As the posts suggests. Recently started looking to leave public sector, (Federal Government), and have been targeting usual suspects. Looking mostly @ non-SDE types roles, i.e. TPM, Prod Mgr, and other relevant business side roles. Anyone make the leap? How has it gone? Currently YOE: 12 TC: 150k + typical gov perks (lots of time off, pension etc...)
This is the lowest TC by blind standards!
150k salary for 12 YOE isnāt that bad. Private sector TC especially tech is always inflated by stocks and bonuses. If he gets into FAANG, he could make 250k TC with stocks and bonuses easily with no salary bump. For 12 years, I expect closer to 350 TC with salary bump.
and this is what is prompting the interest to move... while I realize this is the lowest TC by blind standards, it is pretty much top of the mark for Federal government. Iām in the DC metro, reached the highest pay grade in 5 years, and am now literally only going to get raises due to length of service. Clearly people donāt do pub sec work to get rich, and Iāve been fortunate to work on both interesting and impactful programs, however, there is a long road ahead before punching the retirement ticket. Given this reality, I thought I better make this move now, before I age out. (Currently mid 30s)
Honestly the cultures are so drastically different that I wouldnāt even recommend. I would look at joining a contractor first, thatāll give you a step in the direction you want to go, increase your TC, and you wonāt be starting from square 1 like you would if you went to FANG. I would recommend looking at contractors that do both fed and commercial such as Boeing, Fire Eye, Cisco, etc
Would love to get a bit more insight into this... Would tech focused companies that are non FANG be a better fit? Realizing FANG seems a bit fluid here. I do know Amazon and Microsoft are heavy in pub sec support, though realize many here donāt consider them Tier 1 organizations...
With 12 YOE, switch to FAANG only if you like free food, free alcohol, hanging out with annoying 20 somethings and always being connected (read: working) even on holidays.
You need to assess a few things before making this decision. --> Can you work for profit? I imagine your role in the government is not profit driven and oriented towards public good? Can you leave that environment (where you spent 12 years) and work in a corporate role where decisions are dictated mostly by profit? --> Would it be possible to go back to your federal role if you are not satisfied with FAANG? --> Are you confident that joining a FAANG will improve your life in a tangible way? Sure, TC will increase at a FAANG but it often comes at the cost of work/life balance, especially for product and management roles. --> How does job security at your current role compare with that at a FAANG role? I would imagine federal jobs are fairly stable and more secure than industrial roles.
Thank you for the prompts, these questions are definitely things Iāve thought through a bit. You are correct that government is non-profit and the greater good aspect can be found in certain roles. That said, the bureaucracy is soul crushing and ultimately I get up everyday to work on challenging issues with smart people. If profit is the driver and those two things remain Iām hopeful that I can adapt. Barring the collapse of the republic, fed jobs will remain. Regarding my current role even at the glacial pace of federal hiring it would likely be filled before I would honestly throw in the towel. Fully expect the biggest differentiator to be TC. Currently plug in about 50hrs p/wk office time, and another 10hrs of email work a week. From what I gather that is consistent with a good number, albeit not all roles in FANG. Job security is the hook. Poor performance removal happens in the government but the bar is so low, itās almost unheard of. Down sizing and the like is similarly nonexistent. Realize this is a much more real prospect within industry.
That's right, poor performance removals can be brutal in FAANG (especially Amazon and Netflix) and you will be on edge most of the time. If you have dependents, that's something you definitely have to take into account. Since you are interested in product roles, it's good to know that wlb for these roles is especially messed up as these roles are directly customer facing and you don't want to disappoint. The worst among FAANG in this regard I think is Apple. Regarding culture, it can be hard to adjust to a corporate, for-profit environment coming from a government org. My suggestion would be to make friends with someone at these companies and get to know how the private world works. Or as someone suggested here, try being a contractor and see if you like that, and go from there.
OP are you me? VERY similar situation, except I'm on the contractor side. I will say this from my own personal recent experience. If you are looking to stay in DC Metro, this will be an uphill battle; simply based on numbers. Even though we do have offices here for FB, Amazon, Google, Uber, Lyft, Salesforce, Microsoft; we don't have many of the other "hot" companies (Netflix, LinkedIn, AirBnb, Pinterest, etc). Even the offices/divisions that are here, are small in comparison to The Bay or NYC. Needless to say I'm still on the hunt. If you are cleared (which I assume you are based on your experience description), I would for sure be looking to look at the contractor side. They are all DESPERATE for already cleared individuals. Good luck!
Shot in the Dark: Did you ever make the switch?
found this while searching faang vs fed. what was the outcome?
I'm also curious if you made the switch?
You have a quality life. Why do you want to go crazy now ? Enjoy your life, take lots of vacations , have fun with your family. Seriously man !
Quality of life is the lone point of concern. Current role offers a ton of it, that said, not all fed jobs are that way. Know the theme would suggest otherwise but at the upper end of the pay scale it does often come with its share of BS. Last job was a $hit$how. 60 hr week norms, weekends etc... no extra money either...