Master The Behavioral Interview [Part 23] - Just Be A Human

Behavioral interviews are really just an exercise in communication (a skill many software engineers struggle with). This lesson teaches you:

- The difference between being an introvert (this is fine) and shy (this is really bad for your career in tech)
- The right mindset to have when it comes to building relationships and the underlying skills necessary to ace behavioral interviews
- The secret behind getting extremely good at communication

To get better at communication, check out our course: [\[Course\] Effective Communication For Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/course/effective-communication-for-engineers/)

How To Quickly Understand Company Culture - Airbnb Example

Culture is more than what people say. It's about how things get done in the company. The best way to ramp up on a company's culture is to observe what people do and talk to as many people as possible when you first join.

Rachel also talks about the 2 unique aspects of Airbnb's culture: 
1. Mission-driven (as opposed to tech, sales, or founder driven)
2. Incorporating the best of different companies

If you want to learn more about how to understand an org/company and build up influence within it, here's some related resources:
- ["How do I sell the vision behind a large, org-level project?"](https://link.jointaro.com/ESa5WJyk682iwqJt9)
- ["How can I build up more influence in an org?"](https://link.jointaro.com/GVYFUhx46N2QWVeZ7)

Part 2 [RBP] Derive State When Possible

This lesson focuses on optimizing React state management for better performance and code organization.

- **Deriving State:** Learn how to calculate and derive state values directly within your component instead of storing redundant data, leading to more efficient and maintainable code.

- **Avoiding Unnecessary Re-renders:** Understand the impact of state changes on component re-renders and discover techniques to minimize them, such as using `useMemo` for expensive calculations.

- **Improving Code Clarity:** Explore how to simplify your state logic and reduce complexity by deriving state and avoiding unnecessary `useEffect` calls.

- Florian’s free web development playlist on YouTube: <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrnPJCHvNZuDG6BWjUFVxeWyYlve_SVJO>

- Code link: <https://github.com/codinginflow/react-best-practices/blob/derive-state/src/app/page.tsx>

You tried to be clear. They heard threat.

The words were fine.\
The logic was solid.\
The delivery? Unclear. At least to them.

This is the story of feedback that missed—badly—and why it had nothing to do with the message.\
You’ll walk into a moment that cost more than expected… and learn why it’s so common.

**Want to go deeper?**

- Explore more tools and courses at [**Taha’s Method**](https://www.tahasmethod.com/) — from interview prep to leadership development.

- Follow me on [**LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tahahussain/) and subscribe to my weekly newsletter, [**The Conscious Leader**](https://tahahussain.substack.com/), for more lessons like these. 

- **Taro members get 30% off** my flagship course [**Top Tech Leader**](https://bit.ly/tarotopleader)*. Discount available later in the course.*

Entry-Level Engineer (L3) Describes Most Important Skill - Uriel Sejas

Uriel is a new grad engineer at Slack.

- Most important skill: understand and follow patterns in the codebase. There's likely a well-defined template or approach you can follow to complete your work. 
- Advice: take time to connect with other engineers. An engineer on a different team (build system or UI framework) can share something that otherwise would have taken hours/days to figure out.

Here's the full playlist asking engineers what the most important skill is for their level: [Asking 7 Levels Of Engineers The Most Important Skill](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/J9Io5lDGaYUpI8vGrUyI/)

Helpful links:
- [[Masterclass] How To Write Better Code Faster As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/iYpRj8XfyzCSaTYnce3y/masterclass-how-to-write-better-code-faster-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [How Neetcode Got Promoted From L3 to L4 (Mid-Level) Engineer At Google - Tips + Insights](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/mP1jyI09NsCHDsi5yTEX/how-neetcode-got-promoted-from-l3-to-l4-mid-level-engineer-at-google-tips-insights/)
- Taro's top 10 to get promoted from [entry-level to mid-level engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/iBKHYpkjd0BRWWLKQG2j/)
- Taro's top 10 to get promoted from [mid-level to senior engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/AUMiBTvYUv0gcOzuu26V/)
- [Uriel on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/uriel-sejas/)

[Timeless Career Advice] The Promotion Formula

Negotiation Course: Helpful Phrases During Negotiations

The phrases covered here are applicable in various scenarios as you go through the interview process.

