Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 13] - Lead With Kindness

Many engineers get impatient when it comes to networking, frustrated that it takes so long to get someone to provide meaningful value to them. It doesn't need to be this way. This lesson teaches you:

- A very simple way to understand networking and how to convert it into something that provides concrete benefits
- Why leading with kindness is the most powerful mindset you can have to build trust *fast*
- How leading with kindness really isn't that difficult, especially if you're smart and on the lookout for disproportionate activities
- What it means to lead with kindness, explained with an in-depth example that is very relevant to Taro

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 12] - Build In Public

It's way easier to have people come to you instead of you having to go to them. This lesson teaches you:

- The difference between inbound and outbound
- Why building in public is such a powerful technique to generate inbound (i.e. talented people coming to you)
- Different ways to build in public

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 11] - Identifying Fit

Some people simply aren't meant to get along, and you will run into a lot of these people across your career. This lesson teaches you:

- Why finding right fit connections is so important for networking, particularly with your efficiency
- How professional networking really isn't that different from making friends "in real life" (IRL)
- Solidarity angles you can leverage to find good fit connections

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 10] - "Good To Know" People

You never know who's going to come in and completely change your career for the better. This lesson teaches you:

- What "good to know" connections are
- Why networking with these connections can actually be quite easy
- The most powerful way to identify "good to know" connections

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 9] - Tactical Stakeholders

To succeed at work, you need to have the right people trust you. This lesson teaches you:

- What tactical stakeholders are and why they're crucial for your network
- How tactical stakeholder relationships become more and more important as you become more senior
- Who your tactical stakeholders are and how they change as you level up as an engineer

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 8] - In-Person Is King

Remote and flexible work are amazing, but they do come with massive downsides, especially when it comes to networking. This lesson teaches you:

- The fatal flaw with remote work, particularly with accruing social capital
- Why humans aren't intrinsically wired to work remotely (quite the opposite)
- What gets lost in translation during remote work and video calls
- What types of engineer should prioritize in-person work

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 7] - Play The Long Game

Patience is a virtue, and it's incredibly important for engineers. This lesson teaches you:

- Why human nature makes relationship building more of a long-term endeavor
- How the difficulty of adding yourself in your network scales with their important and power
- How networks generally form organically and why this nature fundamentally makes them something you need to wait on (but it's worth it!)

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 6] - You're Going To Get Burned

Networking isn't all sunshine and roses - You're going to go through a lot of pain as well. This lesson teaches you:

- Why many relationships fall apart
- Why you shouldn't let a failed relationship turn you off networking forever
- A tactical, mathematical framework to minimize risk and maximize upside when it comes to networking
- How to identify if a relationship isn't going anywhere and should be cut off

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 5] - Understand Their Incentives

At the end of the day, everyone is out to get something, especially in the professional world. This lesson teaches you:

- Why understanding other people's incentives is so important
- How to figure out other people's incentives
- The playbook to build an amazing relationship once you truly get someone's incentives
- What it looks like to truly align incentives, explained with an in-depth example

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 4] - The 2-Step Process

Networking doesn't have to be overly complicated and fuzzy. This lesson teaches you:

- A very basic 2-step framework to approach networking with
- The spectrum of help and providing value to people
- How much help you should provide to someone, especially prospective people you want in your network
- Why you should always give a non-zero amount of help in a work environment, especially if you work at a strong tech company

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 3] - The #1 Rule Of Networking

Many engineers struggle with networking as they don't fundamentally understand how it's supposed to work. This lesson teaches you:

- The #1 rule of networking and how not following it completely messes up your social circle
- A very tactical, mathematical framework from which to view networking
- How giving more than you take creates an infinite amount of value
- Why you're not a "loser" for being benevolent and kind
- The pain and toxicity of being in a fake network, which many engineers are a part of
- The powerful benefits of being in a true network

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 2] - Why A Strong Network Isn't Optional

No engineer is an island. And if they are, they're going to have a bad time. This lesson teaches you:

- How a strong network helps with job searching
- How a strong network helps with promotion and overall on-the-job performance
- How a strong network helps with general learning
- Why you need to start networking *now*, and how starting "early" actually makes the networking way easier

To better understand the difference between a strong referral vs. a weak referral: <https://www.jointaro.com/course/ace-your-tech-interview-and-get-a-job-as-a-software-engineer/referrals/>

Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech [Part 1] - How This Course Works

Trying to break into FAANG, but you have no close friends there willing to give you a strong referral? Aiming for a promotion, but you don't have enough senior peers to vouch for you? These are career shortfalls engineers face constantly, and it's because *they don't have a strong enough network*.

This course is here to fix that issue for you, because at the end of the day, your network is your net worth, especially in a hyper-competitive tech market. Here are the core parts of the lesson:

- Your instructor [Alex Chiou](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-chiou/) walks you through his extensive 10+ year Silicon Valley background with rapid career advancement, ending up as a high-performing tech lead making $750k at Robinhood. Most importantly, he goes through how he's built a massive network full of talented people willing to fight for him across his career and the many career benefits he's reaped from that.

