From Intern to Full-Time Engineer at Cockroach Labs

Bilal Akhtar's blog post chronicles his journey from being an intern to a full-time engineer at Cockroach Labs, detailing the unique aspects of his experience at the company. During his internships, Akhtar worked on projects critical to the product's success, such as adding SQL functionalities and optimizing the database, which provided him with significant learning opportunities and a sense of impact. He highlights the value of interning at smaller companies like Cockroach Labs, where he experienced a collaborative environment and gained insight into the broader company operations, contrasting this with the tendency to pursue internships at tech giants. Returning as a full-time engineer, he joined the Core Storage team, transitioning from his SQL-focused internships to work on the distributed systems that distinguish Cockroach Labs' database. Akhtar appreciates the company's emphasis on quality work and work-life balance, which significantly influenced his decision to return.