Rahul's Compensation Journey To $800K (and behind-the-scenes)

In 2021, the last full year Rahul worked at Meta, he made $823K. When he joined Facebook (Meta) in 2017, his total compensation was $390K. See the full details [in the YouTube video](https://youtu.be/inydj1VZ0y0).

In this session, Rahul documents how his yearly compensation more than doubled over the 4.5 years he was employed at the company. This talk will cover details that didn't fit into the YouTube video while exploring angles of it more in-depth.

Topics:

- What components of compensation matter the most in a typical tech company
- Parts of a company's compensation philosophy which have large consquences, but are not often understood or discussed
- How to think about level and negotiation when job hopping
- The psychology around pay changes, and how people change their spending when hitting certain compensation milestones

Related content:

- [How To Earn Respect Fast - Senior Engineer Onboarding Story](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/FaD8tVGXP6SiRQfee4SD/how-to-earn-respect-fast-senior-engineer-onboarding-story/)
- ["How can I think like a staff engineer?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/RU3Mof8NeEYQP30l6giW/how-can-i-think-like-a-staff-engineer/)
- [This Is Why FAANG Engineers Make So Much Money - Tech Compensation Breakdown](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/1aKjiSKcHDttnyTAYXy4/this-is-why-faang-engineers-make-so-much-money-tech-compensation-breakdown/)
- [\[Masterclass\] Understanding And Optimizing Your Pay In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/gk408yBIV2fa5RjVR213/masterclass-understanding-and-optimizing-your-pay-in-tech/)

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 2] - What Is Clear Communication?

In this video, I delve into the essence of clear communication in software engineering, emphasizing its critical role in project success. I discuss the definition of clear communication, common barriers, and strategies to overcome them. Effective communication ensures team alignment, enhances productivity, and reduces errors. Viewers are encouraged to adapt their communication style for diverse audiences and regularly summarize key points for clarity.

Connect with me on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-wiens/>

DSA Prep Is One Of The Highest ROI Activities On Earth

If you do a good job studying for your data structures and algorithms interview, you can set yourself up financially for the next few years.

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/)

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 3] - Your Advantages As A Career Switcher

In this lesson, we hear about Brian’s non-linear journey into tech, illustrating how anyone can make a career change with determination and the right support.

This lesson covers:

- Brian’s transition from a liberal arts graduate with no computer background to a successful software engineer, overcoming doubts and financial hardships
- The importance of networking and receiving targeted advice from experienced engineers, especially in unexpected settings like ridesharing
- How transitioning professionals have an edge in tech due to prior career experience, and the vast opportunities available beyond just top tech companies

If you need extra help breaking into tech, join Brian's exclusive, cohort-based bootcamp (just 10 students per batch). Use this special link for $800 off: <https://www.parsity.io/taro>

Connect with Brian on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianjenney/>

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 15] - Live And Breathe Quality

One of the biggest myths in the tech industry is that in order to move incredibly fast, you need to sacrifice quality and do a mediocre job. This lesson teaches you:

- The dangers of cutting corners when it comes to engineering work
- Why having high code quality leads to you landing code faster
- Different ways for you to weave quality into your work for an immediate positive return on investment for your time

Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 18] - How To Get The Level You Want

If you don't play your cards right, it is easy to get down-leveled, which means getting a level lower than what you were at before. This is very common in bad markets and for engineers breaking into FAANG. It's also common if you don't give an amazing behavioral interview performance. This lesson teaches you:

- The overall strategy to not get down-leveled
- Tips you should follow to maximize your level

To better understand the expectations at each level, go through this: [\[Taro Top 10\] Understanding Engineering Levels](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/e9rjATPbSyvRPsukXiHn/)

For resources on becoming a better engineer:

- [\[Course\] Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-promotion-as-a-software-engineer/)
- ["What are software engineering fundamentals?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/3VNPK7wol76s89EkgFeW/what-are-software-engineering-fundamentals/)

Managing Up: Problem Solving and Decision Making

- **Avoid surprises**. Be ahead of surprises, not behind.
- **Ask to be involved**. Bring value! Data, insights, proposals.

Manage your emotions and remember what style your boss prefers.

