Compensation is the biggest pro. Also, unlike other hire to fire companies (most tech companies at this point in 2024), you at least have a chance to prove yourself and are given a couple months to onboard. There are worse tech companies out there such as Amazon and Intuit, but Meta’s culture is still quite terrible. They try and justify the long hours and stress with how much you can make - Meta still pays more than any other major tech company, even in 2024, which is definitely a pro, but the culture is cutthroat and you can’t trust anyone. It would probably be easier to work two remote jobs at “less prestigious” tech or tech adjacent companies to make the same amount at Meta with more stability, better WLB, and less drama.
Pretty much the same as what one would experience at most tech companies in 2024. But some aspects are better or worse than others. Long hours. WLB is highly team dependent. Apparently Meta used to be a lot better in this regard, but now not so much. It is intense, but if you have startup experience, it is at least less intense than that. And again, it is more fair than a place like Amazon. Office politics are a thing at all tech companies, but a little more extreme at Meta. Blame and shame culture is big. People are snakes and are prepared to throw even the newest and most vulnerable employees under the bus to save their own skins. This makes things quite unfair, but as long as you’re proactive and document everything thoroughly, you’re at least given a chance to refute these attacks. A lot of gossip and backstabbing. This is separate from and still related to PSC culture, which everyone complains about. Management is terrible overall. Sometimes there is micromanagement. One of the few companies where it’s possible you’ll have a manager younger than you, even if you’re only 27-31ish. Often ICs seem to be held accountable for things that are way beyond their day-to-day scope - basically things that are ultimately the fault of leadership and management. Management frequently tries to pin things on their employees. Your manager is often trying to screw you, and if they can’t find a way, they are often trying to invent things you did wrong. This isn’t a dealbreaker because as long as you’re doing your job, it is easy to refute, but it creates a ton of work because you have to be extremely well-organized and have documented every interaction with your manager colleagues. I recommend studying employment law / consulting with an employment lawyer early on in your tenure at Meta, so you know what to look for. Because it is a massive tech company, you are there to please your manager and make them look good, so you need to do pretty much whatever they say. there’s a lot of internal conflict because it’s very authoritarian, also fairly draconian, and it’s bottoms up at the same time, every man for themselves. Do everything your manager says and it is somehow still all up to you as an individual employee to make the company successful. To top it all off, your colleagues suck too. People brag about work that YOU did as being THEIR work that THEY did if it is successful. If a project involving multiple people is so much as an hour late, then YOU are blamed, even if you had nothing to do with the lateness. The lateness itself isn’t really the problem because guess what? It’s not anything is broken. Except for when things do break and the whole app crashes for a day because everyone is forced to focus on office politics instead of their actual work. it’s not really about the value you create, so much as it is the PERCEIVED value you create and whether or not your manager likes you. Ergo, a lot of bootlicking charlatans make it to the top.
We know that Instagram runs on Django as its main server. How easy or hard is it to run and maintain this architecture ? context : I hear a lot of Java or C++ for most architectures. And I get it - languages like C++ can be used to yield the best performance possible for a given hardware. But In th...Read more
Like if I have lots of experience with other languages like Ruby, would they not even bother with me?
I got an offer for FB/Meta, and I love working in python and heard that instagram backend is all in python, I just wanted to know if this is is still true? I know it started in python but maybe meta decided to modify it? Also as an aside how is the wlb at instagram teams, is it as bad as regular fb...Read more
I have worked on Python at Instagram and I noticed a lot of HFT firms have Python roles but I don’t have any math background What does life look like for Python devs at HFT firms? If a Python dev does not have stats background are there still roles? TC: 255k
Is Instagram still spinning up new backend services in Python? Or are you all slowly moving away from Python? TC: $125k 📉🔥
Folks at #meta , what programming language was used to build the web layer of Threads? Hack (like FB), Python (like IG), something else?
I am a PM who is bored in their life, so learned the basics of python and built this layoff insta page, where I auto-post when the dark clouds arrive / a layoff occurs. Please follow https://www.instagram.com/layoffalert/ and let me know your thoughts? Why am I obsessed with the bleak? TC: 240...Read more
hi all, I'm considering joining Instagram growth team. as I like that they use Python for backend services. it might be easier for me, a 10 year Java backend engineer, to pick up fast. any FB Instagram folks know about this team? how's the work-life balance? the on-calls? and performance reviews? ...Read more
For example Instagram runs on Django. I have to say my forte is Python. I’m ok in old school C but that’s about it. I’m a SWE and usually they also expect either Java or C++. Am I forced to learn one of those or can I get by with my excellent Python skills? YOE 6 TC 130k Midwest
https://engineering.instagram.com/dismissing-python-garbage-collection-at-instagram-4dca40b29172 they disabled GC (via horrible hacks in Python) to slightly increase performance, then when process is out of memory it just crashes and they spin up a new one... maybe I am too old or don't know Pyth...Read more
Does a partially statically typed language work in practice? Are FBers happy with Hack? How much PHP is there running around vs Hack code? I know Instagram is primarily Python - how about other products? Do they have different stacks?
Hi, I'm a micro influencer on IG and was wondering if anyone else has found a way to automate liking posts based on hashtag recently? Used to use the IG api to create a python bot. Got me high engagement and more followers, but ever since it's been restricted my engagement has gone down. Trying to ...Read more
Are there any examples of big companies (not just FAANG) preferring Python or higher-level languages over Go/Java for increased productivity? I know that PayPal switched from Java to Node a few years back and achieved some large gains in productivity. Youtube and Insta are still on Python. Can any...Read more
I just got laid off and it felt so out of the blue. Thankfully I’m a citizen because just found out my coworker who’s on Visa has 60 days to look for a job and it’s tough to hear that. I’m emerging full stack. Lots of React/Redux experience, GraphQL, Python, SQL, and so on. Any referrals for mid l...Read more
Want to do ML or work on IG backend if it's still Python. Anything I should brush up on before I begin? Do I need to know C++ for ML stuff? Exactly how bad is the WLB at Reels/Ads/Growth right now? TC: 190+50 sign on YOE: 0
Hello, I recently got a fb new grad offer and I am strongly considering it; a big pro for working at fb for me would be that I can work on python backend teams since I enjoy working in python. I know that there is a bootcamp process in which you get to choose your team, and I wanted to know if it wa...Read more
Wasn’t planning on applying to meta but going to give it a shot for shits and giggles. Is there a high likelyhood that Id be writing in php if I got an offer? How easy is it to get match on the instagram side and use python/Django?
hi all, I'm a facebook bootcamper, who just started team selection. I received reachouts from teams in: Instagram, Ads business platform, Growth Integrity, Infrastructure R&D, feed and stories. Most of the teams would need Python, PHP or C++ skills, as a 10-year Java backend developer, I'll need t...Read more
I have two team matches: Team 1: - Org: Metaverse (Horizons World) - Team is distributed (I am in person) - Manager and other teammates still being hired - Impact: Fairly high, seems important to the org, would save money & improve experience - Tech: C++, IOS, Game engine related. I'm very intereste...Read more