Google vs Amazon for career growth

Amazon
Wpmq01

Go to company page Amazon

Wpmq01
Mar 28, 2021 23 Comments

Let's say one wants to stick with one company and focus on gaining valuable experience and climbing the engineering ladder, what would you recommend?

I heard Google's promotion process is a but weird/slow and incentives building complex and useless stuff. And both things seem bad.
At the same time you'd probably learn better engineering practices and maybe people say it's slow growth because they are coasting?

At Amazon it seems like there is a nice focus on the usefulness of the stuff being built, plus there's a lot of new stuff being built with lots of opportunities for impact etc. I've also seen people with quite a fast career growth here. At the same time, the "scrappiness" sometimes feels like it's too much and makes you wonder if you're spending your time in a productive way.

In answering, please don't take perks/pip into account but just focus career growth (climbing ladder) and learning (all learnings, not just clean code) factors.

Comments with are appreciated.

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TOP 23 Comments
  • Amazon
    ahbE73

    Go to company page Amazon

    ahbE73
    Everyone on blind when there is G as an option in poll
    Mar 28, 2021 1
  • Amazon
    bond003

    Go to company page Amazon

    bond003
    Your level and role are important parameters to decide. If u r swe and at L4 or L5, growth at A can be faster and reach L6 or even L7(bar is getting lowered) if you are in a decent team, hard working and reasonably smart. Beyond that, it's very hard and may be impossible. However, for career consideration, while growth to L6 / L7 Swe might take a lot longer in G, but externally, swe of G way more valued than A. Based on many cases I have observed for swe jumping from A to G, if things are going good in A, stay and reach L6 or L7 and then jump to G..it is generally a better deal in the long term, although hard to crack G at higher level.
    Mar 28, 2021 2
    • Amazon
      Wpmq01

      Go to company page Amazon

      Wpmq01
      OP
      How fast can u go to L6? How fast to L7? At Amazon. Also open to switch to SDM (if that matters).
      Mar 28, 2021
    • Amazon
      Wpmq01

      Go to company page Amazon

      Wpmq01
      OP
      My view was actually the opposite of what you said. Like to have the first 2 promotions it seems that it takes a similar time at G and A. While beyond that I think (could be wrong) that at Amazon is much easier/faster than g
      Mar 28, 2021
  • Amazon
    vUfk52

    Go to company page Amazon

    vUfk52
    I think Amazon is faster for SDE1 => SDE2, and slightly faster for SDE2 => Senior, but Google is much better for actually having Senior, Staff and above roles

    My AWS org has like 10% Senior, 1% Staff...
    Mar 28, 2021 3
  • Amazon
    yeffbreezy

    Go to company page Amazon

    yeffbreezy
    If you're a high performer and are dedicated to learning, Amazon can be a great place to be if you land a good team. It's fast paced and there are plenty of opportunities to make an impact which can help propel your career. There's definitely a sacrifice that comes with that but if you don't care for that then this is a great place to be
    Mar 28, 2021 4
  • Amazon
    be furious

    Go to company page Amazon

    be furious
    The fastest career growth is to jump between them. Work hard a few years and crank out some stuff at Amazon, then go take your foot off the gas at Google.
    Mar 28, 2021 0