Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 13] - Establishing Your Brand Online

In this lesson, Brian discusses the importance of focusing on valuable content when writing online, rather than chasing likes or negative engagement.

This lesson covers:

- Avoiding negative or clickbait content that might gain attention but harms your professional reputation, such as romanticizing rejection or posting rage bait
- The value of sharing interesting challenges, technical problems, and personal experiences with solutions, which fosters meaningful conversations and builds credibility
- Posting about specific technologies, problems you’ve solved, and snippets of code to engage with professionals and attract potential career opportunities

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 12] - Pick A Platform

In this lesson, Brian emphasizes the value of choosing the right platform for writing online, with a strong recommendation for LinkedIn.

This lesson covers:

- Why LinkedIn is a great platform for building a professional presence, with less anonymity and trolling compared to platforms like X or TikTok
- The advantage of standing out on LinkedIn, where recruiters and employers are more active, making it easier to connect with professionals
- How while platforms like X and TikTok offer cutting-edge tech content, LinkedIn provides a safer environment to network with verified professionals and receive genuine feedback

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 11] - The Value Of Writing Online

In this lesson, Brian highlights the importance of documenting your coding journey and writing online, not for fame but for personal growth and community building.

This lesson covers:

- Writing online as a way to document your progress, overcome imposter syndrome, and differentiate yourself in a crowded job market
- How being genuine in your writing attracts like-minded people and builds a valuable network
- The long-term benefits of writing consistently, even without immediate engagement, and how it helps organize your thoughts and improve communication skills

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 10] - Why It's Better To Share

In this lesson, Brian explains the value of building in public as a tool for personal accountability, skill development, and community building.

This lesson covers:

- How building in public holds you accountable to your goals and helps you communicate more effectively, a key skill for software development
- The importance of using public sharing to connect with like-minded people and build a supportive community
- Why building in public improves your discoverability and can lead to networking, job opportunities, and genuine collaboration

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 9] - Working In Sprints

In this lesson, Brian explains the value of working in sprints to manage large projects and goals, breaking them down into manageable tasks to maintain focus and track progress.

This lesson covers:

- The concept of sprints in software development, how to decompose large goals into smaller tasks, and making incremental progress toward them
- Using tools like Trello or notebooks to organize tasks, set deadlines, and track success with clear deliverables and realistic time estimates
- The importance of having a clear goal for each task and recalibrating your approach when necessary to stay on track

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 8] - It's All About Time Management

In this lesson, Brian addresses the challenge of finding time to code amidst a busy life, offering practical strategies for better time management.

This lesson covers:

- Identifying time-wasting activities and making sacrifices, like cutting back on social media or entertainment, to create more time for learning
- Planning the most important task of the day the night before and waking up 30-45 minutes earlier to focus on it without distractions
- Working in short, productive sprints to maximize efficiency and avoid burnout

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 7] - The 6 Steps For A Great Side Project

In this lesson, Brian walks through six key steps for creating a meaningful and impactful side project that builds skills, credibility, and even potential business opportunities.

Brian's ["Side Project Template" Google Doc](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1H508NN2HCnnKmkRMgCg3pj_mXr3i8x3Np0jS6w4xzCs/edit#heading=h.cueymdkrqyb1).

This lesson covers:

- Starting with data or APIs to ensure your project is feasible and solves a real problem you care about
- Choosing the right front-end and back-end stack that balances familiar and new technologies while focusing on full-stack development
- Structuring your project with clear user flows, a deployment strategy, and involving real users for feedback, making your project more impressive and valuable in interviews

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 6] - Build A Side Project

In this lesson, Brian explains the value of building side projects that not only boost your technical skills but also help you stand out in the job market.

This lesson covers:

- How a well-crafted side project can help you learn new technologies and fill knowledge gaps without needing formal training or mentorship
- The importance of focusing on meaningful, long-term projects that you are passionate about, rather than numerous small, disconnected ones
- Using a self-assessment worksheet to identify your knowledge gaps, create a learning plan, and design side projects that address those gaps and align with your career goals

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/>

Career roadmap worksheet: <https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OpjXtJeQ93TGIz8z9u-p_lYNbhSbk32rPFPDecNMDyM/edit?usp=sharing>

How side projects can even get you into FAANG: [\[Case Study\] Building An App With 1,000,000+ Users To Get Into Facebook](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/jly45Gx6qR1kqQwBmJEy/case-study-building-an-app-with-1000000-users-to-get-into-facebook/)

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 5] - Know Your Fundamentals & Frameworks

In this lesson, Brian highlights the balance between knowing your technical fundamentals and understanding modern frameworks to build effective software applications.

This lesson covers:

- The importance of having both foundational knowledge and framework expertise to speak the same technical language as co-workers, especially those with computer science degrees
- How understanding design patterns, software development lifecycles, and common best practices prevents you from reinventing the wheel and helps you navigate technical discussions
- Key resources like *Clean Code*, *You Don’t Know JavaScript*, and *The Phoenix Project* that deepen your knowledge of coding fundamentals and software development processes

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 4] - Why Foundation Is Crucial

In this lesson, Brian emphasizes the importance of building a strong technical foundation in order to succeed long-term in the tech industry.

This lesson covers:

- The risks of becoming a "framework developer" without understanding core programming concepts, which can jeopardize career stability
- Brian’s personal experience of having to attend two bootcamps to fill in gaps in foundational knowledge, despite already being in the industry
- The importance of understanding the underlying technologies, not just frameworks, to boost both career growth and confidence

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/>

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 2] - There's More To It Than Coding

In this lesson, we cover the essential steps beyond just learning to code for successfully transitioning into a tech career.