Negotiations require a deliberate choice of words, avoiding apologies, and showcasing your value beyond just compensation. By using these phrases, you can confidently navigate negotiations and achieve your desired outcomes.

> Interesting.

> Compensation is definitely important for me, but I care a lot about the people I work with and what I’m working on.
>
> I want to do my best work in a company that values me.

> *At this time, I’m more interested in understanding the company and people rather than the compensation.*

> *I’m sure we can work out the compensation if we think this is a mutual fit.*

> *I have a few other opportunities I’m in the process for, but if this is compelling enough I’m ready to commit.*

> That role wasn’t a great fit, so I’m exploring adjacent opportunities.

> My focus is to have tons of impact at the company and I want to take part in the success.

> This is a large decision and I want to commit fully to the job I end up choosing.
>
> I want to do right by the company I join and build the next part of my career there.

> *If you could send over the offer, I’d love to take a look in more detail.*

> *I’m chatting with my partner about the job stuff so I should be able to give you an update after that.*

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 36] - Getting Interview Feedback

The best way to get better at software engineer interviews is to fail a bunch of software engineer interviews. But how exactly do we do that? This lesson teaches you: 

- Why you're probably not getting feedback from the company after you have failed their interview
- What you should do instead after an interview to maximize the learning that you get from the experience

[Distributed Systems Deep Dive] Wide-column NoSQL DB / Cassandra

If you're interested in how to design a wide-column NoSQL database, this session is for you. We'll start with the basics: what Cassandra is and why it's a popular choice for handling massive amounts of data. Expect a clear explanation of its architecture and how it spreads data across multiple servers. We'll cover how Cassandra keeps your data in sync and the trade-offs you might face.

- **Cassandra Basics:** Learn what Cassandra is made for and when it's better than other database options.

- **Architecture Overview:** Understand Cassandra's setup and how it's built for horizontal scaling.

- **Data Duplication:** Find out how Cassandra copies data to protect against outages.

- **Consistency Levels:** See how you can control consistency in Cassandra to fit your use case.

- **Writes and Reads:** Get into the details of how Cassandra handles your data when you're adding or retrieving it.

- **Node Communication:** Discover how Cassandra's nodes talk to each other to stay up to date.

- **Space Management:** Take a look at how Cassandra keeps disk space in check by getting rid of unnecessary data.

- **Dealing with Deletions:** Understand how Cassandra handles the cleanup of deleted records.

Thanks to [Alex Poon](https://www.linkedin.com/in/thealexpoon/) for leading this session!

For more system design resources:

- [\[Masterclass\] How To Ace Your Big Tech Interview - System Design](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/J3I9fTW9ulr6T9KjxpqY/masterclass-how-to-ace-your-big-tech-interview-system-design/)
- [\[Course\] Frontend System Design Masterclass - Building Playlists](https://www.jointaro.com/course/frontend-system-design-masterclass-building-playlists/)

