Growth And Promotion 4/6: Beyond The Basics

Topics covered:

- 🔄 Stop asking and start suggesting solutions to help move toward your goals.
- 💼 Offer to take on tasks that align with your desired career path, such as stepping into product management roles.
- 🤝 Build trust by offering solutions rather than waiting for your boss to assign tasks.
- 🚀 As you grow in your role, learn to anticipate problems and solve them without needing direct permission.
- ✨ Becoming proactive and solving issues without being asked makes you valuable and trusted by your manager.
- ❌ Avoid bad habits like nagging for promotions or stepping on others to advance your career.
- ⚖️ Balance ambition with responsibility—don’t rush through promotions or switch roles too quickly. 🏃‍♂️ Chasing hot trends without focus can hinder your long-term career growth.
- 💡 Don’t compare yourself to others—focus on your own performance and growth.
- 📋 Be mindful of bad managers who may exploit you, but understand their motivations and manage relationships carefully.

Starting at Amazon as a Senior Manager, then Director, then Vice President, Ethan has decades of experience at top tech companies. This career growth course is developed from his own knowledge and input from his extensive network of fellow coaches and executives.

- Connect with [**Ethan on LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ethanevansvp/)
- Taro members get a discount to join [Ethan's Level Up community](https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/taro25)

Master The DSA Interview [Part 21] - Programming Language Selection

There are a ton of programming languages you can use for a data structures and algorithms interview. This lesson teaches you:

- A basic flowchart to follow to determine which programming language you should use in data structures and algorithms interviews
- Why it's often not worth it to pick up an entirely new but "optimal" programming language for data structures and algorithms interviews
- How overly verbose languages can ruin your chances, explained with an in-depth example

Break Into Tech And Become A Software Engineer [Part 24] - Wrapping Up

In this final lesson, Brian provides key insights and encouragement as you wrap up your journey into software development.

This lesson covers:

- The importance of recognizing that everyone's timeline for getting hired is unique, and consistent effort on your technical skills will prepare you for success
- Building a supportive community or "tribe" through building in public, which will help you grow and find accountability
- Staying committed to learning and growing even after getting hired, as career development is a long-term game, and keeping your skills sharp will open doors for better 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 23] - Exercise!

Brian's life before coding: <https://youtu.be/3pqgSaE6Zs4>

In this lesson, Brian shares how adopting an exercise routine can positively impact your journey as a software developer, fostering optimism and habit formation.

This lesson covers:

- How exercise builds optimism, as both working out and coding require patience, consistency, and incremental progress that may not be immediately noticeable
- The parallels between fitness and coding, such as overcoming self-doubt and creating habits that lead to long-term success
- Practical tips on habit creation, like using cues and triggers to make coding and exercise a natural part of your daily routine, emphasizing that it's never too late to start either

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 19] - Selling Yourself As A Developer

In this lesson, Brian explains how to effectively market yourself as a software developer by positioning your skills and experience clearly to potential employers.

This lesson covers:

- Presenting yourself as a software developer, ensuring your resume and LinkedIn profile immediately reflect your skills and experiences in the field
- Avoiding terms like "junior" or "aspiring" developer and instead using strong language that showcases confidence, such as "architected," "led," and "deployed"
- Framing your achievements with a formula that highlights the technology used, the features created, and the outcomes achieved, demonstrating the value you bring to a team

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 15] - Fostering Online Relationships

In this lesson, Brian shares his strategy for using comments and direct messages to build meaningful online connections and network effectively.

This lesson covers:

- Starting with genuine, thoughtful comments on posts to build rapport and avoid disingenuous engagement, which helps foster real conversations
- How to follow up comments by sliding into DMs, offering value first rather than asking for a favor, and creating opportunities for connection without being awkward
- The importance of short, 15-minute coffee chats to learn from others while keeping the conversation low-pressure and focused on mutual interests

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 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/>

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 17] - How Is The Project Laid Out?

We need to understand the layout and structure of your target open-source project. We should identify the important modules and configuration items, and understand how the data flows through the project. We can also look for the entry points to the code base, such as the top-level file with all the exports or the command line interface.