Taro members get a discount to join [Ethan's Level Up community](https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/taro25)

What Happens After Onboarding Success?

Congratulations, you made it to the end of the course, [The Complete Onboarding Guide For Software Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/course/the-complete-onboarding-guide-for-software-engineers-succeeding-when-youre-new/)!

Here are the major takeaways we covered:

- Attack your onboarding with a plan
- Figure out your support channels
- Make it easy to receive help
- Get your hands on the keyboard

Whether you just joined a new company or new team, **welcome to the rest of your life**! I know you'll do great 😇

Next steps:

- Share + get support: [joinTaro.com/questions/create/](http://joinTaro.com/questions/create/)
  - 🧠 Get 10x better advice than anything on Blind or Reddit
- Find community: [joinTaro.com/events/](http://joinTaro.com/events/)
  - 🧑‍🏫 Join me for Group Office Hours!

Send me feedback at [team+onboarding@jointaro.com](mailto:team+onboarding@jointaro.com)

DSA Crash Course [Part 87] - Outro

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 Behavioral Interview [Part 14] - Junior Engineer

Every software engineer starts off as a junior engineer. Junior engineers can't really do anything, but they still need to do pass interviews. This lesson teaches you:

- The expectations from a junior engineer overall and how that reflects in behavioral interviews
- The kinds of stories junior engineers tell in behavioral interviews

[Part 5] Meta Intern Success Series - Writing The Code

- Keep your diffs focused and atomic. Aim for 25-250 lines of code per diff.
- Use stacked diffs: They are core to Meta's code culture. If you're unsure how to break up your work into a diff stack, work with your intern manager to come up with how things should be broken down.
- Make sure that all your diffs have a really good context section. You can have a "Context" section at the top explaining the overall goal of the diff stack (i.e. usually what your intern project is meant to do) and then a "In This Diff" section which explains the specific problem your diff tackles.
- Attach a test plan to show that your code works and to turn the diff review into a high-value artifact. Record a video of you stepping through the flow if possible (this should be easy as many interns work on internal tools) and make sure to cover those edge cases!
- Keep a very close eye on your Phabricator notifications. Your goal is to respond to code review comments quickly (within 30 minutes) and gracefully. **Code review feedback is the main way you grow as a software engineer intern** as the internship's goal is to develop your raw coding ability.
- Land diffs ASAP, so you don't need to deal with rebase hell.

Related resources:
- [One Diff, One Thesis - What Every Code Review Should Be Like](https://link.jointaro.com/Wnp45zAysqyaidSF7)
- [The Most Common Mistake Made When Authoring Code Reviews](https://link.jointaro.com/bCaB7gh2u5budm2V6)
- [What A Test Plan Is And Why Every Code Review Needs One](https://link.jointaro.com/62fq4369rxjXuDju5)
- [This Is What A Good Code Review Test Plan Looks Like](https://link.jointaro.com/ieDhChExstEpD8sw9)
- [Full In-Depth 1 Hour Masterclass On Effective Code Review](https://link.jointaro.com/Vn7YSzTL61i9shwM8)

Tech Lead Blueprint 2/17 - Course Structure

Connect with Lalit on LinkedIn: <https://www.linkedin.com/in/lalitkundu/>

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 12] - Job “Requirements”

We've all seen the insane "entry-level" job postings that require 3-5 years of experience. This lesson teaches you:

- Why job postings are so ridiculous (hint: it's how capitalism works)
- How treating job requirements as a wish list feeds into the overall strategy of quantity &gt; quality
- The amount of requirements met that you need to justify applying for a job

When Should You Switch Teams Or Companies? - Daniel Tomko's Perspective

Daniel Tomko spent much longer at the companies in his career compared to most engineers: 11 years at Microsoft and 8 years at Meta. Within these companies, Daniel did various team changes.

- Switching companies has a higher "transaction cost" compared to switching teams.
- At a large enough company, you have tons of interesting technical challenges and people to work with.

