Don't Get Down-Leveled or How to Tell a Good Story (From a Principal at Amazon)

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  • čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
  • Why does down-leveling happen? How can you avoid it and get the salary you deserve instead of battling for a promotion and raise later? Learn how to tell the right story and you just may re-engineer your career.
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Komentáře • 342

  • @trentconley4374
    @trentconley4374 Před 2 lety +404

    dude this channel is so underrated; I'm so glad I found this. All of the advice feels so intuitive, genuine, and logical, something that's hard to find. Thanks for making these Meta.

    • @labyrinth242
      @labyrinth242 Před 2 lety +17

      the channel got down-leveled

    • @jamalsheriff1928
      @jamalsheriff1928 Před 2 lety +2

      no its not underrated, he ownly upload like 1 video every 5 months and getting more views than the amounth of subs he has

    • @renderwood
      @renderwood Před rokem +2

      I think CZcams recommended this to me because I watched few Joma Techs - this isn't maybe equally funny but contains more useful information. I did notice some attempts of comedy here =) US tech life seems to differ quite a bit from Europe, but I still enjoy this content!

    • @JK360noscope
      @JK360noscope Před rokem

      @@labyrinth242 This is the kind of quality jokes I would expect from the audience.
      *slow clap*

  • @BbB-vr9uh
    @BbB-vr9uh Před 2 lety +14

    Definitely speaking to your audience with “use star as a linter” at 6:05

  • @travis1240
    @travis1240 Před 2 lety +18

    When negotiating, don't ever listen if they say they'll consider a promotion after a few months or a year. When that timeframe rolls around they will say "but you've only been here .... "

    • @pedromarques9267
      @pedromarques9267 Před 3 měsíci +2

      I asked them to write in the contract that they give me a better contract in a year. If it's not written, they won't do it

  • @duncan94065
    @duncan94065 Před rokem +15

    I just successfully passed my L6 loop and I used your videos, especially this one, to prepare. Thanks!!

  • @danielliebster3532
    @danielliebster3532 Před rokem +74

    I wish I had seen these 20 years ago :) Thank you for crystallizing concepts that had been nebulous in my mind so succinctly and practically.

  • @jackgiunta5715
    @jackgiunta5715 Před 2 lety +72

    Ex-Amazon SDE2 here, really appreciate you making these videos. Love the stress on the importance of story telling. As an interviewer I can second how much it matters

  • @botenjohn1752
    @botenjohn1752 Před rokem +9

    Wow, lower quality script / video than yours charge like $1000. You are a saint for doing this man. Thank you so much

  • @muhamadmarifatalhanif8345
    @muhamadmarifatalhanif8345 Před 4 měsíci +4

    Had my first entry-level job interview as a junior dev at a local company in my city, and you've been my guide in understanding what helped me secure the job. It led me to the point where my interviewer and I were negotiating my salary. Thanks a lot uncle Steve😆!

  • @kjkang11
    @kjkang11 Před 2 lety +52

    I have only briefly met you once after a meeting some time ago when I was at Amazon. Wish I actually had someone like you around to learn from.
    It is really hard to come by a genuinely good advice in a sea of really bad voices out there. I am so surprised CZcams actually recommended me to a right person.
    I respect that you prioritize your family and your own life, and when you do get a chance I look forward to your next video.

  • @bronsonschnitzel7493
    @bronsonschnitzel7493 Před 2 lety +21

    Ran into this scenario at Amazon. I got hired in a level lower than I should have because of the behavioral portion. My experience well exceeded the level they gave me. I ended up leaving because the promotional path was more political than I cared to deal with and the work I was given was insanely menial with little to no growth.
    Left to go to a company with the level I should have been.

    • @laughingvampire7555
      @laughingvampire7555 Před 27 dny

      yes, these interviewers make too much excuses about why the interview process sucks so bad.

  • @lurnt5763
    @lurnt5763 Před 2 lety +2

    This should be retitled "how to master the behavioral interview." What incredible advice

  • @thegt
    @thegt Před 2 lety +37

    Finally, after so many months

  • @arvindkumar062
    @arvindkumar062 Před 2 lety +2

    Great advice. Truly appreciate the effort you have put in to simulate a real interview question. Delivered beautifully.

  • @jaehoonlee1
    @jaehoonlee1 Před 2 lety +1

    Thanks for sharing and coming back! Appreciate and learning a lot from your video.

  • @FaustoGBG
    @FaustoGBG Před 2 lety +1

    I really appreciate your videos, please keep them coming! There's not enough out there for us more senior engineers.

  • @theophanerupin228
    @theophanerupin228 Před rokem

    This is by far the most helpful tips about how to nail a behavioral interview I’ve gotten so far. Very well done!

