Options outside Amazon for SDM
I was an SDE for 8 years (5 at Amazon) and have been an SDM (L5) for 2 years at Amazon in Seattle. I am considering changing companies next year. I enjoy the SDM role. I have led my team to deliver products, and I have promoted people. I have won internal awards, got patents, and worked on high visibility projects. Outside Amazon, which companies and which orgs/teams in those companies will be a good fit for an SDM with 2 years of experience like me? I would prefer to stay in Washington state if possible. I am looking for better TC, a good org which works on things that have impact, and a team that nurtures new-ish SDMs like me. Current TC: 205k
10 years and L5. Something’s wrong
Thank you for your helpful comment.
Congrats, things seem to be going pretty well for you. Not sure whether moving just for TC would make much sense in your case; are you getting less than your market rate? Would there be a way of bringing this up without having to fish elsewhere, given some fair amount of seniority?
Thank you. TC is not the major concern. I want to experience something other than Amazon so that my management style is more well rounded. I don't want to get to a point where I am unemployable anywhere else apart from Amazon since that's the only place I have been a manager for multiple years.
OP , it that really your TC ? That’s even less than a L5 SDE
Yes. Downside of being at a company for too long. That is one of the reasons that I am thinking of moving. But I don't want to chase TC at all costs. I want to have a long term plan and move to a company where I can grow and deliver high impact projects.
Are you an SDM in AWS? In Microsoft office product group, I have seen multiple senior manager which is less common than principal level SDM. I love Microsoft culture overall.
Yes. I am an SDM in AWS. Can you give me more details such as TC range for MSFT, pace of delivery, some recent public deliverables from that group, culture for new managers (vs a good old boys club) etc.?
I see the fact of you being an L5 sdm for two years an issue. I see L5 SDMs outside of aws get promoted to L6 SDM in about a year. Just switch to a team outside of aws and if you aren't bad, should be able to get promoted
I’ve seen some SDMs promoted to L6 within 4-5 month, which I think is bs
I should have added a detail that I am up for promo in Q1 2019 and we think I have a strong doc. I am only going to change companies once I am L6. Makes leveling easier as well. Also makes it more likely that I will get around 300 TC. Conservatively I am looking at 250+ upon moving; that way I don't get my hopes up too much.
SDMConvert - so did u actually switch?
Blind is not for your promotion meeting. Cool, you already tagged them
I don't understand what you mean by "promotion meeting". Also, as I mentioned in the post, I would like to know which orgs/teams are good and fit my criteria
You already tagged those companies. Read second line.