MassMutual Case Study: The Ultimate Guide To Navigating A PIP

This was a new grad engineer who joined MassMutual, a 100+ year insurance company in Massachusetts.

- **Before**: First job out of college, shared a project with another new grad engineer which lacked support

- **During**: Shocked to receive it (did not know what a PIP was). Told not to ask for help to test his velocity

- **After**: Chose to leave the company, since the manager lost faith

The Breakdown Of A Good Technical Question

Asking effective technical questions: 
- **Intention**: What is your high level goal?
- **Expectation**: What do you expect to happen? 
- **Mismatch**: What is actually happening?
- **Investigation**: What have you tried?

If you're interested in learning Android, check out the tutorial Rahul references:  [Tip Calculator - Build Your First Android App](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL7NYbSE8uaBCMVBVg6cskGzdYguj3CUP-)

DSA Crash Course [Part 86] - Array Stepper Walkthrough

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

Code along and test your work in the following editor workspace: <https://structy.net/problems/array-stepper?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/**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alvin-zablan-b73a92117/)

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 22] - Go Deeper: Follow Through

Related courses:

- [Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/nail-your-promotion-as-a-software-engineer/)
- [Managing Up: Build Effective Relationships With Your Boss](https://www.jointaro.com/course/managing-up-build-effective-relationships-with-your-boss/)
- [Effective Communication For Engineers](https://www.jointaro.com/course/effective-communication-for-engineers/)
- [System Design Masterclass: Shipping Real Features To Production](https://www.jointaro.com/course/frontend-system-design-masterclass-building-playlists/)

This Is What A Good Promotion Plan Looks Like

One of the most crucial ingredients for a successful promotion is a clear plan. However, the engineering career matrix that most big companies have isn't nearly enough. This video covers what a quality promotion plan looks like.

Here are the core points from the video:

- **Show the delta** - Just giving someone a concept isn't enough. Growth comes when you progress from a lower state to a higher one. To best facilitate that, you must outline exactly what that lower state and higher state are so people can understand the difference and work towards bridging the gap.
- Here's an example showing what it means to outline the delta when growing a mid-level engineer on their code review axis:
  - **Bad promotion plan:** *"Have a bigger influence in code review"*
  - **Good promotion plan:**
    - E4 (mid-level): *"You are extremely thorough catching issues within your own domain, finding architectural issues (sometimes challenging the entire diff/diff stack), performance problems, and several edge case misses."*
    - E5 (senior): *"Instead of mainly reviewing stack-specific diffs within product domains you have worked on, you review diffs across the entire stack for your org (M2+ scope). You are able to review diffs for areas that you have never worked with before, quickly absorbing the context of the diff and its surrounding ecosystem to leave genuinely insightful feedback in a relatively short period of time.”*

Related resources:

- [\[Taro Top 10\] Software Engineer To Engineering Manager (IC -&gt; M Track)](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/oz0mnJvHHgM8NfVF7rgp/)
- [\[Masterclass\] What Software Engineers Should Look For In Their Engineering Manager](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/oeY7ncZhzJ5NO6dij5e7/masterclass-what-software-engineers-should-look-for-in-their-engineering-manager/)
- [\[Taro Top 10\] Getting Promoted Faster In Tech](https://www.jointaro.com/playlist/eZOEUatYEe7BBAZByuha/)

Negotiation Course: Reneging An Offer

Backing out after accepting an offer (*"reneging on the offer"*) is unfortunate but happens more frequently than you think. Imagine that you accepted a job offer, but two weeks later, you finally get an offer from another company that is better in every way. What do you do?

First, prevention is the best cure: try to get all the offers around the same time.

If the timing mismatch is unavoidable, you should do what’s best for you: don’t worry too much about the company.

In the US, employment is at-will, so there’s nothing legally preventing you from joining. Of course, you may have to give back any kind of signing bonus.

There may be reputational damage: talk about why the opportunity is incredibly unique and you hope to work with them again. Reneging on a large company is not as big a deal compared to a startup.

Become A Debugging Master [Part 6] - Reproduce The Issue

It's crucial to thoroughly reproduce a bug before attempting to fix it - This can be often trickier than engineers think. Here are the core points from the lesson:

- Reproducing a bug requires systematically testing different versions, languages, devices, network conditions, experiments, and user paths—not just trying once and giving up
- Bugs might appear intermittent or path-dependent, so multiple attempts and thoughtful investigation into what *wasn’t* captured in the bug report are essential
- Understand the broader categories of software failures (functional, usability, integration, concurrency, security, performance, user error) so you can better diagnose the true underlying problem
- Strong debugging starts with deeply understanding when and why the bug occurs, forming the foundation for prioritizing and fixing it effectively

Types of software bugs: <https://www.browserstack.com/guide/types-of-software-bugs>

Negotiation Course: Negotiating Your Current Salary

Negotiating your current comp is harder. You can no longer sell on potential, you have to show the outcome of what you have achieved. There are generally also fewer levers to adjust, usually just salary and equity refresh grants.

