Immediately after college, techie bagged an AI job. How did he prepare for it?

While many computer science graduates chase prestigious roles at Big Tech giants like Google or Amazon, Lambert Liu took a different route—and it paid off. Fresh out of university, he secured a job at Graphite, an AI code review startup. His approach offers key lessons for students aiming to break into AI-driven companies.

Why Lambert Chose Startups Over Big Tech

During college, Lambert interned twice at Google, where he gained valuable experience in technical design and clean coding. Yet, after his second internship, he realized that growth opportunities were limited. “I didn’t see myself working there in the long term,” he told Business Insider.

This led him to explore startup environments, where he could take on more responsibility and learn quickly. His internship at Replit, an AI-focused startup, gave him exactly that chance—allowing him to lead projects and make a real impact.

Experience Opens Doors

Lambert stresses that past experience at Big Tech isn’t a barrier when applying to startups. “It helps show you have a strong technical foundation,” he explained. Recruiters value engineers who can write clean code and ship products reliably.

For areas where startup experience is lacking, he recommends building personal projects. These help candidates become comfortable with ambiguity and problem-solving—skills startups prize.

Skills That Matter Beyond Code

While solving problems on platforms like LeetCode is useful, Lambert points out that startups are increasingly focused on how candidates approach problems rather than how quickly they code. “Dealing with ambiguity and product thinking matters more,” he said.

His advice: work on projects that challenge you and develop new perspectives. Whether or not they involve AI, they show your problem-solving abilities and creativity.

Lambert believes that succeeding at a startup means being a holistic engineer—someone who not only writes efficient code but also cares about users and product outcomes. “Take ownership of your work and demonstrate your passion for crafting the best possible solution,” he advised.