Asking for a raise with competing offers

Microsoft / Product
Imvl80

Go to company page Microsoft Product

Imvl80
Dec 17, 2021 36 Comments

I have two offers from:

Uber
Twitch

I don’t want to leave my current role because I like my job and i’m also 20-30% in my visa/gc process at Microsoft. For those that know about the process, my PD is current. My competing offers show that i’m being paid really crappy here. I want to “vwmf” but if I knew what to do, i wouldn’t ask here.

Is there a way to talk to my manager about my payscale without screwing myself? I really don’t want to move but i also want a raise. Is this the classical “you can’t have both” answer?
By Both, I mean: being a visa slave and having higher TC without moving.

Current MS TC: 150ish
New TC: 245ish
Yoe: 1.5

GC process will take another 1.5 years

Blind, please advise on the manager part. Do i bring it up? Yes/No?

#tech #microsoft #product #help #raise

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TOP 36 Comments
  • Get ready to leave if they say No. Don’t worry about GC, as you said 1.5 YOE assuming you still have enough time to file GC. Just make sure Uber/Twitch whatever you choose starts the PERM process asap.
    Dec 17, 2021 3
  • Amazon
    batattan

    Go to company page Amazon

    batattan
    It's not going to help. 245k is way put of band (assuming L59/L60). The best you'll get, if you have a nice manager, is a promise to help push for a promotion soon ... Which still wouldn't hit 245k anyway
    Dec 17, 2021 4
    • Amazon
      batattan

      Go to company page Amazon

      batattan
      At Amazon, I'd only discuss external offers if I have a high level of trust with my manager. I'd be afraid of ending up as a URA target.

      I know Microsoft is different, but consider what are the downsides of your manager thinking you're a flight risk?
      If you don't have a great manager, maybe you'd be heavily deprioritized for yearly rewards/bonuses?
      Dec 17, 2021
    • Microsoft / Product
      Imvl80

      Go to company page Microsoft Product

      Imvl80
      OP
      I really trust my manager, but i think he’d be like:

      “listen, i want to keep you, i’ll put you up for a promo and you can maybe get 160 instead of 150, but not 245. If i were you, i’d take the 245.”

      At which point, i’m fucked and what do i even do? Lol. If i stay, its embarrassing.
      Dec 17, 2021
  • Google
    verypotato

    Go to company page Google

    verypotato
    I'm pretty sure if you want to get a raise this way you need to be able to really leave if they say no.
    Dec 17, 2021 2
    • Microsoft / Product
      Imvl80

      Go to company page Microsoft Product

      Imvl80
      OP
      What would you recommend then? Only way I can ask my manager is if i’m ready to leave and i’m not. I want to prioritize my gc. In this case, do i cough up the extra 95k per year for the next 1.5 years as “GC opportunity cost”?
      Dec 17, 2021
    • Google
      verypotato

      Go to company page Google

      verypotato
      I don't know how switching teams in Microsoft works, but that is another possible idea.
      If switching teams is trivial as it is in Google, find some internal teams that want you, get offers externally, AND THEN you can tell your manager you want to leave.
      If he says no to more money you can at least fallback to switching teams without a payrise, I hope.
      Dec 17, 2021
  • Microsoft / Eng
    Chasing💸

    Go to company page Microsoft Eng

    Chasing💸
    That compensation level at Microsoft is top of senior band, even lower band of principal, so imposible if you’re < L63. If you are dead-set on getting the GC asap, then you are stuck with Microsoft’s shitty TC…

    Best you can hope for is a fast track into a promotion, with a good bonus and/or an SSA/SCA, and that’s all under the mercy of your manager.

    However, I would advice against staying at Microsoft just for the GC for multiple reasons, and assuming getting the GC will take you more than 1 year:

    1) It’s harder to switch the longer you wait.

    2) the Microsoft stack is not popular outside of MSFT and you’ll have an easier time adapting the sooner you gtfo.

    3) the added time on restarting the GC process is probably 6-12 months, at which I would much rather spend earning way more then the current rate, because it’s not just the $ difference, but investment (with the caveat that next stock is still blue chip?)
    Dec 17, 2021 3
    • Microsoft / Eng
      Chasing💸

      Go to company page Microsoft Eng

      Chasing💸
      Sorry I missed the fact that you were a PM. In that case yeah, 1 and 2 are points in favor. 3) might become a function of where you see the other company’s stock land.

      I think all that considered then you’d be best biting the bullet and staying with a lower pay… potentially try to work out a fast track plan with your manager but I wouldn’t hold my breath thinking they will budge only because you have other offers.
      Dec 17, 2021
    • Microsoft / Product
      Imvl80

      Go to company page Microsoft Product

      Imvl80
      OP
      Thank you very much for your advice. I appreciate it!
      Dec 17, 2021
  • Walmart / Product
    waImart

    Go to company page Walmart Product

    PRE
    Jet
    waImart
    If I had any advice to offer, I would but I don’t have the experience to provide anything insightful- sorry.

    I am curious though what your title is at Microsoft/Uber/Twitch with that TC. Are you a Senior Product Manager and the competing offers are also SPM roles?
    Dec 17, 2021 2
    • Microsoft / Product
      Imvl80

      Go to company page Microsoft Product

      Imvl80
      OP
      I am a PM2 at MS. I was an internal switch from another role, and I graduated in covid so I barely got any stock.
      My current tc has very little stock. Most of it is Base + bonus.
      New TC is base + bonus + stocks.

      I have a bachelors and total 1.5 yoe
      Dec 17, 2021
    • Workday
      ubettrWORK

      Go to company page Workday

      ubettrWORK
      Your salary for 1.5YOE is incredible. The competing offer is unbelievable. Either way you are doing great.
      Jan 13