Frugality at Amazon
There has been so much talked about frugality at Amazon. Trying to size up the perks that you miss there compared to Microsoft. The 401k and espp are two big items I noticed. About $10k net impact annual. Swags have dried up at even Microsoft, but that is not worth more than a couple of hundred dollars a year tops. How about your health benefits? Do you have to pay premiums for self and family ? In terms of hardware budget, do you feel constrained in anyway to get the necessary hardware to get work done ?
Why is Microsoft so obsessed with Amazon? This feels like a trend on Blind where a bunch of Microsofties do the best to prove themselves over Amazon... Meanwhile while Amazonians look forward to Google or complain about Amazon policies, we don't nearly hate on Microsoft back because we frankly don't care..and a big portion of us (including me) are happy at Amazon. Things are getting better. Microsoft is salty because they aren't part of the FAANG club.
The hate I have seen from Amazonians towards Microsoft on this platform is unbelievable
Befoz gets all the money to enjoy with ... from 🐒
Everything mentioned plus health care cost much more, less holidays and less vacation, you pay for parking after enjoying the Seattle traffic...
I moved to amazon from Microsoft after 10 years. I really like amazon but Here is my take on what you give up Full 401k matching (about 5.5k diff) Medical - for full family - (about 3.6k, but depends on how you use it. In some cases Amazon coverage is better for max out of pocket) Espp (about 2.5k) Parking: 2k Other intangibles: 401k is shittier (No back door Roth IRA, no brokerage link, vesting after 3 years, poor choice of funds,etc) Other stuff that are easy/cheap to solve, but are an annoyance: No free sodas No milk in some places for coffee Not a lot of swag/morale events (there are, but not as much) No Microsoft keyboard/mousewhich are awesome Monitors are shitty if you are Not a dev Things that are better TC Younger and more energetic crowd Less politics and BS No PowerPoint-led software/architecture Better and more consistent coding practices and tools A lot more openings to move around or experiment with management More consistent hiring bar and managers that cannot override bar raisers Ability to interview for higher level Feeling that you are relevant - if any of your tier1 service goes down, literally the entire world will feel it
Amazon is a retail giant first. All retailers are misers and treat employees as shit. So, join Amazon just for resume value. There is nothing else left. They do provide 4 years of generous stock options. But try their best to kick you out in 2 years. They are a misers and miserable company.
This is not accurate at all. We kick only low performers and TC is set for the first 4 years, so whoever leaves after 2 years does it for different reasons. Actually, in the last 3-4 years due to stock appreciation it is better to stay so you can reap the stocks given during sign in. I think Microsoft is a great place to work but so is amazon and the other big companies. Whoever thinks otherwise has been drinking the cool aid too much
Not true. Like any company there is shitty spots and bright spots. At Amazon most people don't have job security as their top concern. I was once told by a tenured Amazonian that there could be good days and shitty days but never a boring day.
Amazon died for me as company when during the interview one of the interviewers told me that you allowed to bring your own hardware and that what he does because the one provided by amazon is crap. It was 4 years ago.
But you would've made enough to buy a small hardware company with Amazon stocks
Possibly true, but who would knew :)