Connect with Daniel Tomko on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/danieltomko/)

Other relevant resources: 
- [How to approach a team switch conversation with my manager?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/XFQqRINGf9JvW3xmnVHa/whats-the-best-way-to-approach-a-team-switching-conversation-with-my-manager/)
- [How To Figure Out If A Team Is Important To A Company](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/9OwPRwFFSMvEoVj6Zt5Q/how-to-figure-out-if-a-team-is-important-to-a-company/)
- [How To Find A Good Team With Career Growth Opportunities](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/UGIUC9zaGccK0tOarBri/how-to-find-a-good-team-with-career-growth-opportunities/)
- [What's it like working on an ads team?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/GCCIkaBVUpPxGCF4MjRL/what-is-it-like-working-on-ads-teams/)

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 7] - The #1 Piece: Engineering Manager

In order to have a real shot promotion, you need an engineering manager who's in your corner. Despite this, so many software engineers index entirely on company and product space, ignoring this crucial angle. This lesson teaches you:

- Why your engineering manager is so important for your promotion case
- The #1 concept to remember when evaluating a manager to support your promotion
- The exact differences between an engineering manager who is great for your promotion vs. one who is more risky
- How to get the real information you need to judge an engineering manager

DSA Crash Course [Part 35] - Zipper Lists Walkthrough

In this lesson, Alvin walks through the python implementation for the *zipper_lists* problem.

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/zipper-lists?language=py>

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/>

DSA Crash Course [Part 38] - Binary Tree Warm Up Lecture

In this lecture, Alvin goes over the python implementation for a basic binary tree.

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/>

Negotiation Course: Recruiter Case Study: Insights From An Ex-Amazon Recruiter

This was a conversation with a recruiter who spent several years as a recruiter at Amazon and Uber.

She believed everyone should negotiate, but only when the company wants to give you an offer. 

- Most recruiters won’t prevent you from shooting yourself in the foot if you share too much information in the phone screen.
- Amazon would let go of unreachable candidates, e.g. Meta, if they sensed the candidate was already lost.

She also shared the dangers of getting starstruck with a company, e.g. Uber hiring in LATAM hired many people who didn't negotiate at all.

How To Put The Interviewer On Your Side

At the end of the day, passing a software engineer interview is about convincing another person that you're competent. The best interview candidates behave in a way that naturally puts the interviewer on their side. Weak interview candidates behave in a way where the interviewer becomes their opponent. This video covers how to do the former.

Here are the core points:
- **Always be communicating** - Nobody can read minds. By regularly explaining your thought process, you are keeping your interviewer in the loop and giving them the maximum chance to fully understand you and your skill. Communication is an especially important axis for Big Tech.
- **Be very careful asking for hints** - If you haven't made a lot of progress on the problem, asking for a hint is effectively asking the interviewer to solve a good amount of the problem for you. This severely reduces the signal the interviewer gets on your abilities. *If you ask for hints too aggressively, you may be tanking your own chances.* For deep dive of the dynamics of interview hints, [check out our video here](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/QFZxCLSuUDRYysvBBFLR/how-to-handle-hints-in-a-software-engineer-interview-without-failing/).
- **View your interviewer as a human not an obstacle** - While it's true that you need the rubber stamp from the interviewer to pass, focusing on that too much will negatively show in how you interact with and communicate with your interviewer. When you view your interviewer as another person and have empathy for their situation, you will understand what they're looking for and be much better equipped to show that signal.

Related resources:
- [[Taro Top 10] Effective Interview Prep](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/HLBYxJI7D1j8STolrwum/)
- [Effectively Learning Data Structures And Algorithms (DSA) For Software Engineer Interviews](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/XwpMMY3ss97zOrXJQ7Xr/effectively-learning-data-structures-and-algorithms-dsa-for-software-engineer-interviews/)
- ["How can I show to a Big Tech company that I'm likely to succeed there?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/ZpqoWC1zi3wMTXBUsS2B/how-can-i-show-to-a-big-tech-company-that-im-likely-to-succeed-there/)

Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer [Part 24] - Infinite Layers Of Nesting

Nesting is great for birds, but terrible for code. Having too much nesting is one of the easiest ways to make code terrible. This lesson will teach you:

- Why deeply nested code is literally hard to read
- The early-return pattern to unfurl nested code
- How to compress conditionals properly (this includes how not to mess them up)

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.