- We walk you through the course objectives. By the end of the course, you will:

  - 🌟 Understand the **\#1 rule** of networking

  - 2️⃣ Set up a basic **2-step process** for networking

  - 🤝 Know how to find the **best people** for your network

  - 🏃 Develop tools to **build relationships fast**

  - 🛑 Save time by **avoiding common mistakes**

Expert Secrets of Successful Big Tech Interviews

**Event description**

Join this special NEW session where I interview "Mr. X" –– a former Amazon Bar Raiser and current Head of Talent Acquisition at a top tech company that must remain nameless ;)

Together, we'll take you beyond the basic tips you already know and unveil **specific, winning strategies** that actually separate you from other candidates in competitive interviews.

If you have the job skills and a solid work history (but interviewing continues to be where you "fall down" in the job search) this event will be an absolute game-changer.

**After This Masterclass, You Will:**

- **Eliminate Blind Spots**

  - **You’re making mistakes every time you interview, that you don’t see, that cost you job offers. Get ready to hear what they are.**

- **Own Your Story**

  - **The winning candidates aren’t necessarily the most skilled––they have the best stories. Soon, YOU will be that candidate.**

- **Read Minds (Literally)**

  - **Hiring managers speak in code. What they say is often totally different from what they’re thinking. Now you’ll know the difference.**

If you need additional support with your job search, you can get coaching from Alan and Kadima Careers. Join with a discount here: [**https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu**](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu)

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 20] - Go Deeper: Follow Through

Congrats on making it to the end of the course! Here are additional resources to help you follow through with nailing your internship return offer:

- Take the code quality course: [Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)
- Take the question asking course: [Ask Great Questions That Get Great Answers Quickly](https://www.jointaro.com/course/ask-great-questions-that-get-great-answers-quickly/)
- Take the onboarding course: [The Complete Onboarding Guide For Software Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/course/the-complete-onboarding-guide-for-software-engineers-succeeding-when-youre-new/)
- To become a rockstar (Top 5%) intern: [Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer: L3 To L4](https://www.jointaro.com/course/grow-from-junior-to-mid-level-engineer-l3-to-l4/)

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 19] - The Real Treasure

Internships are a unique chance to grow your network alongside your technical skills. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- The other interns you work with often become valuable long-term connections—professionally and personally
- Shared experiences during an internship create natural bonding opportunities, so don’t miss out by being overly heads-down
- Building your network isn’t just about being social—it’s also about doing great work and being helpful to others

Learn how to build relationships here: [**\[Masterclass\] How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech**](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/masterclass-how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech/)

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 18] - Plot Your Growth Trajectory

Wrapping up all the advice and strategies into something actionable can feel overwhelming—so this video offers a clear, week-by-week roadmap to help you stay on track throughout your internship. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- **Weeks 1–2**: Embrace your newbie status—ask lots of questions, explore the codebase, and focus on learning, even if it means breaking things (safely)
- **Weeks 3–4**: You should start contributing code more regularly, with fewer basic mistakes in PRs, and begin transitioning from onboarding tasks to your main project
- **Weeks 5–7**: You’re gaining confidence—PR feedback is more meaningful, your code is smoother, and a midpoint check-in should help confirm you’re on track
- **Weeks 7–10**: You’re hitting your stride—code velocity and quality are high, you’re asking sharper questions, and maybe even helping others on the team
- **Weeks 11–12**: Finalize your project, document it, reconnect with your network, and take a moment to enjoy the end of a hard-earned, productive summer

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 17] - Midpoint Check-In

When you’re aiming for a return offer as an intern, your final performance review can feel like a high-stakes moment. But it *shouldn’t* feel like a mystery. This lesson focuses on how to avoid surprises by being proactive about getting feedback and tracking your progress during the internship. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Performance reviews shouldn’t be surprises—interns should proactively schedule a midpoint check-in (around week 5 or 6 of a 12-week internship) to gauge how things are going
- Use this check-in to ask honest questions about how you’re doing, what areas need improvement, and how you’re trending toward a return offer
- Treat it as a formal feedback session: retitle the meeting, extend its duration, and come prepared with your accomplishments and areas for growth
- Ask for clarity on how interns are typically evaluated and where you currently stand—phrasing questions with curiosity can unlock more candid feedback

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 16] - Diversify Your Mentors

As you approach the end of your internship, one of the most important factors in getting a return offer is how you’re evaluated during your performance review. This lesson focuses on how to set yourself up for success by building strong relationships across your team. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Don’t rely solely on your assigned intern mentor—build relationships with multiple teammates to avoid single points of failure
- You’ll receive 360 feedback at the end of your internship, so proactively engage with others who can speak positively about your work
- Identify 2–3 potential advocates by week two and keep them updated through code reviews, one-on-ones, or casual check-ins

Learn how to build relationships here: [\[Masterclass\] How To Build Deep Relationships Quickly In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/masterclass-how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech/)

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 15] - AI Tools

With AI tools becoming increasingly embedded in the software development workflow, it’s important for interns to use them wisely without compromising their own growth or credibility. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Interns should embrace AI tools but avoid over-reliance, as teams are assessing *their* engineering abilities—not the tool’s
- Use of AI must comply with company policies, and interns should always understand and be able to defend the code they submit
- AI is best used for boilerplate and simple tasks, but the intern should remain the core problem solver and decision-maker

Tech Career Growth Videos

Our instructional videos provide software engineers with insights needed for career growth. Masterclasses go incredibly in-depth on a specific tech topic while case studies are real examples from established engineering leaders.