A few tips: 

- Time when you ask to coincide when your company normally does pay evaluations and merit increases
- Share market data or another offer

If you ask for money and reference another job, be careful about the impact it may have on your manager relationship, who may give you less scope or responsibility.

Negotiation Course: Determine Levers You Can Pull

The typical 4 highest-order bits for a compensation package in tech are salary, equity, signing bonus, and annual bonus. 

Ask an open-ended question to understand what the recruiter is dealing with: 

> What parts of the offer are you able to adjust the most?

In some companies, you’re just given a salary, a single dimension to negotiate on. In this case, your job is to **invent other parameters on which you can negotiate**. e.g. talk about benefits, title, and other things that you’re willing to give up in order to optimize the thing you really care about.

You can share other offers here, but be prepared to show proof (Rahul had to do this in 2013 when he had to show the Google recruiter the numbers from the Twitter offer)

Life After PIP: The Ultimate Guide To Navigating A PIP

One of the biggest concerns for anyone who has received a PIP is about how it may effect their future job prospects. The answer is, no, a **PIP does not need to follow you around**. You can (and will) find a fresh start and a thriving career if you want it. 

Remember, a PIP is about **both** employee and employer. When you change jobs, your employer is changing, so the situation leading to the PIP is very different.

As you reflect on your next role, it’s worthwhile to allocate some time to reflect: 

- Collect feedback from others: at the minimum, save a copy of your PIP and figure out what feedback there is transferable to another job.
- Collect feedback from yourself: Write down your reflections: what did you enjoy (or not) about your past work experience. What types of projects and people were fun for you?

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 3] - Tell Me About Yourself (Feedback)

This video provides feedback on an individual's "Tell me about yourself" response in a job interview.

- **Strengths:**

  - The speaker effectively used a quick joke and the "Moneyball" analogy to create a memorable and engaging introduction.
  - They highlighted their focus on customer-centric work, aligning with Amazon's values.
  - The speaker skillfully leveraged their experience at prestigious companies like Google, Facebook, and Salesforce to demonstrate their value and expertise.
  - They effectively communicated their entrepreneurial venture, Kadima, as a side gig without appearing overly self-promotional.

- **Alternative Approach:**

  - The feedback suggests an alternative approach: starting with their current situation and then explaining their career journey leading up to that point.

This feedback offers valuable insights into crafting a compelling and impactful "Tell me about yourself" response for job interviews.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 31] - Promotion Is A Journey: Follow Through

Promotions take years, especially the more senior ones. You won't automatically become a promotion wizard by finishing this 1 course. You need to follow through, and the Taro community is here to help you along the journey.

- Junior to mid-level promo: <https://www.jointaro.com/course/grow-from-junior-to-mid-level-engineer-l3-to-l4/>
- Mid-level to senior promo: <https://www.jointaro.com/course/grow-from-mid-level-to-senior-senior-l4-to-l5/>
- Senior to staff promo: [https://www.jointaro.com/course/grow-from-senior-to-staff-engineer-l5-to-l6/](https://www.jointaro.com/course/grow-from-senior-to-staff-engineer-l5-to-l6/how-this-course-works/)

Amazon Behavioral Interview [Part 4] - Tell Me About Yourself (Discussion)

This video segment discusses strategies for individuals who may not have the same level of prestigious work experience as those who have worked at Google, Facebook, or Salesforce.

- **Focus on Impact:** Instead of solely focusing on the names of companies, emphasize the impact you made in your previous roles. Quantify your achievements whenever possible (e.g., "increased revenue by 1400%").
- **Keep it Concise:** The "Tell me about yourself" section should be brief and impactful. Aim for a concise summary (around 3 minutes) to maintain the interviewer's attention.
- **Avoid Excessive Detail:** Steer clear of irrelevant details, such as personal anecdotes that are not directly related to your professional experience.
- **Prepare Thoughtful Questions:** Demonstrate your engagement and interest by preparing insightful questions to ask the interviewer.

By focusing on these points, individuals can effectively present their skills and experience, even without a background at major tech companies.

Learn more about Alan's job search program, Kadima Careers, using this [discount link](https://signup.kadimacareers.com/mQBsDvu).

