Leaving Facebook. How not to screw on the next job?
Leaving FB (relevant discussion https://us.teamblind.com/s/2Xs6fiyV). TL;DR: fb is great, just want to work in finance. So, I’m about to start a new role in a small engineering/ML driven hedge fund as SWE. FB was my first serious job, so I know about how to be successful in FB’s context only, and have no idea how it works in much much smaller companies. While I’ll definitely ask the new management what to pay attention to, I’d like to know the community’s opinion on what to be aware of when transitioning to a smaller (finance oriented) company. I’m intentionally not asking specific questions, just want to see whatever is on top of your mind you’d like to share from your experience.
Teamblind
HF work is stressful. It’s not uncommon to get yelled at and treated like a kid. Learn to stand your ground, be professional and demand to be treated likewise. If things go well for the fund, you might make more in a year than 5 years at FAANG. Your work will have measurable impact that will either make you blush or drive you nuts.
I worked as a quant in high-frequency trading for many years. In a small quant finance shop, the only thing that matters is impact to PnL. As long as you're having that, you're golden. In FB, there are a million other things that matter. Politics, posting on workplace, building relationships, visibility, mentoring, design docs, scope, yada yada. Small quant shops are simple. Create impact. Nothing else matters. It will be a refreshing change for you
First few months, listen more. Don’t have to immediately jump into a conclusion. Get different perspectives, of managers and higher up and of peers. The weigh in and try to get the direction company wants to take. Few weeks will tell you the pace so pace yourself accordingly, not too slow nor too fast.