The Engineer Who Can Level Up

Lately, I’ve been hooked on “Solo Leveling.” It’s an anime set in a world where portals called “Gates” connect Earth to realms filled with monsters, requiring hunters with supernatural abilities to combat these threats. The protagonist, Sung Jinwoo, starts as the weakest hunter but gains a unique ability to “Level Up” and improve his abilities—something no other hunter can do. This becomes the ultimate power in the story as he transforms from weakest to strongest by defeating monsters and gaining levels, just like in a video game.

I’m obsessed with this anime because it shows how the ability to improve and “Level Up” is such a powerful force, both in the story and in real life! Throughout my career in tech, I’ve noticed this pattern. The engineers with self-awareness and openness to feedback have the fastest career trajectories. They embrace constructive feedback and take initiative to act on it. Like Sung Jinwoo in Solo Leveling, their abilities steadily improve, and their careers flourish as a result.

Many people read books, blogs, and take courses, but how many actually transform themselves through the content they consume? How many put their new learnings into action? For example, we all know that communication is a superpower in the Software Engineering world. Everyone can benefit from better communication skills, yet how many people invest the effort to take speech classes or improve their writing through blogging? Consider two engineers, each with a decade of experience. The first has maintained a static approach, making minimal efforts to enhance skills or adapt to industry advancements. In contrast, the second has consistently pursued self-improvement, staying up to date of emerging technologies and refining both technical and soft skills. The difference between the two would be massive and they would most likely be at different career progressions.

“Solo Leveling” vividly illustrates the transformative power of self-improvement. Sung Jinwoo’s journey from weakest to strongest hunter underscores the immense potential unlocked through the ability to change and improve. Similarly, in the tech industry, engineers who actively seek growth and are open to change are more likely to overcome career plateaus and achieve success. If you haven’t seen the anime yet, I highly recommend it!