How much is having the Google Signal on your Resume Worth?
I got an offer from Google. Unsurprisingly, it will increase my TC a lot, by about $150k. Career-wise, I'm still not sure if it's a good move... Long-term, I'm wondering how much having Google on my resume could help me in the future. Short-term, I'm getting really valuable experience where I am, and I'm learning a ton. I also have a really good work-life balance, and I'm enjoying the job in general. Not sure if it's worth it to sacrifice all of that for $75k after taxes. I also really enjoy management, and I'm apprehensive to take an IC role. I'm not confident I'd get a management position at Google any time soon. Thoughts?
Do it OP. After working at Amazon I got interviews at any company I wanted easily. Google will be great for your career - even if you end up not liking the work, you can always return to your old team after a year.
Did recruiters start reaching out to you more once you had Amazon under your belt or were you just getting more responses to job applications?
It was both.
I would say take it. You are getting a 150k increase as well as major boost to resume. If you end up not liking the role and want to move out, you should have no trouble getting interviews with google on your resume.
Take it. It’s FAANG.
Yeah, give it a try and if you don’t like you can go back to your previous employer.
My current employer would hire someone to replace me if I left. Pretty sure they wouldn't fire that person and give me my job back just cause I wanted it.
While that’s true, I think if they have a really good impression of you, they would not hesitate to find a similar job if you wanted to come back. They know you’re excellent and bringing back what you learn from Google is invaluable. However I get what you mean — you have no reasons to leave so why do it? Why interview in the first place? I would ask your hiring manager about some of those things you are getting at your company and how Google might provide those as well.
Imagine taking the offer. Imagine having an amazing car, house all the caviar you can eat. Imagine telling all your friends and family being so proud of you. Now imagine going home to your dog or mate and hating your day. The grass is not always greener
The Google prestige is fake . Your family will be proud of you but you will be miserable once you realize you will work on a minimal code base
Where the fuck do you live where you’d be making 75k after taxes off 150k?
Effective federal, state, and local income tax rate in California on income over $300k is about 45%.
Yep
Less and less every day
Why ?
Google. Running your own business statistically is a nightmare and you'll lose money. Be an IC, gain technical skills that matter, then retire early or create your own business later in life. Statistically you'll fail pretty badly. And even if you don't, you'll barely be making money. Make money now and if you really want to lose money later, you'll be set up financially for that.
You're statistically likely to fail if you're average. Not all people starting businesses have the same odds of succeeding. But I hear you. I think when you factor in the CoL difference, $75k extra a year isn't gonna change my life or my savings that dramatically.
Even people who aren't average fail. Jason Calacanis's mahalo failed even with $20M in investment. Fab failed with $336M in funding and countless others failed that are most likely more talented than you. $75k in one year isn't going to change your life. But throw in refreshers, raises, promos, etc you're looking at +$100k second year and more your third and fourth years. Over a course of 10 years that's coming up on a million which is dramatically going to change your life/savings.
Crazy not to take it
+1 You may think you’re getting great experience where you are, and then join google and find that the experience at google far eclipses the status quo.
I can't imagine getting this type of experience as an IC on a purely technical product. I want to run my own business. I'm basically doing that now where I work. I'm learning almost everything I need to get there, and I'm getting paid to do it. At Google, I'd build my technical skills for sure. But that's not what I need to run my own business.