Google L4 offer! Facebook 5
Hi, Got done with interviews at Facebook and Google and thankfully passed both. I'm a PhD with 2.5 years of experience. Google matched me at L4 but Facebook at 5. I don't have final TC yet since it's still being prepared, looks like Google looking at 300 and fb 350 or so. Does L4 seem reasonable at Google? I learned that they hire fresh PhD at L4 and it takes around 1.5 years to get to 5. Am I wrong? What is it like working at L5 for Facebook compared to L4 ? Is there such a thing as L5 being a "safe" level if you don't want to go up? Update: just figured I'll update you on this mess! Turns out my Google recruiter screwed up. My interviews were set up for L4 and according to them i was a strong L4. But since I didn't interview for 5 they aren't giving me the level. Facebook on the other hand setup for L5! Morale of the story, discuss the level before the interview!
Congrats. Both look fine. Choose on projects
the median is 3 years to go l4 to l5 at google
Hmm, thanks for the input. I guess my samples weren't representative :)
Source?
Google lowballed both level and comp. Take FB.
Ummm no they didn’t.
Thanks for the input. That would be the sane thing to do I guess. I'm just weighing this out based on the technical aspects of the work at Google.
You are not getting L5 at Google with 2.5 yoe so L4 looks reasonable...
Thanks for the input. And you think that's still the case with a PhD?
Yes, without PhD you could get L3...
OP based on levels.fyi, it looks like the median fb e5 offer is 363k. Congratulations and best of luck with the negotiation
363 is rather top of the band offer. The difference between offer and TC is stock refresh and growth.
I would say look at teams at Fb and G. I think you should be optimizing on learning at this stage and not levels and TC. Not sure of FB, but if you are into ML related stuff, then G might be a better place to be.
I respectfully disagree. Whenever someone offers you less than what you are worth, they try to justify it with "learning opportunity" / prestige / great culture / <some other phrase that sounds great but can't be measured>.
Facebook has equally competent ML work. Heard of pytorch?
L5 is a terminal level at Facebook and L4 is a terminal level at Google. At Google there is no expectation to get promoted to L5 (as of like last year), which to me makes it worse than Facebook
Thanks for the input. Is this designation (terminal) an official one from HR or just kind of a norm? I have no intention of stopping at any level at least for now but would like to know.
Yes, official at G. L3s are expected to get promoted to L4 (otherwise will be let go for not meeting expectations). Used to be that L4s were expected to get promoted to L5, but not anymore.
You should go to fb. Google gives no refresher first year so your comp first year at fb is 50k higher, second year is 90k higher. Additionally if it’s too hectic at fb for you can try bouncing to google after a year and see if you can crack l5 then.
What's the pay breakdown for FB and Google?
Google L4 will have better WLb but FB is paying you for the difference