August 16, 2022 Smashing Newsletter: Issue #366
This newsletter issue was sent out to 208,615 subscribers on Tuesday, August 16, 2022.
Editorial
Producing great work requires enthusiasm. We need to feel valued and motivated, and we need to feel that we are contributing to something impactful, something that’s larger than a sum of individual pieces. This requires a great company culture, fair and transparent compensation, and a team that is inclusive, respectful and kind.
In this issue, we look into some of these things that help us grow and stay motivated in our career. We’ll dive into job interviews and salary negotiations and the company culture that makes it all worth it.
Ah, and we sincerely hope to meet you in person at SmashingConf Freiburg and New York City in just a few weeks. Have a peaceful and less stressful week, everyone!
— Vitaly (@vitalyf)
1. Behind The Scences of Tech Companies
What’s going on behind a company’s closed doors? How do employees feel about their company’s culture and management? Blind offers a safe space where professionals can communicate anonymously with co-workers and colleagues from the industry. About layoffs and job openings, issues with HR, raises and bonuses, and company culture — without the fear of reprisals.
The mission behind Blind is to break down professional barriers towards more transparency, empowering informed decisions and inspiring positive change in the workplace. More than 5 million verified professionals openly share what’s going on in companies, and the experiences they had. To join, you need to sign up with your work email. Blind promises that all email addresses are hashed, salted, and then encrypted to guarantee anonymity.
If you plan to apply for a job, Glassdoor offers a valuable behind the scenes look at different companies. The site lets you search for company reviews, job openings, salary information, and interview questions. Great resources to do your due diligence before that job interview.(cm)
2. Prepare For Your Next Job Interview
What are you looking for in your next job? Please tell me about some of your strengths. Tell me about a time you made a mistake. How did you communicate this mistake? Job interview questions like these probably make most of us quite nervous. To help you get more confident and comfortable with the interview process, Grow with Google released Interview Warmup, a judgment-free zone where you can practice key interview questions.
While Interview Warmup is aimed at professionals of all backgrounds, Yangshun Tay created a resource aimed specifically at front-end engineers. The Front End Interview Handbook covers everything you need to know for your next front-end interview: trivia-style questions, various types of coding questions, system design questions, as well as tips for behavioral interviews, and, last but not least, real interview questions from tech companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft.
Emma Bostian’s eBook De-Coding the Technical Interview Process is also jam-packed with practical tips and resources for nailing your next technical interview. (cm)
3. Ask-Me-Anything With Yiying Lu
We love sharing personal experiences here at Smashing, and we were happy to invite Yiying Lu to join us live tomorrow, August 17, 8–9 am PT (check your timezone). Yiying will share her stories and experiences working with teams worldwide to get the most out of every situation.
Previous Issues
- UX Research
- Web Forms
- UX Writing
- New Front-End Techniques
- Useful Front-End Techniques
- Design & UX Gems
- New Front-End Adventures In 2025
- Inclusive Design and Neurodiversity
- UX Kits, Tools & Methods
- How To Measure UX
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