What's Often Overrated When Choosing Your Next Job

Here are the attributes we've generally seen software engineers prioritize too much when weighing career opportunities:
- **Product space** - This usually manifests as pursuing a tech trend (like VR or NFTs). Of course, if you're legitimately passionate about the space, go for it, but seriously ask yourself if you would be in this space if it wasn't regularly talked about.
- **Technical space** - Similar to product space, you can follow trends here. Choose a stack that you're legitimately passionate about, which also has the support network you need (very important for junior engineers). The risk with cutting-edge technology is that it often doesn't have a lot of mature teaching resources behind it (it's cutting edge for a reason).
- **Level/title** - Promotion is a decent and concrete career goal earlier on, but don't go to bad companies to maximize your title. At the end of the day, your level and title are just strings next to your name.
- **Compensation** - Money is genuinely important in almost all cases, but what a lot of people don't realize is that very high pay often comes with a catch (usually work-life balance). Try treating this as a lagging indicator - If you're genuinely growing fast as a software engineer, you will eventually
land an opportunity that is top-of-market (as you deserve).

This clip was taken from the following masterclass: [[Masterclass] How To Choose A Good Company And Team As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/0WEmTNZOMIh8xAdfO3JH/masterclass-how-to-choose-a-good-company-and-team-as-a-software-engineer/)

Related resources:
- ["How should I think about levels when it comes to evaluating jobs and in my career overall?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/siBFn9WmU204N6D0IRHZ/how-should-i-think-about-levels-when-it-comes-to-evaluating-jobs-and-in-my-career-overall/)
- ["I feel like senior engineers tend to focus on a specific area. How can I pick a specialization that's still relevant in 5-10 years?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/xFEhcvfbJ2P0pYzZ4r6f/i-feel-like-senior-engineers-tend-to-focus-on-a-specific-area-how-can-i-pick-a-specialization-thats-still-relevant-in-5-10-years/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 27] - Sum List Walkthrough

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

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/sum-list?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/>

Asking Great Questions [Part 5] - Figure It Out Or Get Help?

As a software engineer, you need to figure out a lot of things on your own (that's why you get paid the big bucks). However, you don't want to go the extreme where you endlessly run yourself into a wall by not getting help. This lesson teaches you:

- When to figure it out on your own vs. get help
- The dynamic behind solving complex engineering problems
- How to identify if you're stuck
- When to ask for help earlier instead of later

15 SWE Years In 1.5 Hours [Part 9] - Writing A Good Resume

Every successful job search starts off with a polished, well-written resume. However, there's so much online misinformation about what makes a good one. This lesson teaches you:

- Why it's best to keep your resume simple
- The optimal length for a software engineer resume
- How to think about summary sections on resumes

To dive deeper into writing a better resume, take our course here: [Get More Interviews: Write A Stellar Resume As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/get-more-interviews-write-a-stellar-resume-as-a-software-engineer/)

FAANG: Great For Compensation, Less So For Promotion

Getting into FAANG is the dominant thing on so many software engineers' minds, but most of them are making the mistake of not thinking about what happens after they get in. When it comes to that, hitting a growth wall is a very common (and painful) career trap Big Tech engineers run into.

Here are the core points from the video:
- **Most big problems have been solved** - Many teams at FAANG are maintaining flagship products at this point. While these products are great for consumers by being universally known and very useful, they are usually not great for engineers looking to grow. Since they are so hyper-optimized, it's very common for a software engineer to run 10 experiments on a product like Facebook home feed only to have every single one of them fail.
- **Getting to senior/staff is very hard** - Because scope gets so hard to find, these promotions in particular can be *extremely* difficult. SDE 2 -> SDE 3 at Amazon is notoriously impossible, and L4 -> L5 at Google is known to be very tricky as well.
- **You're competing against teammates** - While scope can be created and expanded, there is often a finite amount of it. This means that Big Tech engineers are often jockeying against their very talented peers to own this limited resource. In the worst case scenario, this leads to very dirty politics.

