Engineer Your Ideal Tech Career [Part 4] - What Type Of Environment Are You In?

In this video, we walk through the different environments you can or may be working in throughout your career. Depending on where you feel you most thrive, it may make some roles or companies more or less fulfilling.

Avoid choosing the middle number for each of these — do the hard work of making actual trade-offs for each option to make your preferences clearer.

We cover key environments and what they mean, like:

- Fast Paced vs. Methodical
- Job Stability & Cash Comp vs. High Risk, High Reward
- Mentorship & Guidance vs. Independence & Autonomy

Looking for mentorship from tech’s top engineers + personalized job hunt assistance and interview prep? [Formation.dev](http://Formation.dev) can provide you unlimited career coaching, technical mentorship, personalized practice, and mock interviews. Join us here: <https://formation.dev/partners/taro>

Worksheet: [Formation - Coding Your Career](https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/tech-career-growth.appspot.com/o/courses%2Fslides%2FFormation%20Career%20Direction%20Worksheet.pdf?alt=media&token=f6344b78-529a-411e-a449-7a34a8d55fc8)

Come Up With 500k+ User Project Ideas [Part 15] - Putting It All Together: Idea Scorecard

You now have a side project idea. How can you tell if it's good? This lesson teaches you:

- A systematic scorecard you can use to grade the quality of a side project idea
- What a bad side project idea looks like, demonstrated with concrete scorecard examples
- What a good side project idea looks like, demonstrated with concrete scorecard examples

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/>

DSA Crash Course [Part 67] - Fibonacci Approach

In this lesson, Alvin explains the fundamentals of dynamic programming by applying dynamic programming to fibonacci:

> Write a function *fib* that takes in a number argument, *n*, and returns the *n*\-th number of the Fibonacci sequence.
>
> The 0-th number of the sequence is 0.
>
> The 1-st number of the sequence is 1.
>
> To generate further numbers of the sequence, calculate the sum of previous two numbers.
>
> Solve this recursively.

```
fib(0); # -> 0
```

```
fib(1); # -> 1
```

```
fib(2); # -> 1
```

```
fib(3); # -> 2
```

```
fib(4); # -> 3
```

```
fib(5); # -> 5
```

```
fib(35); # -> 9227465
```

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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 37] - Binary Tree Intro Lecture

In this lecture, Alvin explains the basic structure of a 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 20] - Sum Numbers Recursive Approach

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

> Write a function *sum_numbers_recursive* that takes in an array of numbers and returns the sum of all the numbers in the array. All elements will be integers. Solve this recursively.

```
sum_numbers_recursive([5, 2, 9, 10]); # -> 26
```

```
sum_numbers_recursive([1, -1, 1, -1, 1, -1, 1]); # -> 1
```

```
sum_numbers_recursive([]); # -> 0
```

```
sum_numbers_recursive([1000, 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 1]); # -> 1001
```

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 18] - Recursion Intro Lecture

In this lecture, Alvin introduces the mental model we should use when applying recursion.

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 16] - Intersection Approach

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

> Write a function, *intersection*, that takes in two lists, *a*,\_b\_, as arguments. The function should return a new list containing elements that are in both of the two lists.
>
> You may assume that each input list does not contain duplicate elements.

```
intersection([4,2,1,6], [3,6,9,2,10]) # -> [2,6]
```

```
intersection([2,4,6], [4,2]) # -> [2,4]
```

```
intersection([4,2,1], [1,2,4,6]) # -> [1,2,4]
```

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 24] - It's About Consistency

How should you spend your time with data structures and algorithms problems? This lesson teaches you:

- Why it's better to have consistent, more reasonably sized studying blocks for data structures and algorithms instead of monster 1-day sprints
- What a good data structures and algorithms prep schedule looks like, shown with an in-depth example

Master The DSA Interview [Part 20] - Missing What Matters

When you're doing a data structures and algorithms interview, you don't have a ton of time. That's why it's important to focus on what matters. This lesson teaches you:

