I interviewed for SDE role, but the hiring manager is recommending for SDET role because I have 4 yrs dev (most recent) with 6yrs of QA experience. The hiring manager is suggesting that I join Amazon as SDET but will be working on SDE assignment for the first 3-4 months, If I meet his expectations then he will promote me to SDE role officially. I worked really hard to switch from QA to Dev role at my current company and I really love my job. I am confident that I can not only meet but exceed their expectations, but just a little nervous about this cases. How should I go about this situation? They are offering 245k TC (base 165k + 125k bonus + 98 rsu) which is quite good and the HR said its at the high end of the pay scale. Is it worth the risk? I need to decide in a day or two. Please suggest. Thanks in advance. UPDATE: I have decided to take the offer. Thank you all for your invaluable advise. Really appreciate it.
TC is good but QA isn't worth it
SDET is quite different from QA. Hiring manager specially emphasized that...its a full on coding job and not explicitly testing, but more with developing test frameworks etc. and based on my own online research and feedback from some of my amazonian friends the manager is not lying :)
Sde-T is more chill :) and the comp is excellent for the pressure.
No. Usually these assurances doesnot do any good. Join as sde and say you won’t mind helping the team with tests if need arises.
I’ll join for the comp sake only. May be negotiate on comp saying you can consider if they can either change role or bump base.
Breakdown of offer please. As for your question, DO NOT DO IT. I've had this experience in the past. Once you're an employee and they give you QA work you won't be able to say no because one little task become a bigger task then becomes a project then another projects and before you know it you're the go to QA guy. If I were you I'd decline unless they hire as Dev or interview elsewhere.
updated post
I'll ask to do reverse, hire as dev and go QA if you dont meet expectations
I did propose that, but he did not budge.
Salary is great. But you will be QA. If you don't mind being a QA with that salary, go for it. If you don't want to be QA and have worked so hard to come out of it, then think twice. Don't bet on converting to SDE at later point. That is less likely to happen.
Brother, I feel you. I did something like this when I was fresher and spent close to 6 years in QA though my heart was in Development. Developer from last 3 years. Decline the offer, you can always get good offer from other company, Its not end of the world.
Don’t go for it. If things don’t turn out well, u will be stuck in a QA role. I am sure people will be there who will value the SDE in you n hire u directly as an SDE. Don’t mess up with your career
Do not go for it. Hiring managers try to oversell that bullshit because nobody wants to.take it. It would be a very bad decision for your long term career growth.
Go for it