DSA Crash Course [Part 45] - Tree Includes Approach

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

> Write a function, *tree_includes*, that takes in the root of a binary tree and a target value. The function should return a boolean indicating whether or not the value is contained in the tree.

```
a = Node("a")
b = Node("b")
c = Node("c")
d = Node("d")
e = Node("e")
f = Node("f")
a.left = b
a.right = c
b.left = d
b.right = e
c.right = f

#      a
#    /   \
#   b     c
#  / \     \
# d   e     f

tree_includes(a, "e") # -> True
```

```
a = Node("a")
b = Node("b")
c = Node("c")
d = Node("d")
e = Node("e")
f = Node("f")
a.left = b
a.right = c
b.left = d
b.right = e
c.right = f

#      a
#    /   \
#   b     c
#  / \     \
# d   e     f

tree_includes(a, "a") # -> True
```

```
a = Node("a")
b = Node("b")
c = Node("c")
d = Node("d")
e = Node("e")
f = Node("f")
a.left = b
a.right = c
b.left = d
b.right = e
c.right = f

#      a
#    /   \
#   b     c
#  / \     \
# d   e     f

tree_includes(a, "n") # -> 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/>

To Fix Software Bugs, You Must Understand Their Blast Radius

It's not enough to be able to reproduce the bug on your own device: You need to fully understand the blast radius as well. This will help you fully understand the bug and fill out the post-mortem report afterwards.

This video is a clip from our debugging masterclass. You can watch it here: [[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/)

Related resources:
- [[Case Study] Solving A Multi-Million $$ Instagram Bug](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/WYk4J05iBqOuPtD0CYKX/case-study-solving-a-multi-million-dollardollar-instagram-bug/)
- ["How can I become more independent and better at unblocking myself with tricky technical issues?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/QhqQQGrDgFjZbqohpKe0/how-can-i-become-more-independent-and-better-at-unblocking-myself-with-tricky-technical-issues/)
- ["What is the effective way to understand new repository in order to make the required changes in that repo?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/KoxB3UU2zWC9pdYU6Rx0/what-is-the-effective-way-to-understand-new-repository-in-order-to-make-the-required-changes-in-that-repo/)

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 19] - Go Deeper: Follow Through

Take the related courses:

- [Level Up Your Code Quality As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/level-up-your-code-quality-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [Ask Great Questions That Get Great Answers Quickly](https://www.jointaro.com/course/ask-great-questions-that-get-great-answers-quickly/)
- [Become The Go-To Expert As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/become-the-go-to-expert-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-promotion-as-a-software-engineer/)

How To Tell If A Layoff Is Coming At Your Company

Layoffs are scary and are often a complete surprise. This video covers some of the warnings signs you can use to predict if a layoff is coming and start preparing for interviews accordingly.

Here are the core points:
- *For public companies, the most obvious sign is a struggling stock price*
- In general, stagnant growth is bad
- Mass hiring freezes are a common precursor to big layoffs
- Trimmed perks and a more somber, frugal mood among leadership are other signs
- You can also listen through the "grapevine" but be careful
  - Blind in particular is quite flaky. Blind correctly predicted the Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 layoffs, but *it also incorrectly predicted 18 other layoffs*
  - In general, treat online rumors with a massive grain of salt, and it's probably best to just stay away from them. There's no need to add a bunch of unnecessary stress to your life

Related resources:
- [[Masterclass] How To Survive Tech Industry Layoffs](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/axnVXYox5QeOneqcoyuH/masterclass-how-to-survive-tech-industry-layoffs/) - The full video where this clip was taken from
- ["What are the signs of an impending layoff in an organisation that can help an employee prepare themselves better?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/tNOO9FtALQIRrUXSqzV1/what-are-the-signs-of-an-impending-layoff-in-an-organisation-that-can-help-an-employee-prepare-themselves-better/)
- ["How to handle stress at work especially after a company layoff?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/mOjMnHL2Zhke2rSrtVdD/how-to-handle-stress-at-work-especially-after-a-company-layoff/)

Master The DSA Interview [Part 12] - Stuck? Here's What To Do

A defining trait of a strong software engineer is their ability to conquer hardship, and one of these hardships is getting stuck on a data structures and algorithms interview problem. This lesson teaches you:

- Why you need to communicate when you're stuck
- A proactive foundation you should set up to minimize your chances of getting stuck
- What actions you can take when you're stuck outside of coding up the optimal solution (which you obviously don't have as otherwise why would you be stuck?)

Master The DSA Interview [Part 9] - Outline Your Approach

Once you have clarified exactly what you need to deliver with a data structures and algorithms interview problem, you need to figure out how to deliver it. This lesson teaches you:

- How to come up with a data structures and algorithms solution plan
- The many benefits of coming up with a plan proactively
- What a good data structures and algorithms plan looks like, explained with an in-depth example

