Should I just stay at MSFT for >10 years if possible?
Feb 12, 2021
13 Comments
New grad hired sometime last year in AI&R TC: 170k.
Pros of staying (In my opinion):
Stable career
Backdoor Roth IRA rollovers
MSFT stock has low volatility compared to FAANG
I receive positive manager feedback
Decent WLB
Cons of staying (In my opinion):
Can't rollover 401k to an IRA or switch brokerage due to IRS withholding limitations
Might be missing out on more rewarding opportunities
Might get fired anyway
Potentially slow pay raises with promotions compared to chasing higher TC
Real passion is in trading (but I do still enjoy SWE a lot, tbh I probably wouldn't even survive in top HFT/fintechs (e.g. Citadel) due to how competitive they are)
comments
You are an individual contributor, you are replaceable in your early career (unless you have some unique skillset which MSFT badly needs). Switch, get better pay, and eventually come back to MSFT with even higher pay and designation for continuing your next stint with > 10 years.
In other words, the more TC you have, the more money youβll have for your trading. π
Once you have left, you likely will not want to return.