Working at Coursera
I saw a lot of posts on Glassdoor criticizing management and painting a very negative picture of coursera. Curious to know what Coursera employees on blind have to say about that, specifically in Engineering. Do you believe in coursera’s growth potential? Do you trust the management? Do you enjoy working there? I’m interested in joining the eng org but the Glassdoor reviews were a red flag in my research. The volume and consistency of them was alarming. Thank you
+1 on people and needing a change. I think the experience is variable based on team. Ask tough questions during the interview so you know what to expect or they can take advantage.
The people are great and the recent re-org did shake things up a bit. However, I do believe the future of the company is still positive. There are three teams: learner, partnerships, and growth. Depends on which one you’re planning to join and they are all drastically different.
Growth is the one to stay away from on product - horrible leader. Others are great
Coursera eng here. I’m pretty bullish on the company’s future. The new CEO came in, trimmed some of the fat, and restructured things (with the longer term goal of taking the company public). I’m assuming Glassdoor reviews are a reflection of that shakeup. I think it really depends on the type of company you’re looking for. Compared to my friends who joined one of the big four, the scope of what I get to do, and the opportunity for engineering impact is so much larger here. I’m working on projects right now that only very senior engineers would touch at other companies. (This could vary based on your team, but I think is generally the case.) There are interns and new grads who come in guns blazing and are leading important eng initiatives in several months. Also, I get hit up by recruiters every week. If it’s not a fit long term, there will definitely be great exit opportunities for you. So as an engineer, you get many of the benefits of working at a startup (fast-paced, opportunity for big impact) without a lot of the risk.
There is the shake up, and there are a lot of people who are leaving because there is some truth to the reviews on glassdoor. Even if change is good, Morale right now is low. The most talked about topics on Blind for Coursera is how leadership says there is a good runway and good cash flow and most people did not get a raise, or somewhere between a 0-5% raise.
To echo above comments, yes, there was a shakeup but it was needed and also was leaderships action on some of the employee feedback during the annual survey. Hard to say act and then feel bad if real action is taken. Some folks are negative, but in general, everyone’s bullish about future. Some great things are happening that are aligned with broader company mission. You really need to introspect on what’s your priority - big company v/s small? Money v/s mission.. in the short term, your total comp might be quite high at bigger orgs, but there is upside potential at Coursera, if you truly believe in the company and the mission. Leadership is just making some hard shots for better future, which might be lil painful in the immediate terms.
Do yourself a favor and avoid like the plague if you expect to be valued and compensated fairly. Things are a shit show right now and there's no telling when things will get better.
^this, unfortunately. Will hopefully change since mission is so important.
CEO today spoke to the company about the issues we're having. He's aware of the sentiment, did a quick pulse survey and ran through the analysis with us. He wants to make sure we're not just successful financially but also create a great place to work. I'm bullish but negotiate in the offer! If you have multiple offers it helps to fight to get a match
Looks like a lot of people in the engineering division have left for somewhere else. If a start-up loses so many engineers before IPO, it is definitely not a good sign.
Let me chime in as I was one of the engineers that have left recently. The people and mission are still great, these are the things that I miss most after leaving. Yes Coursera needed a good deal of change and I am bullish on those changes even though I decide. The growth potential and experience really depend the teams you join. Now onto the negatives. Attrition and morale are very low right now. I see and hear of my former coworkers interviewing with my current company. Make sure your team is a priority or you will get cut, deprioritized, and your work will go unnoticed-- that was the main kicker for me. Compensation is subpar for mid-senior level engineers, but I heard the adjustments recently made it a bit better. TLDR go to Coursera if you absolutely believe in what they do and that's what makes you most fulfilled. Also do it if you're willing to weather the changes and if the team you will be on is the top priority.
Product org and I can say we went through a big re-org and are going though the natural readjustment. I bet that plays heavily on the ratings, although I’ve not looked at them. Personally think we needed a big change. I’m bullish on the future. The best thing about Coursera is the people. They are passionate about the mission. If that’s not what drives you then it might not be a good fit. Google will always pay more. On eng, the EMs are incredible to work with, the best I’ve worked with in the industry. There’s a drive towards pushing challenging, quality product.