  • @karthikreddy4083
    @karthikreddy4083 Před rokem

    This is one of the most helpful videos I’ve seen on this subject, thanks for uploading!

  • @AmanJakkani
    @AmanJakkani Před 2 lety

    my friend showed me this channel, severely underrated advice! thanks so much, i really learned a lot

  • @tr9429
    @tr9429 Před 2 lety +5

    Thank you so much for doing these! I'd love to hear more advice on staff and principal engineering. I find this level to be especially challenging as there is a huge shift towards "leadership without authority", operating without a team, and having much harder time defining your own success.

  • @lokesh00xx
    @lokesh00xx Před 2 lety

    You really have a unique way of narrating stories! It was really helpful. Thank you!

  • @thorsanvil
    @thorsanvil Před 2 lety +10

    Thanks for the vids! Helped cool my nerves down for the interview. Your realistic approach and sensible arguments really helps keep me/the viewer level headed in our approaches. Got the amazon job, if I ever see you, I owe you a beer!

  • @pablomotta___
    @pablomotta___ Před rokem

    Thank you for your time and generosity in sharing such valuable information!

  • @iulo
    @iulo Před rokem +2

    man, this is pure gold.

  • @yanlang6268
    @yanlang6268 Před 2 lety +1

    Hi Meta, super grateful I saw this great video while doing interview prep! I literally followed your U story approach! Thank you so much and hope you create more contents on SDE career path!

  • @poison99x
    @poison99x Před 2 lety +1

    I've waited 9 months to see your next video... and it did not disappoint!

  • @videosforketan
    @videosforketan Před rokem

    For searching over months I reached to the content that helps find the missing pieces of next level. It tells not only what I have to prepare but how also.
    Thank you so much for posting the insightful content.

  • @sagarjoglekar
    @sagarjoglekar Před rokem

    I think this was the best video I have ever seen dissecting behavioural questions for tech roles. I learn't a lot! I am super grateful you made this video!!

  • @Sefran12
    @Sefran12 Před 2 lety +1

    Probably the best channel for those of us who are trying to go from middle to senior and then some more. Thanks!

  • @ItsOkToDaance
    @ItsOkToDaance Před 2 lety +13

    Such an amazing video, as someone currently going through interview processes it's very useful ! I've never heard of the U-shape storytelling framework before, and I love the authenticity of your explanations - Thank you

  • @LongForgottenOne
    @LongForgottenOne Před 8 měsíci

    Next week I have an Amazon interview, your videos have been so insightful, thank you very much.

  • @m00semanus
    @m00semanus Před rokem

    Genuinely impressed with this video. No bullshit content. Straight to the point and a thoughtful response. And the answers are better than the $700 interview prep course I took. Thank you thank you thank you.

  • @salmancloud
    @salmancloud Před 2 lety +29

    OMG... this is your third video that I just watched. I have done a lot of prep for my AWS interview already, but, I feel like you are going to help me put an amazing polish on my answers. I have prepped over 30 stories from my experiences already, but, now after watching your videos, I realize that I seriously need to up-level many of them. Also the U method is brilliant. More examples of the U method would be really awesome. THANK YOU! - AMAZING CONTENT!

  • @bfayer
    @bfayer Před 2 lety +6

    Great point about focusing on villains, similarly- when people decide to spend time describing things they hate it's pretty easy to read into that as a toxic personality trait.

  • @bklynkid8890
    @bklynkid8890 Před 2 lety +11

    Meta, this is seriously one of the best pieces of advice I have ever heard. I often struggled with answering “Tell me a time where X”. I recently used this video’s lessons with amazing success in my last interview loop which landed me a new job. Thanks and well done on the amazing advice and video!

  • @danjuarez79
    @danjuarez79 Před 5 měsíci

    Your "stories" have taught me a bit about how I should tell mine and I thank you for that.

  • @bombaybhai
    @bombaybhai Před rokem

    This is smart , relevant and without any fluff advice. Kudos for the great video!!

  • @pkr619
    @pkr619 Před 3 měsíci

    Probably the most underrated dev focused channel on youtube, each video is a gold mine.

  • @EngMohamedRamadan
    @EngMohamedRamadan Před 2 lety +1

    I'm happy that you are back to make videos again. Your videos are great and had many useful information. I understand that you still don't have a lot of subscribers because it still don't have many videos yet.

  • @user-ci4it4yp9v
    @user-ci4it4yp9v Před 2 lety

    I'm preparing for an Amazon interview and found this video is very useful to me. Thank you!

  • @aravindsarma
    @aravindsarma Před rokem +3

    Each word in this video is an actual gem and I've to watch again and again to internalize all of it. Thanks for taking time to come up with the script.

  • @cocoarecords
    @cocoarecords Před 2 lety

    You are a really great speaker tbh. Enjoyed the no bs video

  • @yoloswaggins2161
    @yoloswaggins2161 Před rokem +1

    I like the way this guy thinks and presents.