Avoid This Common Bad Habit That Fails You Interviews

You should allocate enough time to prepare for your data structures and algorithms interview to avoid cramming at the last minute.

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/)

How To Avoid PIPs: The Ultimate Guide To Navigating A PIP

**Prevention is the best cure**, so let’s talk about what steps you should take to avoid a PIP. The #1 thing you can do is get high-quality feedback from the people you work with. The issue is that most tech workers are horrible at asking for feedback in a way that actually gets them something substantive.

Your guiding principle should be to **make it easy to receive feedback, especially constructive feedback.**

Here’s a system you should employ to get high-quality feedback: 

- Schedule dedicated “feedback 1:1s” with key people: manager, XFN partners
- Write down what they say
- Follow up: short-term and long-term

A PIP should **never** be a surprise, and yet it often Is. This system will prevent you from being negatively surprised. With a manager, you ask how you’re trending and discuss a hypothetical rating, broken down by the axes of evaluation at your company.

We also cover two examples of proactively addressing concerns with your manager.

The Engineering Manager "Partner In Crime": The Tech Lead

This video explains the essential partnership between an engineering manager and a tech lead in high-performing engineering teams. It emphasizes how effective delegation, complementary strengths, and role clarity between the two can drive both team productivity and individual growth.

- **Strong engineering managers have a “partner in crime” tech lead**: Effective managers often work alongside tech leads who handle the majority of technical responsibilities, allowing the manager to focus on team support, operations, and growth.
- **Clear level pairing by role**: At Facebook, there’s often a leveling alignment—e.g., M0 managers paired with L5 (senior) engineers, M1s with staff (L6), and M2s with senior staff (L7)—ensuring balanced responsibility and decision-making.
- **EMs stay hands-off but connected**: Engineering managers are expected to stay informed on technical topics but are not expected to be hands-on with code or architecture decisions.
- **Tech leads drive technical execution**: Responsibilities like leading engineering meetings, driving design reviews, setting development processes, and ensuring engineering culture are primarily handled by the tech lead.
- **Shared mentorship responsibility**: While managers typically mentor through one-on-ones, tech leads also provide mentorship, especially for junior and mid-level engineers. This dual support system ensures continuity and growth even when the manager is unavailable.

Taro Book Club - The Fundamentals of Data Engineering - Chapter 3: Designing Good Data Architecture

Discussion led by [Gideon Blinick](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gideonblinick/)\
\
In this session, we'll discuss Chapter 3 (Designing Good Data Architecture) of [**"The Fundamentals Of Data Engineering"**](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZM6Wf-uyFjO5TXFGF8vIaVKi4XEhAeYf/view?usp=drive_link).

How do you do good Data Architecture? Wouldn’t it be great if there were principles you could follow? Well, there are! Google has 5 in their Principles for Cloud-Native Architecture. Amazon has 6 in their AWS Well-Architected Framework. But I’m here to tell you that there are 9.

This is a great chapter for those interested in System Design!

Check out #taro-bookclub in the [**Taro Premium**](https://www.jointaro.com/membership/) Slack for more details.\
\
Event link: <https://www.jointaro.com/event/taro-book-club-the-fundamentals-of-data-engineering-chapter-3-designing-good-data-architecture/>

[Case Study] How to Quit Your Job The Right Way (w/ ex-Netflix TL Michael Lin)

[Michael](https://www.jointaro.com/profile/Ab2xedZA7RhROW0wo9wBHIJbAsX2/) famously [quit his $450,000 job at Netflix](https://www.jointaro.com/blog/why-i-quit-a-450k-engineering-job-at-netflix/), and asked for (and received) a severance package in the process! If you're thinking about quitting your job, consider these points **before** leaving: 

### Timing is important
- It’s better to leave on the 1st of the month than the 31st because employee benefits renew on a monthly basis.
- If you leave on the 1st, it’s like getting a full extra month of benefits. 
- But if you leave on the 31st, your benefits may end the next day.

### Quitting is a trade-off
- You’re weighing that the negatives of staying outweigh the negatives of losing out on income.
- If you have to cut vacations, move away from loved ones, and say no to social events, then those negatives may outweigh the negatives of your job.

### Act with urgency
- If your career is not going the right way, take action quickly.
- If you stay an extra two years at a job you wanted to leave and did this over five jobs in your lifetime, that’s ten years of your life spent doing work you never wanted to do.

---------
- Connect with Michael on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-lin-tech/)
- Subscribe to [Michael's newsletter](https://michaellin.substack.com/)

Related questions: 
- ["Should I request a voluntary layoff to my manager?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/FnInc1bJ3AUJBz0grFyj/should-i-request-a-voluntary-layoff-to-my-manager/)
- ["Should I quit to prep for interviews?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/Cno3oaZkvUu7BPLhHB7g/should-i-quit-to-prep-for-interviews/) from a Data Engineer

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.