Job Switching Is Great For Pay But With Major Caveats

This video segment explores **job switching as a strategy to increase compensation**, acknowledging its significant financial benefits while outlining important limitations. It offers a balanced view of when and how to leverage this option effectively within a career in tech.

- **Job switching can deliver major pay increases**, especially when moving from lower-paying companies to top-tier tech firms like Facebook, Google, or Airbnb. Offers from these companies often represent a different compensation tier altogether.
- **The current tech market is highly competitive**, driven by remote work and talent shortages, which makes switching jobs particularly lucrative for engineers not already paid at “top of market” rates.
- **However, job switching comes with diminishing returns**. Frequent transitions (e.g., every 6–12 months) can raise red flags for recruiters due to high costs of hiring and onboarding, making a two-year tenure the informal minimum standard.
- **Banding limits how much pay can increase** through switching if already working at top-tier firms. For example, a mid-level engineer will only be offered a similarly banded role and compensation elsewhere.
- **Job switching doesn’t contribute to actual growth as an engineer**. Preparing for interviews (e.g., Leetcode) is time-consuming and doesn’t improve the long-term skills needed to succeed or progress to leadership roles like principal engineer.

This Is Required To Put The Interviewer On Your Side

Related resources:
- [[Taro Top 10] Effective Interview Prep](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/HLBYxJI7D1j8STolrwum/)
- [[Taro Top 10] Finding A Tech Job](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/E6R0wVJ5EyCfVnVrlfno/)

This Tool Is Especially Amazing For Big Tech Interviews

20 Years Of Fighting Procrastination [Part 5] - Debug Your Productivity

Procrastination thrives when you confuse learning with progress. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Jumpstarting productivity means producing *before* you feel ready — even a rough draft unlocks momentum
- Replace the one-way flow of tutorials with a feedback loop: code → learn → refine
- Writing personal notes or process logs boosts clarity and reduces future ramp-up time
- Systematize repeatable work into reusable components to move faster with each project
- Build a library of “done before” artifacts you can copy, tweak, and ship again and again

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**

Come Up With 500k+ User Project Ideas [Part 7] - The Alex Formula

Repeated excellence is the key to any very successful tech career. Alex has accomplished this time and time again with around a dozen side projects that have 10,000+ users, and he's here now to spill the beans. This lesson teaches you:

- The exact playbook Alex uses to repeatedly build successful apps with several thousand users
- The "Honer vs. Innovator" philosophy when it comes to understanding engineer types
- Why you should (probably) stop trying to be Steve Jobs and go hard down the innovator route
- How honers are often incredibly underrated and can still achieve stellar career outcomes
- The ideal place to be on the honer &lt;-&gt; innovator spectrum when it comes to side projects

Come Up With 500k+ User Project Ideas [Part 2] - What Makes A Project Valuable

Most engineers optimize for the wrong thing when they build personal software projects, which is 99% of engineer portfolio projects don't matter at all. This lesson teaches you:

- The only metric that matters when it comes to the quality and impressiveness of your side project
- Why getting actual users supercharges the learning and growth you get from building a side project, far more than choosing the best "modern" tech stack ever could
- Common traps engineers fall into that make their side project meaningless, especially when it comes to recruiting

DSA Crash Course [Part 7] - Big-O Examples Lecture

In this lecture, Alvin shows examples of code with different Big-O complexities.

If you need additional support taking these DSA skills and actually applying them, take [Alvin's](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/) *complete* data structures and algorithms course on [Structy](https://structy.net/?utm_source=taro). You can try out the concepts yourself in their interactive code editor and learn advanced DSA patterns like stack exhaustive recursion.

Use [this link to get 20% off](https://structy.net/purchase?promo_code=taro20) the entire Structy DSA learning experience.

