Microsoft TC: 320k (excluding 15% bonus and refreshers) Location: Bay Area Team: Yammer Level 63 Base: 185k sign on bonus: 100k over 2 years Stocks: 300k over 4 years Bonus: 0 -30% (considering 15%) Refreshers - 30k/year (No idea about vesting period) Amazon TC: 260k Location: Sunnyvale Team: Alexa Speech Level 5 Base: 160k Sign on: 157k over 2 years RSUs: 105 YoE: 3 Like my current team at Amazon. I am on visa. So concerned about Yammer but team looks good. Would microsoft be able to send me to Canada if I want to? Also how are the internal team transfer policies at Microsoft?
Amazon Alexa would be amazing, but I've heard amazon is a sweat shop in general. Microsoft is great, but yammer? Is that still a thing? They've tried to kill Yammer a couple times... Teams is no Slack and Yammer is no Teams. YMMV.... I'd take the msft gig and try to move laterally if it doesn't go well... but I'm also suspect of the level 63 at 3yoe..
How easy is it to switch teams internally at Microsoft? I know it’s easy at Amazon. How easy is it to switch from Yammer to other Microsoft teams?
I'm sure it's similar, there has to be a need and fit for role and managers have to agree on both sides. You'd need to get in there and prove your value first to your initial manager.
That TC is unreal for 3 YOE and also unreal considering MSFT. Good job OP! Please share breakdown
Don’t go to Amazon. MSFT
Don't know about Yammer but I do know about Alexa. Alexa engineering is shit. All the leaders are there to unfuck the mess and end up messing it more. Engineers are the one at ground level dealing with shit every minute. There are better teams in Amazon where you can learn a lot while not having to deal with such BS.
Yammer is a shit product. Not even internal people use it. TC looks pretty good though. Long term, having Alexa on your resume will set you up for life.
I already have some experience at Amazon. This is a new offer from Microsoft. What would your recommendation be? How easy is it to switch from yammer to other teams or move to Canada?
Just out of curiosity what about Alexa stands out on a resume?
Left Yammer last year. Do not go there. At Microsoft 5 years. Yammer made me quit. GM doesn't care about the team. Politics are ridiculous. Eng manager ineffective and in way over his head. Yammer will get absorbed by Teams. And the problem with Microsoft is it's a small satellite office, ~1300 FTEs iirc in California. There is a ceiling for Everyone. After a while you can't advance. Only the chosen few. After a certain point there is nowhere to go. If you like Amazon you should stay there. Microsoft comp is the worst of FAANG. Bright spot: WLB is pretty excellent. So there's that.
Agreed with you on the MSFT California situation. It’s hard to go beyond 65/66 there. The Yammer GM certainly has an ego, but his heart is in the right place. Compared to the prior GM, who was an absolute joke, he’s a marked improvement. The SF GEM needs to up his game, and quickly, agreed on that.
Yammer in San Francisco or Sunnyvale? It’s an important distinction.
San Francisco. Which one is better? Also in case I do not get H-1B, can I count on them to take care by sending me to Canada and bringing back on L-1?
The Sunnyvale team is very small, and its a very limited MSFT campus. The SF Yammer office is where the core of the Yammer engineering team are, though more and more moves to Redmond... MSFT are very good at looking after their H1/L1 employees, i wouldn’t worry about that part.
Hello Op, Did you take Yammer? Would you recommend it? I’m in discussion with their leadership about a new role
63 for 3 YoE??? Good job if true
Concerned about the team though. How easy is internal transfer at Microsoft?
What team? Internal transfer is easy