“Coding alone is not enough” – Interview with Abdusoli Ergashev, an Uzbek specialist at Meta

**“Writing code alone is not enough” – Interview with Abdusoli Ergashev, an Uzbek specialist at Meta**

Meta (formerly Facebook) is one of the world's five most powerful technology giants, alongside Google, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft. What kind of specialist do you need to be to get a job at such a massive company? Professional skills alone are not enough on this path, because there is always someone better: to be a valuable asset, personal qualities such as adaptability, fast learning, communication skills, and teamwork are also essential.

Uzbek programmer Abdusoli Ergashev has been working at one of the world's most powerful companies for over a year because he was able to embody these qualities at a high level. And this is not the only achievement in his story. Daryo.uz explored how his journey in the world of code began and how it led him to the USA.

### University

Our hero received his bachelor's degree at Inha University in Tashkent. It was here that his interest in solving problems by writing code and creating various new programs began, prompting him to choose the field of software engineering.

“Since the education was based on Korean standards, all classes were taught in English and held at various times of the day. I spent my time at the university from morning till night — in an environment saturated with the passion to learn and create. Students worked on various projects in groups. In my third and fourth years, I also tried my hand at robotics, but my interest in writing code prevailed,” he recalls of his student years.

He also carried out his first successful project at the university. In the Autonomous Car Competition held at the university level, he and his two partners built an autonomous car and took third place among 250 students.

### First Experience

Having received his bachelor's degree, Abdusoli Ergashev decided to test his knowledge in the local market and began his professional career at "Xalq" Bank. Here, working on bonus systems and HR software, he learned how important it is to organize processes correctly in a large ecosystem.

“Experience in the banking sector showed that even a single minor mistake can be very costly, and I felt in practice how important it is to approach work with diligence and scrutiny,” he says.

According to the specialist, while his work at Levelup Solutions taught him to work with large databases, his time at EPAM shaped his skills in working within an international team.

### Towards the USA and Meta

Having tested himself in the local market, Abdusoli Ergashev decided to continue his education in order to further improve his knowledge and skills. Therefore, he applied to several prestigious US universities for a master's degree:

“Among the invitations from universities, the scholarship program of the University of Tulsa was acceptable in every way. The opportunity to work with many strong professors and students there also caught my attention. True, studying was much harder than I thought, because the university has a minimum GPA set for international students, and those who score below it cannot complete their studies on time. This means you have to prepare thoroughly for exams. But during my studies, I learned a lot from my teachers and peers, and this had a positive impact on my subsequent career.”

During his two years of study, Abdusoli Ergashev began preparing for the interview processes to enter FAANG (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google) companies. In the grueling process that lasted a year and a half, there were also rejections, but in the end, he was hired by Meta and moved to California.

Our hero's career at Meta began as part of the Wearables Creators team in the Reality Labs division. This team is engaged in creating and developing software, ecosystems, and creative solutions for various gadgets (for example, smart glasses and other devices). He says that at the company, he faced new requirements he had never even imagined.

“Here, a programmer must not only write a program, but also build a product from scratch by working alongside product designers, data specialists, product managers, and cross-functional teams. This requires communication skills, meticulous planning, and delivering the software on time. At first, this seemed very complicated to me. Because in other companies, a programmer just writes code and does not worry about other aspects of the process. In the face of such high demands, skills like adaptability and learning quickly in a new environment came in very handy.

Another delicate aspect of our work is artificial intelligence. Today, AI allows us to automate many repetitive tasks performed by specialists like us — such as writing code and connecting pieces. I think I was able to gain an advantage over other candidates precisely because I worked with parts that cannot be automated.

Using AI correctly to create large-scale projects requires good experience. The fact that I have tested myself in many programming languages and servers is very helpful in this regard.”

### Imposter Syndrome

During the conversation with Abdusoli Ergashev, we also asked about the areas in which Uzbek IT specialists are mainly employed.

“Lately, I have been observing that Uzbeks here are more interested in building small startups. At a time when artificial intelligence is developing, young people prefer to work on new ideas. But there are also plenty of those who choose to gain experience by working on projects with a large audience and scale.”

Our interlocutor mentioned an interesting aspect in his story. According to him, programmers who have just entered the US labor market experience imposter syndrome.

“Competition in the US market is much stronger than I expected. Because many strong specialists from all over the world flock here, and jobs are limited. There are many strong programmers with many years of experience in this market, which is why a programmer who has just arrived from another country experiences imposter syndrome, meaning they feel like a fraud, unworthy of working in such an environment, and that their personal skills are insufficient.”

### The Rule of Three "T"s

Based on his journey and experience, the hero of our conversation shared his advice for young people from Uzbekistan on how to become a sought-after asset for the US labor market.

“There are probably no young people who have not dreamed at least once of becoming a valuable specialist across the ocean and working in large companies. Based on my humble experience, I would recommend three "T"s (in Uzbek: Til, Tayyorgarlik, Tajriba) to my peers. These are: language, preparation, and experience.

Learning English well is the most important and priority issue. Interestingly, the English taught in Uzbekistan and the English used by Americans in daily communication differ slightly. Taking these differences into account, it is very important to master the language to the level of being able to express one's thoughts fluently on any topic, sell one's ideas, and negotiate.

The second aspect is preparation. What kind of preparation can this be? First of all, thoroughly familiarize yourself with all types of visas that allow entry and residence in the US, and prepare carefully according to the requirements of the category you need. Also, talk to compatriots who work or study in this country to get an idea of the real situation and prepare yourself mentally. And finally, be prepared for various difficulties. Because at the beginning, you may not be able to find a job, or you may have to work for a pittance or in mediocre companies. Only those who are prepared for initial difficulties and can overcome them can continue their path and reach their goal.

The third "T" is experience. Speaking specifically of programming, I highly recommend learning the basics of the field well, creating and testing as many independent programs as possible, and gaining experience by working even for free in a company consisting of strong programmers. In a highly competitive market, experience becomes the strongest weapon in a specialist's hands.”