Related resources:
- ["What does it mean to not have enough scope to be promoted?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/bJuagPwOEEy5vkcXKkqh/what-does-it-mean-to-not-have-enough-scope-to-be-promoted/)
- ["What should I look for in a new team in terms of growth?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/i2bOMPrqaRc0NUZ7918F/what-should-i-look-for-in-a-new-team-in-terms-of-growth/)

Become An Engineer Influencer [Part 4] - Strategy #2: Social Media is a Sales Funnel

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 24] - Brag Journal

It is easy for people to lose track of all the great stuff you're doing as a software engineer, including you! This lesson teaches you:

- What a brag journal is
- The many reasons why brag journals are so beneficial, especially for promotion
- A lightweight "hack" you can do instead of maintaining an entirely separate brag journal

Write A Stellar Resume As A Software Engineer [Part 8] - Intro Summaries

It's common practice for engineers (and almost everyone else) to include a paragraph at the very top of their resume summarizing their overall experience and explaining why they're great. This lesson teaches you:

- Why those intro summaries actually hurt you, especially in tech
- What to do instead of having an intro summary

Why Big Tech Compensation Is So High - RSUs

This video explains how **Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)** work as a major part of tech compensation, especially in large tech companies. It outlines key timing mechanisms, industry trends, and the outsized impact RSUs can have on total earnings.

- **RSUs are company shares granted over time**, typically as part of a four-year compensation package. For example, an employee may be awarded 4,000 shares and receive 1,000 per year.
- **Most companies enforce a one-year cliff**, meaning no shares are received until completing the first full year. However, some companies like Google and Facebook have moved toward shorter cliffs, such as three months.
- **After the cliff, vesting usually occurs quarterly or monthly**, gradually releasing shares to the employee. This incentivizes ongoing retention.
- **Graphics help illustrate vesting schedules**, showing an initial cliff followed by incremental monthly or quarterly share distributions over the remaining years.
- **RSUs can far exceed base salary in total value**, especially at the senior level. In some cases, RSUs make up 75% or more of an individual's total compensation in big tech.

Every Senior+ Engineer Must Decide: IC vs Management Track

There is one good motivation to become an engineering people manager: to help people. If that's not the priority, you should not become an EM (and you should avoid working with those types of managers).

Daniel toggled between individual contributor (IC) and manager several times in his career. His most fruitful experience was as a very senior IC engineer at Meta -- he had the influence + context of a manager, but none of the headache associated with the job. 

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

Related content: 
- [Questions You Can Ask To Evaluate An Engineering Manager](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/VOQc7vIzQ4STtw7UrB29/questions-you-can-ask-to-evaluate-an-engineering-manager/)
- [How Do Effective Engineering Leaders Help Their Teams Achieve More?](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/xGJDCG7VL4hcZaq5XL92/how-do-effective-engineering-leaders-help-their-teams-achieve-more/)

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 14] - Observe Other Engineers

Don't know what you need to do as a software engineer to get promoted? Observe engineers who are better than you! However, this is a surprisingly difficult skill to develop. This lesson teaches you:

- Which engineers you should observe and how to find them
- What you should be looking for when observing other engineers
- What "silent hero" work is and how very senior engineers do a lot of it
- The concrete avenues you should look at when trying to figure out why a higher-level engineer is superior to you
- Why getting jealous of engineers above you is a colossal waste of time, even if you are truly better than them

[Become A Go-To Person 12/18] Lead Projects To Become An Expert

A course by [Jordan Cutler](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancutler1/), Senior Software Engineer at Pinterest and Author of the [High Growth Engineer Newsletter](https://read.highgrowthengineer.com/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 28] - Linked List Find Approach

In this lesson, Alvin explores the strategy to solving the following interview problem:

