Write A Stellar Resume As A Software Engineer [Part 16] - Leveling

For the vast majority of engineers, they want to get the highest level they possibly can from an interview opportunity. How you write your resume is a substantial part of achieving this goal. This lesson teaches you:

- How to format your resume based on what level you were at different points in time
- How including your exact promotions can actually hurt you
- When to include your level on a resume vs. not

Master The DSA Interview [Part 5] - It's A Parasite

While data structures and algorithms are pivotal when it comes to cracking interviews, you need to be careful about how you interact with them. If you don't, they can easily tank your job search. This lesson teaches you:

- Why data structures and algorithms are parasitic
- How data structures and algorithms are actually the most shallow interview type, especially for non-junior engineers
- Other activities you can do on the job search to achieve more well-rounded results
- The decision tree you should use to figure out if you should go hard on data structures and algorithms studying

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

To learn how to build effective side projects: [\[Taro Top 10\] Building Impressive Side Projects](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/vKUWMgmmaEvzcYUXZs4B/)

Onboarding Tips For Junior Engineers

Your goal as an entry-level engineer is to show autonomy after you've completed onboarding. If you're an intern or new grad, you are not expected to know everything (or much of anything!).

- The most important trait for early career folks is to seek feedback and act on it! **Coachability** is an important criteria for you (this is, in fact, how many interns are judged).
- Don’t “solo carry” a project. Instead, create milestones to measure and show progress. 
- Pair programming is especially valuable for learning from coworkers and building relationships.

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/)

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/>

DSA Crash Course [Part 29] - Linked List Find Walkthrough

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

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

Why It Doesn’t Make Sense To Have a 5 Year Career Plan

Most productivity advice is about getting as much done as possible in the short term: *how do you optimize this week or this particular project*? How does productivity and time management fit into longer term career plans? How much time should be spent around planning your career years from now?

The answer is, **not very much**. Too much will change in 5 years to build your life around that: your experiences and attitudes may change, and the world will certainly change. 

Instead of working backward from the perfect job or career in the long term, it’s better to start with your desired lifestyle. 
- Where do you want to live? 
How much money do you need to make? 
- How busy will you be? 

It’s worth reflecting on what your desired lifestyle is, and check-in periodically to evalute if your goals have changed.

However, this is very different from setting goals. **A good goal is SMART: specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound**. If you have a goal which is more than a year away, it’s worth breaking it down into something which can be relevant and time-bound.

When you have established a goal of the proper time duration, you should spend 5-10% of the time in planning how you’ll execute on the project. For example, if you’re planning a project which will likely take 100 hours of work, spend 5-10 hours (a few days of work) in doing the planning behind it. 

Connect with Steve: 
- [Taro](https://www.jointaro.com/profile/aZJL3ucq9dQnscO09F4JDRkgPo72/)
- [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@ALifeEngineered)

The Core Principles Behind Writing Great Performance Review Feedback

- Don't procrastinate writing performance review feedback, especially for your peers! It's such a intimate, powerful thing, and if you truly enjoy working with your peers, they deserve meaty, thoughtful feedback from you.
- Keep it organized
  - Have clear sections. If your company has performance review axes, these can usually be used as your sections.
  - Use bullet points. People hate reading essays and paragraphs.
- Be concise: Use your word count efficiently and avoid repeating yourself.
- A lot of resume feedback applies to performance review as well. Use strong verbs, show the impact, and "Show, don't tell".

SWE Internship Survival Guide [Part 2] - The Rise Of Internship Importance

Breaking into the junior software engineering job market in 2025 is more challenging than ever—but internships offer a powerful path forward. Here are the core points from this lesson:

- The market for junior engineers is shrinking, with companies favoring experienced hires and AI-powered productivity
- Junior engineers often cost more than the immediate value they provide, making companies cautious about full-time hires
- Internships offer a low-risk way for companies to evaluate talent and are now the most reliable path to full-time offers
- Real-world experience from internships outweighs grades, certificates, or side projects in the eyes of employers
- Top companies like FAANG will often get 80%+ of their junior engineers from their returning intern pool, and strong performance during an internship can lead to high-paying offers and long-term career growth

Maximize Your Equity And Benefits In Tech [Part 20] - Backdoor And Mega Backdoor Roths