Ace Your Tech Interview As A Software Engineer [Part 37] - Getting The Offer

Congratulations, you got the offer! However, the journey isn't over yet. This video teaches you:

- The exact steps you should follow after getting an offer (it doesn't even have to be a formal offer letter)
- Why offers are often even more valuable than software engineers think, even the more lackluster ones
- How to communicate with other companies you're in the interview loop for after you have gotten any offer (even a verbal one)

To master the art of negotiation, follow the advice here: [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/)

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 10] - Oncall

"Oncall" is a term that strikes fear into the heart of engineers. However, it's crucial for engineers to embrace oncall as an honorable duty and a place of opportunity as they become more senior, especially as they progress to staff. This lesson teaches you:

- The differences between senior and staff engineers when it comes to their scope within oncall
- How senior and staff engineers respond differently to oncall issues

Watch Alex's oncall case study here: [\[Case Study\] Revamping Oncall For 20 Instagram Engineers - Senior to Staff Project](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/esVxIGXYC5BdgxXUkO6H/case-study-revamping-oncall-for-20-instagram-engineers-senior-to-staff-project/)

Nail Your Promotion As A Software Engineer [Part 21] - Attribution

The best software engineers don't need to be told what to do; they're able to come up with impactful projects on their own. This lesson teaches you:

- Why ideas are worthless and how engineers can come up with great ideas and get 0 credit for them
- The hard work you need to do to convert an idea into an actual roadmap project
- What it takes to get massive credit on the attribution axis for projects

Here's the case study Alex referred to in this lesson: [\[Case Study\] Revamping Oncall For 20 Instagram Engineers - Senior to Staff Project](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/esVxIGXYC5BdgxXUkO6H/case-study-revamping-oncall-for-20-instagram-engineers-senior-to-staff-project/?playlistId=EWIo3USNcsgXbCs5PS0h)

DSA Crash Course [Part 69] - Tribonacci Approach

In this lesson, Alvin explores the strategy to solving the following problem using dynamic programming:

> Write a function *tribonacci* that takes in a number argument, *n*, and returns the *n*\-th number of the Tribonacci sequence.
>
> The 0-th and 1-st numbers of the sequence are both 0.
>
> The 2-nd number of the sequence is 1.
>
> To generate further numbers of the sequence, calculate the sum of previous three numbers.
>
> Solve this recursively.

```
tribonacci(0) # -> 0
```

```
tribonacci(1) # -> 0
```

```
tribonacci(2) # -> 1
```

```
tribonacci(5) # -> 4
```

```
tribonacci(7) # -> 13
```

```
tribonacci(14) # -> 927
```

```
tribonacci(20) # -> 35890
```

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/)

Negotiation Course: Don't Give A Number First

The most important rule of negotiation is "Don't give a number first." Don’t talk about what compensation you’re expecting, and definitely don't share what you were making at your last job. 

It’s actually illegal in 22 states for recruiters to ask about your prior compensation (CA, NY, IL): <https://www.hrdive.com/news/salary-history-ban-states-list/516662/> 

Because of the info asymmetry we talked about before, there’s no benefit to you sharing a number, but a lot to lose. Henry Ford (the automaker in Detroit in the early 20th century) illustrated this well. He employed a tactic called "highball negotiation" where he would match the offer given by a landowner, even if it was inflated. Read more about this in "[The People's Tycoon: Henry Ford and the American Century](https://www.amazon.com/Peoples-Tycoon-Henry-American-Century/dp/0375707255)" by Steven Watts

Example dialog from the recruiter:

> We really need a number before proceeeding”

Sample candidate reply:

> At this time, I’m more focused on determining if the role is a good fit. I’m confident we can figure out an agreeable number once we mutually agree that we could work together.

Negotiation Course: Don’t Overshare (Level, Passion, Timeline)

Understanding your emotional attachment to the offer is even more important than the data. Ideally, you want low emotional attachment and high data (as explained in [this Taro blog post](https://www.jointaro.com/blog/the-5-lies-that-too-many-people-believe-about-negotiating-a-job-offer/) by Rora).

For example, don't reveal that you're only talking to a single company, or that you're talking to 30 (either extreme can hurt you). Sample dialog: 

> If anything changes on my end, I’ll let you know, but for now I’m eager to learn more about your company

(There's a whole section dedicated to helpful phrases later on.)

You can share information with the recruiter, but be mindful of what and when you share. How much PTO or signing bonus you want are topics that should come up before (if it's a blocker) and after the interview, not during.

**If in doubt, don’t share it**. Just be positive and non-committal to pretty much everything the recruiter says. Answer questions with vague responses and be confident.

The Framework Through Which To Evaluate Engineering Productivity

When you reflect on your day or week, two spectrums through which to evaluate how your time was spent: 

1. How much of your time was spent **reactively vs proactively**?
2. How much of your time was spent **consuming vs creating**? 

The most productive engineers (and the most senior engineers) are very proactive, and they also lean heavily on the creating end of the spectrum. That means you should spend less time passively attending meetings, and more time breaking down projects, writing code, and setting direction for your team.

It’s much harder to create content compared to consuming content. But the majority of impact as an individual or business comes from creation. As a result, the world rewards the people who are able to create high quality video/code/writing over a long period of time.

- [Reactive vs proactive as a manager](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/VCSrWjEBu3WCaSWCn2ak/signs-of-a-bad-engineering-manager-reactive-vs-proactive/)
- [A hack to supercharge your learning when you create - the Lego Model](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/9cVK5zsAQstbTCc1wrWx/how-the-best-software-engineers-learn-the-lego-model/)

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

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.