Walmart Seeks Engineers With Fundamentals and a Willingness to Learn

Walmart’s top tech hiring voice is sending a clear signal to global engineers—and to employers that sponsor them. In a recent interview, Sravana Karnati, the Walmart EVP of Global Tech Platforms, said he looks for two traits above all else when selecting engineers: strong engineering fundamentals and a willingness to learn. His message matters far beyond Bentonville. For candidates seeking roles in the United States 🇺🇸 and for teams making high-stakes hiring calls, his approach highlights the traits that stand the test of time as tools, frameworks, and job titles change.

What Karnati prioritizes in candidates

Karnati made plain that language checklists don’t win jobs at Walmart.

• “It is not about whether you know Java, whether you know C++, or some other language. What we look for is, does a person understand the fundamentals of computer science?” he said.
• He emphasizes systems, algorithms, and architecture, placing long-term adaptability over short-term tool familiarity.
• Products like Figma and large language models (LLMs) are seen as helpful aids, not replacements for deep technical judgment.

Understanding architecture, dependencies, and risk is non‑negotiable in real engineering work.

Openness to nontraditional backgrounds

Karnati’s own path illustrates the point: he holds a doctorate in chemical engineering and built an extensive career in technology.

• He does not require a computer science degree.
• People from diverse academic backgrounds can succeed if they show:
  • A strong orientation to computing
  • The core thinking that powers good software and systems

Learning mindset and career durability

Karnati prizes adaptability over time. He looks for proof that a candidate stays current with business and technology trends through:

• Projects, internships, coursework, or personal initiatives that show steady growth
• A wide palette of learning rather than narrow specialization

In short: he hires for the habit of learning, not just the skills of the moment.

Why fundamentals matter now

The industry has shifted with AI and new tooling accelerating some tasks, but they also increase the importance of judgment.

• Engineers who can reason about systems under stress, weigh trade‑offs, and explain risk will remain valuable.
• Those who anchor value to one stack or framework risk obsolescence as platforms change.

This reasoning also supports employer-sponsored mobility: hires who can grow across domains and product cycles are more valuable for long-term roadmaps and stable core platforms.

Company support at Walmart

Walmart’s culture appears to back Karnati’s hiring philosophy through development programs:

• Walmart Academy
• Global Tech Academy
• Tech Fellows program mentoring junior engineers

These programs indicate that learning on the job is expected and supported, not merely an extracurricular activity. They encourage hiring managers to reward growth maps, not just static resumes.

Practical advice for job seekers

Focus on the bedrock first, then demonstrate learning.

1. Strengthen fundamentals:
   • Data structures, algorithms, and systems.
2. Show your learning track record:
   • Side projects that probe architecture choices
   • Open-source contributions with real reviews
   • Internships that tackle ambiguous problems
3. If your degree isn’t in CS, make your computing orientation obvious by showing:
   • How you framed complex systems
   • How you handled failure modes
   • How you simplified a design with clear trade-offs
4. Be open to roles outside your formal specialization if you can show technical fluency and curiosity.

Interview and hiring guidance for teams

Hiring teams should shift evaluations away from rote syntax toward reasoning and judgment.

• Use system design conversations, architecture critiques, and exercises exploring risk and dependencies.
• Look for evidence of self‑driven learning over time: how a person chose projects, adopted new tools, or retired old ones.
• Avoid overweighting credentials or single‑tool familiarity; assess adaptability and the ability to explain decisions clearly.

Tips for international applicants

Align your portfolio to show durable value across tools and markets.

• Anchor resumes in outcomes: scale, reliability, cost, and safety travel better than single‑product descriptions.
• When describing roles, structure entries as:
  • The problem
  • The constraints
  • The options you weighed
  • The result

This highlights the judgment Karnati values and strengthens cases with large employers.

Policy context and resources

Engineers planning careers in the United States often rely on employer sponsorship. Visa rules evolve, but large employers consistently want hires whose skills grow with the business and whose judgment improves with scope.

• For official basics on working in the U.S., see: USCIS: Working in the United States

How to evaluate new tools

When new tools appear, treat them as opportunities to test core ideas, not replace them.

Ask yourself:
– What system problem does this tool solve?
– What risks does it introduce?
– How would I measure success?
– What would fail first under load?

These questions bring you back to fundamentals, help you discuss design with senior engineers and product leaders, and often define interview moments.

Final takeaways for employers and candidates

• Employers: frame job posts around problems to solve, not lists of tools. Let candidates demonstrate how they learn (a short conversation about a newly adopted tool can be highly revealing).
• Candidates: build engineering fundamentals, show a willingness to learn, and document that record so it speaks across borders.

Tools and titles will change. What remains valuable is the engineer who can explain a system, weigh risk, and keep learning. This shared focus helps make hiring fairer, teams stronger, and careers more resilient.