Backdoor and Mega Backdoor Roth strategies offer powerful ways to boost tax-advantaged retirement savings for high earners. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- A Backdoor Roth involves making a non-deductible IRA contribution and quickly converting it to a Roth IRA, but you must avoid having pre-tax IRA balances or you'll face tax via the pro-rata rule
- Mega Backdoor Roths allow after-tax 401(k) contributions (beyond the regular limit) to be converted into Roth accounts, enabling up to \~$40K in additional Roth savings annually
- The ideal Mega Backdoor setup includes in-plan Roth conversions, which are often automatable and avoid tax on earnings during the transition
- Be cautious of contribution timing to avoid missing employer match benefits—either spread contributions evenly or ensure your plan supports a “true-up” feature

Next steps with Andy:

- [Connect with Andy on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymoranio)
- [Leave feedback and/or sign up for Andy’s newsletter](https://subscribepage.io/taroequitycourse)
- [Schedule a consultation](http://adastrafp.com/contact-us/)

Junior Engineers, Avoid This Fake Growth Trap

What's the main change in expectations when growing into senior engineering levels?

True or false: Hustling (i.e. working extremely hard) is a common, healthy way to get promoted.

Why is it bad if you are able to get promoted to senior levels through sheer ultra-hard work and very high raw productivity?

- A lot of earlier-in-career engineers believe that being a better software engineer is all about coding: If you can write more good code faster, then you are growing.
- This is generally mostly true in the beginning, but then it quickly becomes a toxic way of perceiving growth.
- You will hit walls. There are only so many hours in a day, and you can only type so many lines of code per hour.
- As a senior engineer, you need to focus on multiplicative and deeper behaviors.
- If you are able to have the impact of a senior engineer but are working extremely long hours, you are essentially "faking" the appearance of a senior engineer. This working model is not sustainable, and once you burn out, it's a terrible situation for everyone.

What Too Many Companies Don’t Get: Management IS NOT A Promotion

Most tech companies have no idea what they're doing when it comes to engineering managers and overall leadership culture. One of the clearest ways this is reflected is how engineering manager is positioned within the company hierarchy.

Here are the core points:

- **Management is NOT a promotion** - Becoming an engineering manager is about adding value to the overall engineering in a different way. It's not about "moving up" or "controlling the engineers". *A trademark sign of bad companies is that they position the switch into management as moving up the corporate ladder.* The problem with this is that employees then switch into management for the wrong reasons, chasing money and power. This leads to an unhealthy dynamic between engineers and manager as engineers are "beneath" the manager, usually leading to the manager treating them as expendable and burning them out.
- **Top companies have separate SWE and EM tracks** - In companies like FAANG, both staying as an individual contributor (IC) software engineer and becoming an engineering manager are valid career paths with the same ceilings. This means that for every management level (manager, director, VP), there is an equivalent software engineering level with a similar amount of compensation.

Related resources:

- [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/)
- ["What do career levels structure in big tech company look like? What are the responsibilities for each level?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/qV5oikdcgs4GWmGeousX/what-do-career-levels-structure-in-big-tech-company-look-like-what-are-the-responsibilities-for-each-level/)

Make Sure To Get This Resource From Your Manager 1 on 1s

True or false: Your performance review result should not be a surprise, and the manager 1 on 1 is an instrumental mechanism towards ensuring that.

What are some ways to get the feedback flowing in a manager 1 on 1?

True or false: A simple "Do you have any feedback for me?" is a good way to ask for feedback from your manager.

One-on-one meetings are a crucial venue for growth-focused feedback. When approached intentionally, they can drive clarity, alignment, and personal development.

- **Feedback should be mostly positive and constructive**: Many people brace for criticism, but it's just as important to highlight wins. Sharing accomplishments helps managers advocate effectively during reviews or calibrations.
- **Effective solicitation matters**: Instead of vague prompts like “Do you have feedback?”, ask targeted, open-ended questions such as “How could I have handled that project better?” or “What would you have done differently in my place?” This encourages thoughtful responses.
- **Use self-reflection as a feedback tool**: Sharing your own doubts or observations (“I felt X didn’t go well—do you agree?”) helps deepen the conversation and opens the door to more candid advice.
- **Track progress consistently**: Keeping a running one-on-one doc helps you monitor growth, reflect on past feedback, and ensure you're aligned on expectations over time.
- **Avoid surprises in performance reviews**: By using regular one-on-ones to benchmark progress and confirm you're trending toward the right goals, formal review ratings (e.g., “meeting” or “exceeding expectations”) should never come as a shock.