- [Vue.js on GitHub](https://github.com/vuejs)

Connect with James:

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

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>

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 16] - Show Your Work

It's not enough to do the work - You also need to do the work to get full credit for it. This lesson teaches you:

- The 2 big components behind showing your work properly
- The differences between junior engineers and mid-level engineers when it comes to showing their work
- How mid-level engineers give far more effective status updates compared to junior engineers, explained with an in-depth example

Learn how to write an excellent project update post here: ["How to get more visibility on work?"](https://www.jointaro.com/question/XA0X51AypDLCeVeleJv4/how-to-get-more-visibility-on-work/)

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 10] - Be Vulnerable

As a junior engineer, you will have a lot of weaknesses. How you deal with them will greatly determine how fast you grow. This lesson teaches you:

- The definition of true strength and how it relates to being vulnerable
- A simple strategy to become very independent very quickly
- The difference in mindset when it comes to independence for junior engineers vs. mid-level engineers
- Why you can't solo-study your way towards becoming a great engineer

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 9] - Become A Go-To Person

One of the most obvious signs of engineer seniority is that everybody on their team goes to them for help with certain areas. More senior = more areas. This lesson teaches you:

- The easy way to understand the difference in mentality between junior and mid-level engineers when it comes to ownership
- How to become a go-to person for your area
- The one mantra you need to follow to organically deduce all the proper action items to become a go-to person

Speed run your way to becoming a go-to person with [Jordan's](https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordancutler1/) course: [Become The Go-To Expert As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/become-the-go-to-expert-as-a-software-engineer/)

Grow From Junior To Mid-Level Engineer [Part 4] - Structuring Your Growth

Even though junior engineer to mid-level engineer is the 1st and easiest promotion, it's still a meaningful evolution with many parts. This lesson teaches you:

- The 3 core areas of improvement to grow from junior -&gt; mid-level
- The most important area to improve to make the junior -&gt; mid-level promotion
- How you should process the advice from this course

Clear Communication For SWEs [Part 5] - Structuring Your Thoughts Logically

In this video, I delve into the significance of logical structuring in communication. I discuss how organizing thoughts logically enhances clarity, persuasiveness, and aids in memory retention. Crafting a clear outline before communication and using different speaking frameworks are highlighted as key techniques. No action requested, just valuable insights shared.

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

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/)

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 8] - Create Scope

The best engineers don't need to be told what to do. Creating scope is a behavior that usually develops as an engineer hit senior, and it's sharply refined as they grow to staff. This lesson teaches you:

- Why staff engineers often write less code than their senior engineer counterparts
- The difference between senior and staff engineers when it comes to creating scope
- A trap senior engineers often fall into when trying to creating scope
- The more graceful way competent staff engineers create scope within their organizations

Watch Rahul's internal tool case study here: [\[Case Study\] Building A Meta Internal Tool To Empower An Entire Org: Staff Promotion Story](https://www.jointaro.com/lesson/qvp2quodqAEWSkN7sayt/case-study-building-a-meta-internal-tool-to-empower-an-entire-org-staff-promotion-story/?playlistId=EWIo3USNcsgXbCs5PS0h)

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 6] - You Need Tenure

Software engineers like to give up when their team isn't going perfectly, often interviewing with another company entirely to jump ship. While this can work earlier in your career, it almost always stops as you're approaching staff. This lesson teaches you:

- Why job hopping to a staff uplevel at a top company is almost impossible
- Why you need to be in the same team for 2+ years in order to have a real case for staff
- The ingredients to develop the presence and impact of a staff engineer

Grow From Senior To Staff Engineer [Part 4] - Structuring Your Growth

When going from senior to staff, you need to develop a *ton* of new skills across several difference categories. This lesson teaches you:

- A framework for organizing the improvements you need to make to grow to staff, based off of Meta's engineering performance axes
- The most important axis engineers need to grow in order to get to staff
- A healthy way to understand this course and your overall progression to staff in general

Take Jordan's course here: [\[Course\] Become The Go-To Expert As A Software Engineer](https://www.jointaro.com/course/become-the-go-to-expert-as-a-software-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.