Google entering as Senior or getting promoted?
Anyone have an idea of what a baseline, "standard" offer would be with no negotiation and no competing offers? Related, what is the minimum TC resulting from getting promoted to Senior from within? I want to get to 320k within 5 years. Wondering if it might be better to stay at Amazon for another 3 or 4 years and then try to get into Google as Senior after that to hit that target, or get in sooner and get promoted to Senior. yoe 5, TC 180-200
Get in and get promoted.. You'll get into Google as L4 worth maybe 250-270 types. Each year, you'll get stock refreshers which will bump up that number by 20kish at least. So you should reach that in 2 years even if you don't get promoted to 5.
You dont get stock refreshers your first year.
Thanks! :) I'll have to grab some other offers to get to 250, I believe. Last I heard that just doesn't happen anymore without competing offers. That sounds good! My worry was that I'd get in at 250 without understanding the bottom of the Senior band, because that's likely what people get promoted into. At Amazon, you don't move significantly outside of promotion. So if I get promoted at Amazon, I'd get promoted into the bottom of the pay band (250) for Senior, then it would just not move much at all. I don't really have a good idea of how comp can move at Google. But it sounds promising. As far as I can tell, pay bands only really exist so that Amazon can make offers to match competition. I don't see much movement outside of that.
If you’re truly looking to maximize both short- and long-term comp, then you should interview at all the big kids in Seattle, negotiate like heck with all your offers, and then go from there. Because here’s the thing: if you’re looking for 320, you don’t need to wait 5 years in the Seattle area. With 5 YoE, you can probably get close to 300 to start, and after a year or two you’ll easily surpass 320. This assumes that you can perform wherever you go, but this also requires nailing 3+ interviews at tough places, so let’s assume you will :) If you’re interested in the path I took, PM me.
This is a great point and is part of the reason I want to wait a year. I knew I was under prepared going in with my 15 LC questions and basic data structure review. If I can get close to L4 with that, then a year prep could potentially get me a bunch of good offers in addition to more AWS experience. I haven't actually been extended an offer yet, but I might send it through to HC and keep thinking. I still have time to grab a maybe 2 other offers.
This is a very good thread with lot of insights! Any update on the OP and the decision he took?
You should be prioritizing learning and growth over titles - I think you’re trying to optimize for short term negligible growth in the form of titles
The great thing about Amazon and Google is that they have a wealth of products, services and challenging problems. I am the type where, if I'm not being challenged, I'll find another team/company. I am in an amazing team right now full of great problems. But TC is lacking. I'm actually optimizing for the long term. If it was short term thinking, I'd just get into Google right now without questioning thinking about my end goal comp. Maybe I get in at 250 now, get promoted to 280. That would not do. Don't care about titles, care about TC and challenging work. 320 by 5 years from now allows me to pay for college 100% for 2 kids, and have the option to retire by about 50. I'm thinking very long term. Don't care when I get promoted, care about TC.
OP, just out of curiosity, does your spouse work too? Otherwise is 320k enough to sustain a family and save for kids etc? This is Seattle yeah?