How to write a TechTalk application that lands
8 min readWe read every application. Here's exactly what stands out and what doesn't — written by the people doing the reading.
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Free guides for students.
Whether you've applied to TechTalk yet or not, these guides are written for you. Honest, practical, and informed by what we see across thousands of students.
Apply to TechTalkYour first 30 days: setting up like an engineer
12 min readFrom terminal config to dotfiles to that one VS Code extension that will save you weeks. The opinionated setup we wish we'd had.
How to read a codebase you didn't write
10 min readThe most underrated engineering skill, broken into a repeatable process. Use this on your first day in any new job.
Code review: how to give and receive feedback well
9 min readThe unspoken rules of PR culture. How to leave reviews that don't sting, and how to hear ones that do.
Debugging: the systematic version
11 min readHow to debug like a senior engineer — binary search, hypothesis testing, and the question 'what changed?' before everything else.
Your first technical interview
15 min readWhat to expect at the kind of companies TechTalk partners with. Hint: it's mostly conversation, not algorithms.
Salary negotiation for first-time engineers
7 min readAnchoring, alternatives, and the surprising leverage you have even as a junior.
How to think about your career in years one and two
10 min readSpecialise or generalise? Stay or move? The trade-offs nobody told you about as a graduate.
For lecturers and student societies
Many of our guides are reused in CS societies and bootcamps across South Africa. Feel free to reproduce them with attribution to TechTalk and a link back. If you'd like a custom workshop or a guest session for your society, email education@techtalk.fun.
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Is there a topic you wish someone had written honestly about for you? Tell us at hello@techtalk.fun — we publish based on what students actually ask about, not what we think sounds good in marketing copy.