- What order to code your solution in when it comes to happy flow and edge cases
- Why the core data structures and algorithms themselves often aren't that important during the interview
- How to get functionality for free, explained with a real-life Meta interview example
- A tactic you can use to prioritize components of your data structures and algorithms solution properly

Master The DSA Interview [Part 13] - You Must Be Fast

Quality is important, but quantity is too, which is mainly demonstrated with velocity. This lesson teaches you:

- Why raw speed is so important with data structures and algorithms interviews in particular
- The quantity bar you need to hit to pass a data structures and algorithms interview the vast majority of the time
- Why interviewers often ask 2 data structures and algorithms problems in a single round
- How an interviewer asking you a harder data structures and algorithms could actually mean that they're trying to save you
- Tips for getting faster at data structures and algorithms

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/)

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/>

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.

Ask a question in the Taro forum: <https://jointaro.com/questions/create>

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/)

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 14] - 1 on 1 Meetings

1 on 1 meetings are some of the most important and powerful uses of time... when leveraged properly (which junior engineers often don't). This lesson teaches you:

- The difference between junior and mid-level engineers when it comes to 1 on 1 meetings
- The simple, proactive tactic you should use for every single 1 on 1 meeting you have to make them far more useful

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 13] - Be A Feedback Sponge

We all have blind spots, and you need feedback to see them. Getting feedback is especially important as an engineer given how information-dense the software field is. This lesson teaches you:

- Why a surprising amount of junior engineers are terrible with feedback
- Why you should almost never push back against feedback you disagree with
- How not being good with feedback can severely damage your career, explained with an in-depth example
- The differences between junior and mid-level engineers when it comes to handling feedback

For additional inspiration on truly becoming a feedback sponge, check out the words of wisdom from OpenAI ChatGPT engineer [Philip Su](https://www.linkedin.com/in/suphilip/) here: ["What's the core insight behind quick growth?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/nJ762p255cGyuth36H6w/whats-the-core-insight-behind-quick-growth/)

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 8] - Debugging

When it comes to software, there will always be bugs. What many realizes don't realize is that your attitude towards bugs is a huge marker of your seniority. This lesson teaches you:

- Why junior engineers usually don't get assigned bugs
- The differences between junior engineers and mid-level engineers when it comes to bugs
- How to evaluate bug complexity overall
- What a mid-level engineer bug looks like vs. a junior engineer bug

Improve your debugging ability with our masterclass: [\[Masterclass\] How To Become A Debugging Master And Fix Issues Faster](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/ioR6WzamAIUTpySLAr7o/masterclass-how-to-become-a-debugging-master-and-fix-issues-faster/)

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 3] - It's On You

For later promotions (i.e. senior and beyond) there are many other factors at play besides your personal skill and growth. This isn't the case for junior engineer -&gt; mid-level engineer. This lesson teaches you:

- The fundamental difference between the junior -&gt; mid-level promotion and others when it comes to landing impact
- How to choose teams and projects as a junior engineer aiming to grow fast
- What matters when it comes to the junior -&gt; mid-level promotion

Understand more about project credit for promotion here: <https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-promotion-as-a-software-engineer/its-not-just-about-impact/>

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 14] - How Communication Changes With Seniority

I discuss how communication expectations evolve from junior to senior engineer roles. Junior engineers focus on asking insightful questions and providing clear updates. Mid-level engineers lead projects, suggest improvements, and collaborate effectively. Senior engineers take on leadership roles, communicate strategic decisions, and provide insights based on experience. Adapting communication styles based on audience expertise is crucial for career growth.

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

The How of the Engineering Career Ladder: Five Essential Foundations for Advancement

Session led by [Shine Garg](https://www.linkedin.com/in/shinegarg/)

Engineering career ladders lay out the “what” of the software engineering career path—what competencies and behaviors are needed at each milestone. However, they often lack guidance on the “how.”

Understanding how—and how quickly—you can acquire and exhibit these competencies significantly impacts your career trajectory, financial future, and sense of fulfillment in life.

This talk demystifies the process of climbing the engineering career ladder. Join us to learn the five essential foundations for advancing your career and achieving your goals.

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.