Bored L4, $355K Google -> E5, $440K FB?
To get it out of the way, yes, I acknowledge the privilege of even having this option, and no, this is not a brag. I'm asking here because I don't really have mentors I can trust with this kind of stuff. I appreciate your candid advice.
YoE: 8.5. Time at Google: 1.5 years, L4. TC: $355K.
FB E5 offer, (post negotiation): TC: $415k yearly + $100K sign on ($440 / yr amortizing sign on over 4 years)
Stay at Google, pros:
- I'm getting paid a lot with low performance expectations (yay negotiation + stock appreciation + refreshers!)
- Have great reputation within low stress team. Work life balance is amazing.
- Have clear path to L5 promotion by end of next year while pretty much coasting.
Stay at Google, cons:
- I don't feel challenged, nor like I'm learning at work. Bit bored TBH. Am I too young to stagnate?
- Likely have to wait until end of next year to start accruing tenure to L6 promo.
- Running some numbers, even if I get promo'ed to L5 at end of next year, I wouldn't catch up to what FB is offering me TC-wise until I make L6 (refreshers lag promo by a year, by the time the L5 refreshers "take over", my appreciated initial grant that's fueling my high comp will have depleted)
Switch to Facebook, pros:
- Immediate TC increase, plus E5 refreshers starting in 2022 (vs L5 refreshers starting in 2023 at Google)
- Continue learning and growing skill-set wise, more scope, etc
- Bigger multipliers if I want to perform
- Start accruing tenure to be promoted to E6 now
Cons:
- Likely give up work life balance and take on stress
- Have to re-build reputation
- I've job hopped quite a bit... Staying at the big G for ~3+ years would give my resume continuity
- CA+Federal Taxes make each incremental $ in TC less worth it
- There are always unknown risks (politics, team dynamics, re-orgs, cancelled products, etc)
- Working at FB
FB offer:
Base: 200K
Equity: 750K
Bonus target: 15% (30K)
Sign on: 100K
comments
Work Life Balance is overrated. If you are Engineer, you spend all your life learning how to create, so go create things.
You will be surprised how good you feel.
Have many friends at both places, and generally speaking, the Googlers are happier people, and have the liberty to take on more projects/challenges. FB you work on what you work on and that's that. Seems like if you want to find more challenging work in Google you can look within and find it. Maybe you need to be more proactive. With FB, who knows if you go to the right team. @fis seems to, but will you?
Also FB is an evil company that is responsible for a lot of the antagonism that plagues modern society.
Moving to Netflix in a few months.
My brain started to decompose doing nothing at G.
I don't consider moving protos around as anything other than busy work