This lesson covers:

- The limitations of advice for engineers at top companies like FAANG and how to focus on realistic guidance for the majority of engineers
- The importance of developing a clear learning path, mastering time management, and focusing on one meaningful side project
- How building an online presence, networking authentically, and maintaining optimism throughout the journey is critical for career-switchers

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/>

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 1] - Intro

In this lesson, we explore how anyone can transition into a tech career, regardless of their background.

This lesson covers:

- Brian's journey from a troubled past to becoming an engineering manager and business owner
- How his late start in tech, at age 30, began with small interactions while driving for Uber
- The decision to attend a coding bootcamp, where his passion for coding took off
- The importance of support from friends and community in learning to code and landing a first job
- The idea that people from all kinds of backgrounds, including those with difficult pasts, can break into the tech industry

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

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

Paper Reading: LLaMA  Open and Efficient Foundation Language Models

Session Led By: [Mike A](https://www.linkedin.com/in/malik-mike-a-32b63818b/)

Join us for the first installment of our three-part paper reading series on the LLaMA series of Large Language Models (LLMs).\
\
In this session, we will explore the foundational concepts and innovations behind the initially released LLaMA models, introduced by Meta AI back in early 2023. The first series of LLaMA models, ranging from 7B to 65B parameters, and how they opened the door to efficient, open-weight LLMs that can be trained on publicly available datasets.

This event will cover the groundbreaking at the time techniques used to train LLaMA models, which outperformed previous state-of-the-art models like GPT-3 on many benchmarks, despite being significantly smaller. We'll focus on the details of their unique training approach, data mixture, and architectural enhancements. We will also discuss the impressive zero-shot and few-shot capabilities of these models on tasks, highlighting the efficiency and accessibility that made these models popular within the open-source community.

This session is a must-attend for researchers, developers, and AI enthusiasts interested in the recent history behind the latest advancements in language modeling and AI research as we build our understanding of the LLaMA models towards the latest releases from Meta AI. Whether you're keen to understand the intricacies of LLMs, explore the potential of open-source AI models, or gain insights into the future of efficient AI by reflecting on the past, this paper reading will provide valuable knowledge and stimulate thought-provoking considerations.

Mark your calendars for an enlightening hour of "LLaMA: Open and Efficient Foundation Language Models" and be part of the journey to explore the future of AI language models through a review of the past.

How To Get Interviews, Secure Offers, and Make More Money in Big Tech

Alan Stein, former executive and hiring manager at Google, Meta, Salesforce, and Tableau shares how jobs are really acquired at the world's top tech companies. 

No BS about resumes, cover letters, or LinkedIn profiles. Rather, Alan shares what actions you should actually take to land more interviews, offers, and earn more money.

Feel free to connect with [**Alan and say hi on LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanjstein/).

Become An Open Source Master [Part 25] - Taking The Next Step In Open Source

We've come to the end of our journey exploring open source contributions.

- This course focused on contributing to existing repositories, not creating your own. Creating a successful open-source project involves technical and marketing challenges. James is doing this right now with TinyBase: <https://github.com/tinyplex/tinybase>
- **Open source takes time and patience**. It takes time to learn a codebase, earn trust, and become a strong contributor.
- Don't get discouraged by rejections or setbacks. Every piece of feedback helps you grow.
- The social side of open source is critical. It's about teamwork, building relationships, and demonstrating your ability to work well with others.

Connect with James:

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>
- LinkedIn: [**https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespearce/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamespearce/)

Become An Open Source Master [Part 24] - Anticipate Common Pushback

- We might get pushback on our pull requests if we don't address all edge cases or introduce performance regressions.
- Follow the project's coding conventions and make sure our code is clean and well-tested.
- Be gracious and adaptable when contributing to someone else's project.

Taro discussions about testing: 

- [What are your thoughts about Test Driven Development?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/SYwVplJYcyO8Sr7PLT2j/what-are-your-thoughts-about-test-driven-development-do-you-think-it-adds-value-in-your-career/)
- [Automated vs manual UI testing?](https://www.jointaro.com/question/frpv5BLQ63ZqvmDcTIkY/automated-vs-manual-ui-testing/)

Connect with James:

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

Become An Open Source Master [Part 23] - Be Like Water

It's hard to play well with others when we're very stubborn. Instead, "*be like water*":

- Adapt our contributions to fit the project's philosophy and guidelines.
- Observe and learn from other successful pull requests in the project.
- Be patient and work with the maintainers to get our changes approved.

The viral bad pull request mentioned: <https://github.com/A11yance/axobject-query/pull/354> 

The full process of making a contribution in a big, scary project: [Fixing a Bug in Google Chrome as a First-Time Contributor](https://cprimozic.net/blog/fixing-a-bug-in-google-chrome/)

Connect with James:

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

Become An Open Source Master [Part 22] - Good Practices When Making Commits

Pay attention to the naming conventions of commits and pull requests in open source projects. We also need to make sure our commits are atomic, solving one problem at a time. Always provide a clear test plan for our changes.

References:

- [One Diff, One Thesis](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/one-diff-one-thesis/)
- [Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)

Connect with James:

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

Become An Open Source Master [Part 21] - Start With Something Small

- Start with small contributions to get familiar with the workflow and build our confidence. Maintainers probably won't give you the adequate time of day if you have a large code change while being unkonwn.
- Fork the project to our own account, make changes, and commit them there.
- Answer the questions in the pull request template to help the maintainers understand our changes.

Github guide to forking a repository: <https://docs.github.com/en/pull-requests/collaborating-with-pull-requests/working-with-forks/fork-a-repo>

Connect with James:

- GitHub: <https://github.com/jamesgpearce>
- Twitter (X): <https://twitter.com/jamespearce>

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.