Follow Alvin on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/>

Master The DSA Interview [Part 18] - Fishing

Many engineers think that they got rejected due to the interviewer being bad or "out to get them". While low-quality interviewers do exist (and there are a lot of them), it is often the engineer's fault by being a weak candidate. This lesson teaches you:

- Why there is often a discrepancy between what engineers believe is the cause of their data structures and algorithms interview rejection and what reality actually is
- What fishing is and how it forces interviewers into a very awkward situation that makes them seem icy to the candidate
- How to not do fishing during an interview so you can have a real chance of passing (and make the interviewer more likely to help you)
- Why asking the interviewer for a raw hint is a recipe for failure

Master The DSA Interview [Part 15] - Edge Cases

Too many engineers only care about the happy flow, but it is the easy thing to do. This lesson teaches you:

- Why handling edge cases is so important as an engineer, especially at FAANG
- The mindset you need to have to tease out edge cases systematically
- Common edge case scenarios for data structures and algorithms problems
- What a great edge case analysis looks like, explained with an in-depth example

Take the code quality course here: [Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)

Master The DSA Interview [Part 4] - DSA Prep Is Insanely High ROI

It's easy to look at data structures and algorithms and see them as an annoying waste of time. However, there's more to them than you think. This lesson teaches you:

- A healthy perspective to have when it comes to studying data structures and algorithms
- Why data structures and algorithms are uniquely positioned when it comes to career return on investment for your time
- How to transform your mindset to actually be excited when grinding LeetCode

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 6] - Code Quality

In order to survive as a junior engineer, you need to learn how to code fast. The next step is to learn how to code *well*. This lesson teaches you:

- The 2 core components behind code quality
- The differences between junior and mid-level engineers when it comes to their pull request quality
- The many ingredients behind a clean pull request and which ones matter the most
- What a clean pull request looks like, one showing strong mid-level engineer behavior
- The differences between junior and mid-level engineers when it comes to their technical decision making
- Why communication is so important when it comes to technical decisions and how mid-level engineers do it better than junior engineers
- How to understand seniority from fresh junior to strong mid-level through the lens of technical decision making
- A simple metric to measure your code quality and see if you're making good progress to mid-level

Take the code quality course here: [Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)

How To Be An Effective Tech Lead [Part 1] - How This Course Works

As a software engineer, you need to eventually grow into a tech lead to pursue more senior levels. However, it's much easier being a bad tech lead instead of a good tech lead - This course is here to help you be the latter. Here are the core parts of the lesson:

- Your instructor [Jocelin Ho](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jocelinho/) walks you through her extensive 10+ year tech background as a Meta tech lead and the CTO/Cofounder of Cooby (Sequoia-backed startup), where she built engineering teams from scratch and mentored other tech leads

- You'll understand if this course is a good fit for you

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

  - 💡 The full definition of an effective tech lead

  - 💻 What technological skills tech leads must possess

  - 🙌 How tech leads demonstrate true leadership

  - ✅ Practical tips to start acting as a tech lead

Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 25] - Go Deeper: Follow Through

Go through case studies by level to understand the expectations at each one: [\[Taro Top 10\] Understanding Engineering Levels](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/e9rjATPbSyvRPsukXiHn/)

Take these courses as well:

- [\[Course\] Effective Communication For Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/course/effective-communication-for-engineers/)
- [\[Course\] Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-promotion-as-a-software-engineer/)

Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 24] - Challenge Yourself, Do Great Work

Behavioral interviews are fundamentally an exercise in storytelling. This means that in order to pass these interviews as a software engineer, you need great stories to begin with. This lesson teaches you:

- The 2-step process to become absolutely incredible at behavioral interviews
- The most common mistake software engineers make with their mentality when it comes to growth
- How to get better at coding, even if you're unemployed

For more resources on becoming a better software engineer:

- [\[Course\] Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [\[Course\] Build Side Projects With 500k+ Users: Coming Up With An Idea](https://www.jointaro.com/course/build-side-projects-with-500k-users-coming-up-with-an-idea/)
- [\[Taro Top 10\] How To Create Scope As An Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/EWIo3USNcsgXbCs5PS0h/)
- ["What are the Core skills a SDE should be consistently developing?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/Hs8VJtUb6bfTPjUgbj96/what-are-the-core-skills-a-sde-should-be-consistently-developing/)

Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 5] - It’s A Conversation

If you're doing it right, behavioral interviews shouldn't even feel like interviews. This lesson teaches you:

- Why behavioral interviews should feel like a conversation
- How the flow of behavior interviews are fundamentally different from all other interview types
- Why behavioral interviews are actually about far more than just the words you say
- The importance of honesty in interviews, not just in reality but with perception as well

