Say hello to Wei X! Wei is an Engineering Manager on our Engineering – Consumer Contributions team! This month, he is celebrating his 8th year at Yelp. His journey at Yelp has seen him through the transition from a new college graduate all the way to becoming a father of two. Take a look at his #FiveStarCareer story!
Tell us about your journey at Yelp
I joined Yelp in 2014 after graduating from college and have been a part of developing our iOS app since I began my journey here. Over the past few years, I have not only touched various platforms, including backend and Android, but I have also explored various roles, including project management and tech lead. Recently, I began my management journey. Yelp has always been so supportive and provides me with the resources I need to feel confident in taking on new challenges. As first-generation immigrants, Yelp has also supported my family as we navigated the immigration system. Yelp is not only a place I work, but it is also a family and an ally I can always depend on.
Why did you choose Yelp 8 years ago, and why do you continue to choose it everyday?
I love the inclusive and positive culture here. People are always willing to help each other and put the team’s success first. I also really enjoy working with many talented people. I continue to learn new things every day.
What inspired you to pursue a career in tech?
My inspiration is similar to many folks’ in the industry. Everything started with games in my childhood. When I got a bit older, I got my first computer and began to explore ways to make my own games. It was my first time learning about coding, and it was like magic to me. When it came time for me to start college, I decided to choose a major in technology. It was so amazing to see my childhood hobbies and passions become an industry that is changing the world. I truly believe that technology makes the world a better place to live. After I graduated, I began my career at Yelp.
What does a typical day look like in your role?
I am an Engineering Manager, so meetings fill a good chunk of my calendar. I roughly divide my time into three sections. The first is around product projects. I spend a good amount of time talking with our stakeholders to understand their needs so that I can lay out our roadmap. The second section focuses on my team. I do weekly 1:1s with the engineers on my team. This time is dedicated to listening to their feedback and helping them with any issues, technical or non-technical. The third section is for execution. I track the execution of the whole team’s projects and ensure that any unexpected issues are communicated and projects are delivered on time.
Tell us about a project that you are proud to have worked on
Before switching gears to management, I was an engineer for many years at Yelp. I have been a part of building countless features, including review writing, photo uploading, check-in, and many more. These features help users express their thoughts and connect with the best local business. One of the features I am most proud of is the photo-uploading feature I built when I had been at Yelp for less than a year. At that time, I was fresh out of college and didn’t have much experience building an application at Yelp’s scale. I had help from so many people at Yelp and finally built this feature that allows millions of users to upload their photos on the Yelp app. It has stood the test of time over the past eight years and is still the foundation of our content ecosystem. Now, we are continuing to refresh this feature and work to provide an even better experience for our users!
How does Yelp support your work-life balance?
Work-life balance is so important to me as a father, and Yelp truly has done a fantastic job of supporting its employees in maintaining a healthy work-life balance over the last few years. As a remote-first company, Yelp allows people to work autonomously and encourages people to practice asynchronous communication as much as possible. That’s very important for me since there is always something unexpected happening with toddlers at home!
Want to work with Wei?
When Wei joined our team eight years ago, he was just starting off his career in tech as a new college graduate. Over the course of nearly a decade, Wei’s life has changed in huge ways, like becoming a father, but one thing has stayed the same – his love for his career at Yelp. Our team is growing. Check out our open opportunities and apply today!
