I have been struggling to find an answer for this question. Hopefully the community is able to guide me through this. How should an engineer solve this problem? I'm familiar with cases were Google (especially) gives an offer, that is comparatively of a lower level than the candidate's experience. - Why shouldn't an engineer take up a lower level offer (even though the pay is better)? - Is vertical transition (getting promoted internally) very difficult in FAANG? So it is better to wait and join at the suitable grade level, than to join early and become unable to meet the expectations. TC: 20L (India)
Really good question, I've seen a previous cto of a small successful business with 25 yoe, joining FAANG as software engineer, in terms of self-esteem, for me personally an SE position at Faang is more prestigious than a c-level at a small business?
And probably pays more
Wow!! I didn't perceive it this way. Thanks
Always, figure out what you're optimizing for. Title/level doesn't pay the bills or set you up for your financial goals most times (unless you're leveraging them outside of work). Cash does. I've seen many people unwilling to take a title drop even if scope and pay are likely going to be more. People work hard for their titles and see it as prestige, a marker of progress in their career. Stepping back in title is unacceptable to them. Knew a guy that wouldn't take less than Director title even though he was only at a major furniture company lol. Would not even consider manager title at FAANG. If titles are what a person measures their self worth and identity as, they won't consider a "lower" level/title.
Thanks for the response. Sorry for my stupidity, I am finding it hard to understand the first sentence - figure out what you are optimizing for in what context? Long term goals or just challenges presented in the current role?
Long term, what you are optimizing for in life. What you want out of life and how does a new job factor into it. Examples If money, titles and scope doesn't matter. Whatever pays more and is sustainable wins. If interesting work, titles don't matter, but scope does. If prestige, titles may be the only thing that matters. You have to be honest with what's important to you.
I took a drop in TC ($900k->$600k) and lvl (L7.8->L6) coming to Google. I’m sure ppl here (that are presumably less successful) will say this is crazy, but it’s not. The point about thinking about what you are optimizing for is important, I am optimizing for long-term happiness, which translates into flexibility where I have opportunities to do what I want and the skills to succeed at those things. The flexibility also means if I care more about TC or lvl later, it’ll be easy to bump those up, and honestly they will both go up anyway.
Wow!! $300K is a considerable dip. May I know your experience?
This is the truth. I literally took a similar % hit the past few years. Yet, my WLB is so much better, I've had time to focus on things I've wanted to learn and do. If you have a solid value proposition it's quite easy to bump it back up, but personally my goal is to get down to a 50 hour work week by 2022, and a company that is comfortable with that.
If they downleveled you, and it's still a pay raise for you, you may not be where you think you're at for your years of experience. Take the risk that you can promote up, or stay where you're at and take the risk that you can nail an interview somewhere else, and that the half dozen people who met/talked to you just don't know what they're talking about
It’s about your self-esteem
Can you please help elaborate?
It’s about the time it takes to promo in contrast to the quality you possess at the level u want. If it takes 2 years to promo if u take in as lower level but u know u deserve and are qualified for the higher level. Title vs pay can sometimes test your level of self-esteem