  • @junkyardmonkie
    @junkyardmonkie Před 2 lety

    Glad you made another video. It had been a while since the last one.

  • @assadullahshaikh2625
    @assadullahshaikh2625 Před 2 měsíci

    You're the G.O.A.T. I feel so unlucky to have found your channel so late. But equally lucky that I found your channel at the time I needed it the most.

  • @yankunbigcat7925
    @yankunbigcat7925 Před rokem

    Thanks for sharing! This video is so good. Examples are great, and the summary part is extremely helpful.

  • @ishab745
    @ishab745 Před 2 lety

    Missed you! So happy to see a great new video!✨

  • @davidde7620
    @davidde7620 Před rokem +4

    I have often thought that the popular STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Result) method of narrating a story didn't have the same impact I was going for when I would talk about something I have done or accomplished.
    Thanks, A Life Engineered for this great advice. Building a story with the U-Story method and then framing it in the STAR method makes much more sense.

  • @skyisblue3847
    @skyisblue3847 Před 2 lety

    Thank you for taking your time to create this valuable video

  • @davidsun9026
    @davidsun9026 Před 2 lety

    Your video showed up in my CZcams recommendations. I'm not even a developer, but this is great advice/insight. Thank you for sharing

  • @indrajeetnikam5301
    @indrajeetnikam5301 Před rokem

    This content is a gold mine ❤

  • @pedronascimento3491
    @pedronascimento3491 Před 2 lety

    Dude Really Thanks!!! Each video blows up my mind

  • @tarmus6908
    @tarmus6908 Před 2 lety

    This, is, amazing. This channel needs more subs.

  • @ehdyn
    @ehdyn Před 2 lety

    To anyone that comes across this.. it's actually worth your time and attention. Saving this one..

  • @Aya-ms6lv
    @Aya-ms6lv Před 2 lety

    Welcome back! Great video as usual

  • @MagicFrisby
    @MagicFrisby Před 2 lety

    Great video, editing, story telling. Great work, keep it up

  • @snehabandekar9934
    @snehabandekar9934 Před 2 lety

    Thanks for creating this video. This video offered genuine advice that I knew but I guess did not stitch it together. Listening from your experiences helped

  • @KevinNaughtonJr
    @KevinNaughtonJr Před 2 lety

    really awesome video Meta! Thanks for sharing!

  • @dmitry1589
    @dmitry1589 Před měsícem

    Great video with awesome examples! Packed with golden nuggets. I am interviewing and figuring out how to present my experience in a way that it represents my skills properly. This video is better than whole course on leadership I took on one of the learning platforms.

  • @offBeatRock777
    @offBeatRock777 Před 2 lety

    This channel is a treasure trove

  • @adaeinthelife
    @adaeinthelife Před 2 lety +1

    Another hit. Thanks!

  • @Buchan178
    @Buchan178 Před 2 lety

    Thanks a lot Meta … this was so true and I try to give a solution while story telling. But as you said “life is too messy” now I am not trying to provide a perfect solution and my Staff level interviews are going great.

  • @thomasfgooch
    @thomasfgooch Před rokem

    Super appreciative of this video! Thanks so much!

  • @stevefaulkner183
    @stevefaulkner183 Před 2 lety

    Thank you. Even after years as a Staff engineer, this was very helpful to me

  • @BrianMendoza93
    @BrianMendoza93 Před rokem

    Thank you for your advices! The video catches you in an instant!

  • @xingyanglan6836
    @xingyanglan6836 Před rokem +1

    This is phenomenal content. I might not be the intended target audience but your presentation of advice teaches me things that I feel like I can start applying.

  • @mazenkenjrawi158
    @mazenkenjrawi158 Před 8 měsíci

    Amazing! especially the last point!

  • @patrickdee7365
    @patrickdee7365 Před rokem

    Extremely valuable channel, very glad I got here

  • @nigamshahmusic
    @nigamshahmusic Před rokem +10

    Thanks for this video (and the others). I am back to interview prep after getting laid off recently from Meta (aka FB). After 4 years as a senior eng at a big tech company, everything you are saying makes sense... But it is still hard to look at one's own experience with an objective POV, and tell the story in a concise way. My last time around, I prepared all my stories using the STAR method, and I find that I spend too much time telling the facts, and not enough telling the substance -- which is why I am telling this story in the first place. I will try thinking about it with the "U" shape. Thanks!

  • @TamNguyen-eg3pq
    @TamNguyen-eg3pq Před rokem

    This is really great stuff. Thanks for sharing!!!

  • @sti302man
    @sti302man Před 2 lety

    Boy oooh boy!! This was great .

