what to expect in nyc
I am looking to relocate to NYC area. I have 13 years of development experience. I have been doing independent consulting for more than half of those years because the pay is much better and you can move around a lot and do different things. Leading teams/projects, architecture work, dev ops, front end, back end, lots of languages/tech (mostly jvm languages and javascript and their frameworks) Always at fortune 500’s you’ve heard of but never a “FAANG” type employer. I seem to interview pretty well, but it is different as a consultant/contractor. Where do I start? What can I expect as far a compensation? I am in a MCOL area and clear ~$225k from my billings which is very good in my opinion, but I would want way more in NYC if i can get it!
I’m not sure what you mean by me not being in touch. I guess I know there are higher salaries but I don’t live there so I guess that’s a way of being out of touch. I’m just curious what next steps would be. I probably haven’t been doing the kind of work that lends well to intense computer science / lower level algorithm type interview questions. Do I need to start my remedial work now?
Perhaps an additional concern is how difficult it is to get in without having previous experience with “true” tech companies. Am I at a massive disadvantage here?
Not a big disadvantage if you have worked on distributed systems in general
Yes. In my opinion, you can aim for L5/L6 openings at FAANG. Check levels.fyi for compensation levels . Most of the interview preparation will need to focus on Leetcode and system design
Would it be wise to get an outside recruiter?
Referrals would work the best
Most tech companies don't work with 3rd party recruiters
NYC is full of finance and fortune 500 companies, less tech only shops than the bay. Many people have that kind of experience here so it wouldn't be weird. The market is hot right now, good luck!
Times have changed and looks like you have not been in touch. A FAANG employer easily pays ~350-400++ for your level of experience. True for Bay Area, NYC, Seattle. Plus perks like insurance paid off, food etc etc