My dilemma is simple: I have a (surprising) job offer from a company I originally was planning to use for practice. On paper, this offer is excellent: it's an up-level (again, on paper; have already been working at the expected scope for a few years) and a 30%+ pay increase over what I'm already making, let alone what I'm "supposed" to make. Based on my research, this offer is in the realm of the absolute most I could realistically hope to get, anywhere. Meanwhile, promos are hard to come by in my org and I will reach my four year compensation cliff in a few months (huge pay cuts by 2020 if I stay and don't get promoted), so I'm definitely motivated to leave sooner or later--both for more money and a chance to do something different. No brainer, right? Except I don't believe in either the new company or its core product at all--in fact, I'm not even merely indifferent but actually (mildly) dislike both--and I can't even force myself to get excited about going there. I'm on cruise control at Amazon and can continue to interview with abandon if I choose to do so. Before anybody asks: I'm not going to reveal the company or the break down of the offer, simply because I'm trying to avoid biased answers in either direction. They're definitely well-known, though. Edit: not OCI :) Current L5 @ Amazon; TC ~275k (actual target is around 200k)
If you just run behind TC at your experience level, you're in for a horrible 3-5 years at your next company.
Can you elaborate on that? Horrible in what aspect?
Definitely. As one progresses through their career, you start to have more responsibility and impact at your work, specifically the product what you work on. One of two things can happen: 1. You really like the product and believe in the bigger picture. When you do that, you give it your best and you'd find ways to get things done. Resulting in great performance, which would lead to growth, higher earnings. 2. If you don't like the product or believe in it's grand scheme. You start disliking your work, you won't think creatively, inputs to innovating it would be minimal. This might further lead to bad team dynamics, possible low performance (PIP, etc), not liking what you do on a daily basis. And, you'd end up hating your work. People think passion is cliche. But, I feel passion is super important. Because that dictates how involved and happy you'd be on the product what you're building.
Don’t just do it for the money. It can be painful and that might eventually show up in your output. You are smart. Just be patient and you will find something that you will enjoy
+1...don't. I know an L7 who declined a $1M+ offer at Oracle. Don't compromise if you see red flags as the market is superhot.
At that level, you can have a pretty big impact on the product. If you think the product is dumb, you can try to make it less dumb.
You will probably regret taking the offer and you have a -ve perception about the product and company.
You're pretty much done at Amazon. You said so yourself. You're judging something at face value though. Take the job and give it a chance. If you don't like it look again.
What if you're wrong about the company, and the stock goes 10x in 10 years time? Or what if you're right, and you wasted 1 year at the company for nothing? Which one will you regret more? Choose the other one.
Go with your gut. Has your gut ever been wrong?
Yea .. yesterday I felt I needed to go but then I didn’t
How long did you work at Amazon? YoE?
Just shy of 4 years at Amazon. 5.5 FTE (i.e. excluding a year's worth of internships) total.