Accepted a MSFT offer this week, expect to start soon, maybe Feb. Offer is for Data/Applied Scientist II, I think it's L62.
I read that MSFT is the country club, yet they have layoffs on a 'rolling basis' because they reorg everyday.
How does one avoid getting laid off at MSFT?
Perform well? Is getting target bonus enough do should I aim to get 150-200% bonus?
Play politics? I'm not good at that. Any advice is appreciated.
Move into MSFT teams that area growth areas and cash cow like Azure?
Future TC is $170k. PhD+2yrs.
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Even though things are changing, managers still have way too much power at MS
In Amazon they mostly have free hand. And so in Facebook as I heard on blind.
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Layoffs happen when corporations predict running low on cashflow and want to balance that out by reducing payroll. I remember Microsoft did a massive layoff (about 15%) in 2009 for example. Cashflow issues are caused by macro debt tightening that cascades across industries; it has not much to do with company performance. So you have to look at debt cycles to predict these; if the Fed keeps hiking interest rates, people predict such a bubble bursting even in the 2019-2020 timeline but nobody can predict such things accurately.
The "rolling reorg" that you speak of is not related to layoffs. Microsoft used to use an arcane "Stack Ranking" performance evaluation criteria (made up by GM CEO Jack Welch) to "cut the fat" periodically. The flaws of this framework are much debated already; it creates internal favoritism and popularity contests; terrible things in a merit-based environment full of introverts. Facebook today exercises this kind of Stack Ranking because it learned it from the old Microsoft and it grew too fast to find a more humane way. I have read that Satya to his credit has got rid of this framework and instead put other measures in place. I'm ignorant of what they are as I've been out of Microsoft for quite a few years. When I left, I had an indifferent feeling towards the company. But having experienced a broad set of companies in the last few years, I can say with some confidence that since Satya came on, Microsoft is making a come-back in terms of making it evident to current or prospective engineers that it wants to be a good place to be employed. Even though I swore off working for giants, I've come to think that I may consider them again.
Finally, to answer your question as an experienced engineer more directly: Change comes without knocking no matter how little or how much you worry about it coming. If you decide to enjoy your life it has the same likelihood of coming as if you tense up everyday and go to work with anxiety feeling like that's preparation. So if you were my close friend, I would say go to a book store and buy a copy of the book "The subtle art of not giving a f*ck". Enjoy your time while you're at MS. Don't count on it being forever. Don't try hard to get a promotion, but if it's easy-pickings to get one, get it. Learn, learn, learn. Then go some place else and do it again. That's life: a few short but sweet chapters.
Take care of yourself and be proud of your achievements.
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