcome to Formation’s Fellow Spotlight, a blog series introducing you to former Formation Fellows who landed their dream jobs. Today, we’ll meet Drew Bartlett, now a Senior Software Engineer at Atlassian. 

Hi Drew, Can you introduce yourself?

Sure. I'm originally from the East Coast but currently live in Colorado, in a small town near Breckenridge. For fun, I enjoy skiing, playing the drums, traveling, and working on software projects as a hobby.

What was your background before joining Formation?

I've been in the software field for about 18 years, starting in high school through a vocational computer science program. I started contracting as a teenager, and I've worked in various roles across startups, consulting firms, medium-sized companies, and some larger companies, including chess.com. My career has mainly focused on full-time development.

What sparked your interest in computer science and software development?

My dad worked with computers, so I started being interested as a young kid. Then, I remember being in middle school, and a friend of mine showed me that you could save a web page in Internet Explorer, open the HTML, and edit it. I thought that was so cool. 

I went to a Vocational High School and originally chose a culinary track. My advisor through that program saw that I scored really high in computer science. He advised that I give that track a try. I did, and I've never really questioned, at least for very long, that this is what I want to do. I have taken some sabbaticals over the years to backpack and take some time off of work, but at this point, I'm pretty happy. 

What made you interested in a program like Formation?

In 2017, I applied for Facebook went through the interview process, and made it to the final round, but then they stopped responding for about two months. I found out later it was because I didn’t get the job. During that process, I didn't know what to expect from the interview. I did well on everything except for the system design because I didn't know what to do. 

This was just almost seven years ago. So, it's always been in the back of my mind, and I always felt that because I don’t have a college degree, I wouldn’t be able to get a job at FAANG companies because the interviews are so brutal. They're stressful. No one likes them. 

At the same time, I get bored quickly. I personally feel like I’m a talented engineer, and I have done a lot of diverse work over the years. I wanted to go somewhere where I could have a huge impact and grow a lot. 

So, two or three years ago, I was bored again at my company and searched for ways to get a good software job. I bought a self-guided data structures and algorithms course that I watched for about zero hours. I couldn't get myself to do it. 

So I started searching again. In the fall, I ended up finding Formation. I liked that it wasn’t cheap because it held me accountable. I had to commit to it and stick through it. I had looked at a handful of others where you could buy ten courses or ten one-on-one sessions with a mentor or whatever else, and I think the curriculum seemed more fitting and more in-depth at Formation. 

What were your goals when you joined Formation, and did they evolve through the process?

At first, my goal was to land a job in big tech. I wanted to join a company like Meta, but they required relocation, which didn't fit my plans. I wasn't just looking for any high-paying job; I wanted to be at a large company where I could grow and be challenged. I received a lot of praise in my previous jobs, but I felt I wasn't learning enough from my peers. I wanted a role where I could be pushed more.

Over time in the program, my focus shifted more toward learning and improving in system design. It became obvious that it was my weakest area. My goal shifted from just being good enough to get the job to actually learning a lot of stuff. That's when I started absorbing a lot of the material rather than just trying to breeze through it. 

How did Formation impact your technical and interview skills?

A: Formation significantly improved my understanding of data structures, algorithms, and system design. It also helped me appreciate the nuances of interviewing, including what interviewers look for and how to present my skills effectively.

They certainly impacted them very positively. I certainly feel like it didn't just help me pass the interview, but I learned a lot more about different types of architecture. It exposed a lot of weaknesses for me, too. I am very okay with critical feedback and like to hear what I have done wrong.  I got that from everybody. It helped me hone in on the skills that I cared about, and it really helped me improve them. 

I'm now actually going through training for interviewing engineers at Atlassian, and I already feel like I have a good sense of what to look for because of what I learned in Formation.

What have you learned from your experience with Formation and the interview process?

I learned to consider what the recruiter or interviewer wants to know from the questions they ask. I never really thought of it that way, but it was really helpful to understand the interviewer's mind. 

Understanding what points you should touch in all areas is valuable. I learned the skill of interviewing and how to showcase myself better.

Any major takeaways or advice you’d give to others?

The most value I gained was from practicing real interviews, being really vulnerable, and being willing to say, “Please tell me everything that was wrong with this and how I can improve.”  

I hated hearing it sometimes. It can be deflating because sometimes I thought I did pretty well, and getting feedback on what was wrong right away was hard. But it let me practice and improve quickly. So learn to be okay with having someone tell you exactly what you need to fix and then keep trying the same things over and over again until you perfect them. 

What advice would you give to others considering joining a program like Formation?

It's definitely possible to achieve your career goals with the right preparation and mindset. The practice and feedback from a program like Formation are invaluable and can significantly boost your confidence and skills for tech interviews.