  • @Neonb88
    @Neonb88 Před rokem

    So so so valuable and practical, all coming from real life experience. Even when we compare you to some of the other best Tech CZcamsrs like TechLead, Tina Huang, etc. your advice is so practical, goal-oriented.
    If you started a Patreon or something like that, I'm sure some folks would pay you just from the benefit they got from these videos
    I also liked the cute bit at the end about narratives and struggling with the complexities of life, being trapped in your own perspective, etc. It was nice to know someone else also thinks about these things, but still has optimism and enjoys a great story.

  • @djetton1
    @djetton1 Před rokem

    Such a golden channel!

  • @KoberTheObserver
    @KoberTheObserver Před 2 měsíci +1

    Amazing video! I had some experiences where I can tell a story similar to the example in the video. It is kinda hard to tell a story like that when you are in a interview, specially if you are nervous. However with this video I find it easy to tell a good story with my experience.

  • @hungchau
    @hungchau Před 2 lety

    Gold right here. Thanks Meta.

  • @laofeng_panda
    @laofeng_panda Před 2 dny

    Great content, thanks!

  • @utprem
    @utprem Před rokem +2

    I accepted the Down-Leveled position for my family and location reasons. Believe me it sucks and is frustrating. Thanks for sharing such details useful for others

  • @jessiz-
    @jessiz- Před 2 lety +1

    Thanks, this is really helpful! Also liked how you gave a couple of lengthy and realistic example responses. I'm trying to think about how to format my responses for upcoming interviews, and a "u-shaped" story does sound compelling - I'll keep that in mind

  • @Stella-se1lg
    @Stella-se1lg Před 8 měsíci

    Wow! That’s GREAT😊 I love your content❤

  • @davidkezi6086
    @davidkezi6086 Před 2 lety

    Loved the content, loved the presentation.

  • @frankhu5418
    @frankhu5418 Před 2 lety

    Awesome. Love the concept of the u story and the lint with star.

  • @beepbong
    @beepbong Před rokem

    Great channel, love the humor

  • @vvolfbelorven7084
    @vvolfbelorven7084 Před 2 lety

    I was told at the firm to develop “story telling skills” so I watched this video with purpose
    Thanks for the tips!

  • @quirkyquester
    @quirkyquester Před rokem

    amazing video, thank you so much bro! One of the best video!

  • @AngelAlvarado57
    @AngelAlvarado57 Před rokem

    Thank you Meta for sharing.

  • @jezzikah01
    @jezzikah01 Před 11 měsíci

    Amazing advice. Thank you

  • @bhargavreddy6140
    @bhargavreddy6140 Před 2 lety

    I always look forward to your insights ,unique

  • @jonathanmantello3974
    @jonathanmantello3974 Před rokem

    Wow, amazing video! Thank you!

  • @sirajali3815
    @sirajali3815 Před 2 lety

    You have great advice. Thank you!

  • @derrickagyemang1259
    @derrickagyemang1259 Před rokem

    Great content. Thanks for sharing

  • @miralirazakhan314
    @miralirazakhan314 Před 2 lety

    this is GOLD

  • @ssjcosty
    @ssjcosty Před rokem +1

    Very useful, thanks! I have been downleveled and downright rejected after a few interviews, but there the problem wasn't that I didn't have the skills or the experience, it was that I hadn't really prepared for the interviews (with practised answers etc.).

  • @reynaldoruizflores
    @reynaldoruizflores Před rokem

    Again, thank you. Very useful.

  • @anshumansingh9184
    @anshumansingh9184 Před 2 lety

    Welcome back ❤️

  • @KeenFob
    @KeenFob Před 2 lety

    Meta,
    I was a senior last month. I've been applying for a while and been rejected from a lot of lead positions because I didn't know how to answer the so called culture/values questions. This video was instrumental in turning things around. Prior to my interview, I assembled a list of stories to address various experience expectations. I've just accepted a lead role thanks in no small part to the mindset you've described here. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

    • @ssjcosty
      @ssjcosty Před rokem

      I'm currently in the same position as you were. I've been a Senior then Software Architect, and I am currently going for Lead roles, but I'm struggling to answer behavioural and management questions, and on occasion I even struggle on coding and system design tests, due to not enough interview prep.

  • @TheodoreRavindranath
    @TheodoreRavindranath Před rokem

    Amazing.. real eye opener!

  • @augustineumeagudosi5540

    Thank you so much for this insight

  • @buntekuhmachtmuh4505
    @buntekuhmachtmuh4505 Před rokem

    I love your channel. Thank you alot :D

  • @sandrallancherosg
    @sandrallancherosg Před rokem

    Wow! Awesome video!

  • @subbunat4273
    @subbunat4273 Před rokem

    This is great advice, thanks

  • @billourou4443
    @billourou4443 Před rokem

    Excellent. Thank you for you made this video. It’s really help me to a job interview.