Here is the communication course: [\[Course\] Effective Communication For Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/course/effective-communication-for-engineers/)

Negotiation Course: Rahul's History And Success With Negotiation

Rahul's compensation went from $110K at the beginning of his career to $830K in his peak earning year, 2021, as a Tech Lead and Manager at Meta (Facebook). That's more than 7x! A lot of his Total Compensation (TC) growth can be attributed to his ability to negotiate. There were 2 main segments of negotiation in Rahul's career: 

- 2013: 5 offers at Facebook, Google, Twitter, Microsoft, and Square
- 2017: 6 offers at Facebook, Google, Snapchat, Stripe, Uber, and Airbnb

This gave Rahul the leverage he needed to see dramatic increases in compensation. Some examples: 

- The Snapchat stock grant went from $600K --&gt; $1.0MM and the signing bonus went from $10K --&gt; $100K
- The Facebook stock grant went from $325K --&gt; $600K and the signing bonus went from $30K --&gt; $45K

The numbers here are due primarily to timing, information, and options, all things you can learn. The results can be life-changing, and you don't need to be a genius programmer to discover your own version of this.

These data points show how negotiation is extremely high leverage. A few hours of extra work can lead to a change of 6 figures or more in compensation.

- Rahul's YouTube video about 5 offers he received as a new grad: <https://youtu.be/rceUVaiXQgU> 
- Rahul's YouTube video about how compensation in tech works: <https://youtu.be/wqdpzu4Oa2I>

Get Maximum Value Per Answer

You should "Learn how to fish" instead of "receiving fish" — your goal in onboarding is to become a self-sufficient, productive engineer as quickly as possible. 

The way you do that is to ask follow-up questions when you get help and understand how you would have arrived at the solution on your own.

Bias toward asking for help earlier when you're new to a company, since you don't know what you don't know. It's better to be more annoying for the first month on the job rather than somewhat annoying for 6 months.

Your Onboarding Buddy

An onboarding buddy is someone who can help you adjust to cultural norms and direct your questions as a "catch-all." In addition to answering basic technical questions around workflow or code, the onboarding buddy is effectively lending their social capital to you to get you started. They are the safety net when you don't know who else to turn to. 

Rahul recommends that the onboarding buddy and manager be two different people. Your manager relationship contains a power dynamic in that you're interacting your boss, so you may not be fully vulnerable with them. The onboarding buddy is closer to a peer, which means you can get the help you need.

One of the most important roles for the onboarding buddy is to help you **figure out your support channels.**

[Distributed Systems Deep Dive] Wide-column NoSQL DB / Cassandra

If you're interested in how to design a wide-column NoSQL database, this session is for you. We'll start with the basics: what Cassandra is and why it's a popular choice for handling massive amounts of data. Expect a clear explanation of its architecture and how it spreads data across multiple servers. We'll cover how Cassandra keeps your data in sync and the trade-offs you might face.

- **Cassandra Basics:** Learn what Cassandra is made for and when it's better than other database options.

- **Architecture Overview:** Understand Cassandra's setup and how it's built for horizontal scaling.

- **Data Duplication:** Find out how Cassandra copies data to protect against outages.

- **Consistency Levels:** See how you can control consistency in Cassandra to fit your use case.

- **Writes and Reads:** Get into the details of how Cassandra handles your data when you're adding or retrieving it.

- **Node Communication:** Discover how Cassandra's nodes talk to each other to stay up to date.

- **Space Management:** Take a look at how Cassandra keeps disk space in check by getting rid of unnecessary data.

- **Dealing with Deletions:** Understand how Cassandra handles the cleanup of deleted records.

Thanks to [Alex Poon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thealexpoon/) for leading this session!

For more system design resources:

- [\[Masterclass\] How To Ace Your Big Tech Interview - System Design](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/J3I9fTW9ulr6T9KjxpqY/masterclass-how-to-ace-your-big-tech-interview-system-design/)
- [\[Course\] Frontend System Design Masterclass - Building Playlists](https://www.jointaro.com/course/frontend-system-design-masterclass-building-playlists/)

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.