docs(contrib): Suggest atomic commits with separate test commits

This came up in a discussion with @torhovland.
I'm unsure what the right weight is to put behind these suggestions
- I don't want a lack of git history editing experience to get in the
  way of someone contributing
- If people do anything, I'd like to see the tests split out

src/doc/contrib/src/process/working-on-cargo.md

@@ -124,6 +124,21 @@ typically finish in under 30 minutes.
 The reviewer might point out changes deemed necessary. Large or tricky changes
 may require several passes of review and changes.
 
+> **tip:** Prefer atomic commits where each commit is a single, complete, and coherent unit of work.
+> For example, if your feature work leads to renaming a module, make the rename its own commit.
+> However, adding an internal function that is unused is not complete of coherent.
+>
+> As part of your atomic commits, prefer adding tests as their own commit *before* any functionality changes.
+> The tests should pass, showing the existing behavior.
+> As functionality changes, the tests should be updated to pass.
+> This makes it easier for reviewers and community members to understand the
+> precise details of the side effects of your change and gives you confidence
+> that your tests are verifying the right behavior.
+>
+> Examples:
+> - [#13910: fix: remove symlink dir on Windows](https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/pull/13910)
+> - [#14006: fix(add): Avoid escaping double-quotes by using string literals](https://github.com/rust-lang/cargo/pull/14006)
+
 ### Status labeling
 
 PRs will get marked with [labels] like [`S-waiting-on-review`] or [`S-waiting-on-author`] to indicate their status.