Hi blinders, do you also feel like the Microsoft culture has changed very drastically lately ? I've talked with lots of people about Microsoft before joining and most of them told me that it has the best WLB, but when I got here is hell on earth
Microsoft WLB and culture has always been SUPER dependant on which org you're in. (source: was there for 5y, two different orgs)
Will you believe me if I say it's the same in Amazon as well.
For sure, it's true to some extent everywhere! That said, if I compare with other big tech I've been at (Google, FB and Netflix), Microsoft had the most variance out of those, different orgs felt like different companies all together.
Which org/team did you join?
Oh come on dude. Don’t be so dumb. It’s a huge company and wlb is going to differ a lot. Seriously stop generalizing the whole company.
WLB is great only in orgs that are slowing dying (eg Windows, Office, Visual Studios). Usually older folks who already know ins and outs would enjoy it. The new comers could actually get fired in such orgs (know several folks who got fired there).
what are the ins and outs to cruise?
Usual stuff - understand the code base, know what feature would get you a good review, what not to work on, who is PM that knows well, etc. This is something you learn in any new orgs within a year or so but takes 5+ years (if you survive) in an older org where people don’t document nor share the knowledge and knowing this history of the code/features is critical.
I think sometimes WLB is a function of how well you know the ins and outs of your role. For example, my WLB is relatively better (and continues to get better even with a promotion) than it was 2 years ago when I just joined and the onboarding process was a mess. This is because I understand the job better and can connect dots faster now. If your WLB issues is actually because your team is overworked, then that's a different case.
It's impossible to generalize for a company as large and diverse as Microsoft. I've been at Microsoft for 11 years, worked in several different orgs, and my WLB has mainly been good. Some orgs it's bad. Some orgs it's good. Some in between. "Hell on earth" — it sounds like you might be in Azure.
It also seems to be dependent on where your manager is from. Old school Microsoft or other old big tech (SAP & IBM, for example) managers typically have the best WLB. The worst are typically managed by ex-Amazon or ex-consulting people.