> Write a function, *linked_list_find*, that takes in the head of a linked list and a target value. The function should return a boolean indicating whether or not the linked list contains the target.

```
a = Node("a")
b = Node("b")
c = Node("c")
d = Node("d")
a.next = b
b.next = c
c.next = d

# a -> b -> c -> d
linked_list_find(a, "c") # True
```

```
a = Node("a")
b = Node("b")
c = Node("c")
d = Node("d")
a.next = b
b.next = c
c.next = d

# a -> b -> c -> d
linked_list_find(a, "d") # True
```

```
a = Node("a")
b = Node("b")
c = Node("c")
d = Node("d")
a.next = b
b.next = c
c.next = d

# a -> b -> c -> d
linked_list_find(a, "q") # False
```

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/>

Engineering Manager Feedback Example: Good vs. Bad

This segment provides a powerful comparison between poor and effective feedback in engineering management, particularly around the challenge of slow code review cycles. It emphasizes how quality feedback should be empathetic, actionable, and grounded in broader principles to foster growth.

- **Bad feedback is vague and unhelpful**: Simply stating “your code isn’t merging fast enough—fix it” lacks empathy, specifics, and any guidance on how to actually improve the situation.
- **Good feedback is empathetic and constructive**: The improved example acknowledges the *team’s* perspective, suggesting the engineer break up large diffs to make reviews easier and faster, thus benefiting everyone.
- **Actionable steps are clearly defined**: Rather than just pointing out a problem, the feedback offers a tangible next step—submit smaller, more digestible diffs.
- **Feedback includes operating principles**: It reframes code reviews as a shared team activity, encouraging engineers to think like editors and consider the reviewer experience—empowering them to continuously improve without needing micro-managed lists.
- **Nuance and context matter**: Effective feedback often requires more thoughtful, detailed communication—brevity shouldn’t come at the cost of clarity or support.

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 18] - Procrastination

We all learn how to procrastinate in school - It feels good to wait until the last minute to get something done as this means you got to use all that initial time to have fun! This lesson teaches you:

- Why people procrastinate
- The main tactic to apply to avoid procrastination
- What to do if you simply can't stop procrastinating

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

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/>

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 22] - Introspect And Reflect

As software engineers, we are constantly getting things wrong, including our productivity system. This is why it's important to learn how to evolve and improve over time - There are very things in engineering where you can just set it and forget it. This lesson teaches you:

- How to set up introspection time and why it's important
- What questions to ask yourself when you reflect
- How to process action items to improve your productivity system

Your Great Engineering Manager Will Eventually Leave You 🥺

Even when a highly capable and supportive engineering manager is found, the relationship often has a built-in expiration date. This video explains why strong EMs tend to move up quickly and what that means for their reports. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- **Great EMs focus on long-term growth**: A strong manager prioritizes their engineers' success, fostering an environment that supports both team and individual development.
- **Fast career growth is common for top EMs**: Exceptional managers are often promoted quickly, typically within 1–2 years, due to their high impact and leadership abilities.
- **Promotion changes reporting structure**: When promoted to senior engineering manager, EMs typically move from directly managing engineers to managing other managers, altering team dynamics.
- **ICs often lose direct access**: Most engineers will start reporting to a new manager, while their original EM becomes a “skip-level” manager—only senior ICs may continue reporting directly.
- **Disruption of strong relationships**: The transition can be disheartening for ICs who thrived under the original EM, especially when that connection was key to their growth.

This Is Why FAANG Engineers Make So Much Money - Tech Compensation Breakdown

Learn about the 4 components of compensation:

1. Base salary
2. Sign-on bonus
3. Performance bonus
4. Equity

The latter two are less understood, and they are key to understanding why compensation at tier 1 tech companies is so high.

And we also talk about how Mark Zuckerberg actually had a pretty big impact on increasing tech compensation as a whole!

[The Insider's Guide To Negotiating Your Tech Salary And Compensation](https://www.jointaro.com/course/the-insiders-guide-to-negotiating-your-tech-salary-and-compensation/)

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.