Become An Open Source Master [Part 8] - Find Companies Active In Open Source

The video discusses where to find open source projects to contribute to.

- The GitHub Octaverse Report and websites like <https://gitstar-ranking.com/> provide lists and rankings of companies and projects active in open source.
- Many large tech companies, like Microsoft and Google, have active open source ecosystems.
- The GitHub trending pages can help you discover new and interesting projects that are gaining popularity.
- Don't limit yourself to one type of project or technology; contributing to a variety of projects will broaden your skills and experience.

Connect with James:

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

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/>

How To Negotiate A Raise At Your Current Job

Sometimes the goal isn’t to leave a job, but simply to be paid more for the work being done. Negotiating a raise internally is possible, but the dynamics are more complex due to limited leverage.

- **Internal raises are harder without leverage**: Simply asking for a raise based on merit often fails because the company knows most employees won’t go through the pain of interviewing and switching jobs.
- **Competing offers create leverage**: The most effective strategy is to secure a higher offer elsewhere and use it to negotiate a raise. This shows initiative and forces the employer to evaluate retention costs.
- **Company policy plays a role**: Some companies, like Facebook, may have policies against matching outside offers. Others, like Google, are more flexible and may respond aggressively to retain top talent, especially when the competing offer comes from a company perceived as a talent threat.
- **Raises typically come in equity**: When a raise is granted in response to a competing offer, the increase often comes in the form of additional stock (RSUs), rather than base salary.
- **This approach is a calculated risk**: Bringing a competing offer can trigger a raise, but it can also signal that an employee is willing to leave, which may affect internal perception. It should be done carefully and with genuine intent.

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 11] - Define The Roadmap

All the way to senior, engineers are almost entirely given projects to work on. This dynamic flips as you grow from senior to staff. This lesson teaches you:

- The differences between senior and staff engineers when they participate in the team roadmapping process
- The skills you need to become a leading, staff-level influence in roadmapping

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.

Maximize Your Productivity As A Software Engineer [Part 23] - It's A Never Ending Marathon

With the meteoric rise of the Internet, software engineers are constantly bombarded by magical success stories where other engineers rose almost instantly to the top. However, reality is rarely that smooth and simple. This lesson teaches you:

- What successful career paths actually look like, even among the world's best engineers
- How productivity naturally trends across your life
- What to do when you're facing a serious lack of productivity that seems unfixable

Having The Proper Mentality To Minimize Your Chances Of Getting Laid Off

It's way too easy to start panicking and living in an anxiety-ridden world in this current layoff-rich tech economy. However, this is a very counterproductive mentality to have as a software engineer - This video covers the mindset shift you should make to actually set yourself for success against layoffs.

Here are the core points:
- **Stop freaking out** - It is not healthy to be constantly checking the news for layoffs and having it always take up prime real estate within your mind. *This will ironically make you more likely to get laid off as your performance will suffer.*
- **Your behavior shouldn't change** - The optimal things to do to insulate yourself against layoffs are things you should always be doing anyways. [Building relationships](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/tyaPFMXPoz2pmzB7OVzt/masterclass-how-to-build-deep-relationships-quickly-in-tech/), [optimizing your performance review](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/b0B8uqIAUnBLE10jJHJG/masterclass-how-to-navigate-your-performance-review-in-tech/), and [working on a high-impact team](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/9OwPRwFFSMvEoVj6Zt5Q/how-to-figure-out-if-a-team-is-important-to-a-company/) are all necessary for fast career growth in general.
- **Focus on what you can control** - It sucks, but if you're already working a job that you like, it's simply not possible for you to directly control your destiny when it comes to layoffs. Just do your best as you normally should be and hope for the best. Continue treating those around you with kindness, shipping great projects, and improving your skills.

Related resources:
- ["Staying motivated among lay-offs?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/EEMkoCSNPzdRToTHjuSb/staying-motivated-among-lay-offs/)
- ["How to survive potential layoffs?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/ydZFpJz0x8wKUIfd8E1r/how-to-survive-potential-layoffs/)

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.