I'm in my early 30's, and entered tech relatively late. Prior to current job at Boeing I was a Microsoft orange badge vendor as my first tech job. ~3 YOE. Current job is somewhat dull and I'm not really learning anything, but WLB and benefits are amazing. Seriously like ~30 hrs a week. I own a townhouse, have a long term gf, 1 cat, 1 dog to consider. Amazon pays way more in raw salary but my benefits blow amazon's away easily. I just want to know from others, if someone with this background should chance it at Amazon, realistically I can make SDE1 with another 2 months of leetcode, but I have no delusions of being able to last there over 2 years without getting PIP. I can't work super long hours like I could when I was 24, and I'm worried that I'll look bad compared to young college grad willing to take the abuse. Obviously WLB will take a hit, I expect it to be tough, know I'll get chewed up and spit out. My hope is that I'll learn more than current role, and this will be better for my career long run. Worst case scenario is I just sit on my ass and turn complacent ... Or should I avoid Amazon altogether and try to target other companies? Some people say it's for the young, uncommitted with few responsibilities, that's what worries me more. Any insight is appreciated, thanks TC: 110k
Don’t worry too much about it. I’d suggest you to give it a try and if for some reason you don’t like it move on. Always remember that you can do it!!
If you’re feeling like you aren’t being intellectually challenged and are willing to step out of your comfort zone, you can easily catch up after a couple years at Amazon.
Most people aren’t working crazy hours at amazon, only during the death march to reinvent. It’s also really easy to change teams. You wouldn’t come here for the 130k or whatever sde 1s make, your come here because you hit sde 2 in 2.5 years or less and make 170.
I totally get that the negative stories are overblown, it's the shit you can't control that freaks me out. When I started at Microsoft, it was amazing and what I learned the first 8 months of so I still carry over in my current job. But then one day, my manager got promoted and the new one I got made my life hell... I don't expect to make it to sde2, but who knows, college grads are kind of dumb from my decade or so of working ... I just feel like I'm borderline retired at my current job. "Seniors" are senior level due to tenure not skill ...I find myself having to do a lot of things with little guidance or mentorship simply because other people don't know how.... It's so easy to just coast here but the lack of learning is what's disturbing. The longer I stay the more entrenched ill get...
Sde 2 is not hard, the bar is super low nowadays. Sde 3 is where it is still hard (although easier than it was in the old days) Why not leave on good terms, try something new and go back if you don’t like it?
From how you've described it I think you have already made up your mind. Go for companies with better WLB. You'll be miserable at Amazon and will keep thinking of the good old life you've left behind.
Im willing to accept that if it's like 1-2 years and better opportunities will come from it. I mostly just know that Amazon is the easiest one of the big boy companies to get I to lol due to lower bar and constant churn. I loved my first 8 months at Microsoft, but unfortunately my manager got promo'd and the new one was awful. That was my first taste of random tech shit that happens outside of your control.
If you can take it for 1-2 years then yeah go for it. It will definitely look good on resume. What about moving back to Microsoft? I don't think it's harder to get into it compared to Amazon and it has same rep as Amazon. Maybe even better now with new leadership and great stock performance.
I'd walk over to A if I can keep my door open at B. Side note: How are you benefits better than Amzn? Care to elaborate?
We get 3% of base match to 401k immediately for free, and then match up to 9% on top of that. 12 week mat leave for fathers and mother's, free onsite gyms at most facilities, and they'll pay for other fitness memberships. 100% tuition reimbursement - I started my second bachelor's in CS while I was contracting at Microsoft, when I joined Boeing they paid for the rest of my degree. Very generous PTO, and we're legally not even allowed to put in over 40 hrs or they HAVE to pay you overtime. Healthcare is stellar, I'm on the University of Washington full coverage plan and it costs maybe 10 bucks a month... I'm not sure what amazon's benefits actually are, but I've searched on blind and from the existing posts they seem very minimal. There's also no such thing as PIP if you can count that as a benefit...unfortunately what makes Boeing a great place to work is also a huge weakness as we have many people just coasting along. There's no stress and a ton of beauracracy, which certain types like.
Amzn benefits suck vs what you have. Remember you have just two weeks PTO in your 1st year and 6 (yes just six) holidays. No paternity leave for the first year and then it's 6 weeks for the dad.
Boeing dude, do NOT go to Amazon. It's a terrible place to work at, besides it doesnt pay that well.
It probably pays way more than Boeing.... I know it will be stressful but I hope it will open doors to better opportunities if I can tough it out 1-2 years. Can you comment on benefits? I listed Boeing benefits Ina comment above. I guess it doesn't matter if I don't plan on staying too long. Boeing is just boring and I feel like a second rate engineer...
Don't listen to everyone , if you can adjust on WLB , you will learn a lot. My skills have drastically improved after joining amazon . The dog eats dog culture here will force you raise your bar. Once you have learned enough you can look else where
That's what I'm aiming for, it's just a tougher decision when I have a home/dependents to also look after. If I was still a single guy this wouldn't be an issue. Here at Big lazy B, trying to raise my own bar just gets me punished. I implemented a new search feature on my own for our customer (while meeting my Sprint tasks) and I got reprimanded/called out for doing work I wasn't assigned because apparently some other team was already doing it....
Then you should go for it , probably switch to Microsoft after year or so to balance out work-life balance
Thanks, think I'll go for it!
I can’t speak to Amazon because I’ve never worked there. I work outside of tech right now and I see many people working ridiculous hours (many times 6-7 days a week at 10+ hours away + long commutes) and they’re still married. Happily? Not sure. But they’re alive and doing it for >3 years. As an uninformed outsider, seems like you can stay 1-2 years at Amazon and get some great exit ops if you can maintain the mentality that it will eventually end. Again, take other’s advice over mine as it pertains to what it’s really like. I’m speaking from the perspective of someone outside of tech (hopefully not for long)