Day One Ready: What New Engineers Need to Know About AI — Engineering Now Unlocked

Day One Ready: What New Engineers Need to Know About AI — Engineering Now Unlocked

Author: ServiceNow Community May 13, 2026 Duration: 29:33

Day One Ready: What New Engineers Actually Need to Know About AI | Engineering Now Unlocked

Starting your first engineering role — or coming back for a return offer — and wondering what AI actually changes about the job? This episode gives you the real answer, from two engineers living it every day.

Jordan Shelton and Cynthia Mathenge sit down with Ian Thurlow (Senior Manager, Data Platform Software Engineering) and Andrew Yan (Software Engineer, Data Foundations) to talk about what day one looks like now, what AI tools actually do for early-career engineers, and what fundamentals still separate good engineers from great ones. If you’re about to start an internship, just got your return offer, or you’re a manager thinking about how to set new engineers up for success — this is the conversation you need before day one.

What you’ll learn
✔ What AI actually changes about day-to-day engineering work (and what it doesn’t)
✔ Why the fundamentals matter more than ever — not less
✔ How to build a network at a company like ServiceNow, even if you start remotely
✔ How to use AI as a sounding board, not a crutch

Chapters
00:00 Introduction — Engineering Now Unlocked
02:08 Meet Ian Thurlow and Andrew Yan
03:03 How AI is changing day-to-day engineering work
04:47 AI as an accelerator, not a replacement
09:04 AI as a sounding board 
12:38 Leadership mindset in an AI-first team
13:46 Raising the bar for early-in-career talent 1
5:41 What your first 30 days should look like
17:43 This or That
19:16 Code reviews: the fastest way to learn that nobody talks about
20:57 Building your network — even fully remote
24:24 Ian and Andrew’s Work Advice
27:43 Outro

Guests
Ian Thurlow Senior Manager, Data Platform Software Engineering — ServiceNow
Andrew Yan Software Engineer, Data Foundations — ServiceNow

Hosts
Jorden Shelton Technical Program Manager, AI Engineering & Delivery — ServiceNow
Cynthia Mathenge Business Operations Manager, AI Engineering & Delivery — ServiceNow
Bobby Brill ServiceNow Insights

Links & Resources Learn more about ServiceNow Engineering → https://www.servicenow.com/company/careers/engineering.html

ServiceNow Docs → https://docs.servicenow.com

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Ever wondered what happens behind the scenes of the platform that powers so much of today's enterprise workflow? ServiceNow Insights pulls back the curtain, offering a direct line to the minds building and shaping the technology. This isn't a series of polished press releases; it's a collection of genuine conversations with the engineers, product managers, and innovators from the ServiceNow Community who are doing the actual work. You'll hear the unscripted stories behind the latest features-not just what they do, but the real-world problems they aim to solve and the interesting challenges encountered along the way. Each episode delves into the practical implications of new updates and products, giving you a clearer sense of how these tools evolve and where they might be headed next. Whether you're deeply embedded in the ecosystem as an admin or platform owner, or simply curious about how complex digital services are orchestrated, this podcast provides context and clarity you can't find elsewhere. Tune in for a grounded, technical, and genuinely insightful look at the forces driving innovation in this space, straight from the source.
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