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Aside from the perceived ethics of FAANG (not here to start that argument, just pointing out that it is a point many consider), I personally don't have much interest in working at a massive corporation. There are pros and cons, but for me the feeling of being a cog in a massive machine (plus all the bureaucracy) isn't really appealing. Would rather be a part of a smaller team where I feel like I can make a larger impact, have line of sight to C-levels, etc.
Working at a FAANG company is like working at a 5 star kitchen. It sounds very fancy, but your job might be only washing dishes. At start-ups, it’s a mom & pop kitchen, but you get to do everything, maybe even chef sometimes. So it’s really depends on if you only want to wash dishes or do more things ;)
nice example
The ability to grow your career by taking on responsibilities that you can have more choice of and also have a larger impact upon can often occur in a smaller org vs being a wheel in large cog of a FAANG org.
I wonder how Netflix got into the elite group?! MAGMA would have been a better acronym
Had to
Working at a FAANG is cool in that you really see how things are in tech. You really see how much these companies make, and how folks place such a high value on the products and services FAANG delivers. I’ve worked an many places, Deloitte, huge hospitals, SMBs, schools, etc. I’m still amazed at some of the stuff (good, bad, amazing, etc.) that goes on at AWS. So, that’s the coolest thing about working at a FAANG Imho. Also, getting into the “total rewards” world is a game changer. I’ll NEVER work for less than base, bonus AND ownership (RSUs, options, etc.) again—and won’t have to because of having AWS on my resume.
Microsoft even better. More time off, benefits and better pay.
PIP Culture. I refuse to work in an environment that pits team members in competition against each other.
What is FAANG
MAMAA sure sounds better :D
Sometimes working at startups feels like not even your Manager knows what the hell he’s doing. There’s no real WLB unless you’re a senior and can handle saying no to side-tasks, cos they’ll come… it’s great making an impact but sometimes you don’t have any shares and it doesn’t make a huge difference if the company succeeds or not. It can be difficult seeing how mediocre everyone is around you. Working at MAANG at least you’d meet great minds that will motivate you to be better while earning loads.
I spent many years at a startup that gave me no equity but I had initiative and learned a metric crapton of skills in the many hats I wore. I left because I got high enough to have to deal with the toxic behavior of the CEO and wanted none of that. Startup is still alive, trying to get bought but failing. Glad I left.
Shockingly I have far better WLB and 2.5x the pay in my current role, still learning a ton and having fun doing it.
Software engineer here.
I get tons of emails from FAANG trying to recruit me. Mostly Facebook and Amazon. I would never.
Frankly, I have moral/ethical concerns with Facebook and to a lesser extent Amazon and Google, and would never feel right benefitting from their business models.
I would honestly love to work for Apple, but they’re primarily an in-person workplace, and I’ve been working fully remote since 2019 and don’t ever want to work in an office again.
Netflix I could do. I like their approach and discipline in technical / engineering contexts, and Reed Hastings is respectable. But, I worry that they’ve peaked. I hardly use Netflix anymore.
But all of those companies are way too big. In my current job, the CEO knows me by name and respects my opinions. I have company-wide influence. I enjoy that and I expect I would likely never achieve anything equivalent at these companies.
Plus, we’re a pre-IPO unicorn and I have stock options, so there’s significant future upside. It’s way too late for that with the FAANGs!
Upside on equity, potential ease of upward mobility, flatter orgs=more individual impact. I think the better question is why talent is leaving FAANG in droves and why FAANG can’t up their talent sourcing game (i.e. the ego to think the best talent is always going to apply).
There’s nothing magic about FAANG and many of the job reqs I see from google for example aren’t that different from what I’m doing at sap. I like my team, my boss, and I’m extremely well compensated so why switch? Plus I don’t necessarily want to work at a place where everyone else wants to work.
Easier for the employer to screw yon over because they know there are tons of other ambitious people who will take your job in a minute.
Could never work for FB - would be like working at Raytheon lmao. If I do a great job, we world becomes slightly worse 😅
I always recommend for people to shoot for the stars of FAANGs. Those companies pay the most, treat people the best, and hire the most. If I can be of further help, feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanjstein/
I have to agree with Milo 1, FAANG is not necessarily up there in the stars. You can get great work life balance , equitable pay and the ability to make an impact in a growing company with a small or medium independent firm vs getting lost in the milieu of office spaces in the FAANG orgs. Have interviewed way too many folks from those orgs who are burnt out and seeking the small firms for a “better , healthier change”
Rising Star
I’ve never applied to FAANG. Just randomly got a message. Startups can be great, just depends on your role.
Never applied to FAANG. Actually, having them blow up my LinkedIn and why I should join them. I have ignored them for years
Moved from Calgary to states, I guess visa is very important and it’s very safe to start with faang, depend on what you looking for.
They’re playing the pre ipo game 🤷🏽♀️
I just don’t have time to deal with the terrible interview processes and lack of respect some of the people representing those companies have. Bait and switch roles, losing work I was asked to do in advance, changing terms, forcing IP protections that extend to my personal time and resources, screwing up flights and getting me bumped leading to me being unable to perform, hours and hours of back to back interviews.
Of course maybe that has something to do with my name being foreign. Maybe I get special treatment during the recruitment process.
If you see the world through my eyes, you would have to be conditioned for abuse and work 125% to compensate for what amounts to a lack of professionalism - and I am just not willing to do that. That’s a recipe for burnout, aging and missing the important reasons you have a job in the first place.
By the way, I don’t trust Amazonians. They make 4 year vesting RSU grants on year 3 - the year most people move on according to the data. The ones left probably have Stockholm syndrome. Their consultants answer emails all hours of the day and I’ve observed the time stamps on their work.
Now, caveats to what I am saying - even within one organization the spectrum of professionalism can be all over the map. You can get a bad sample too.
I am an old man for a person in tech and I will tell you just because they are big and famous doesn’t mean jack - and everyone is certainly NOT treated the same during recruitment.
Maybe ask why anyone would.
Amen
Personally, a lot of them their 'Work from Home' policies are trash, I am neither happy with Hybrid or in-office. I rather do work remotely, which a lot of startups don't seem to mind.
Rising Star
Interviewed for L7 TPM role at Amazon towards the end of last year and I have to say, it was a huge turnoff. Every single person I interviewed with was a jerk, and I did well in the interviews lol. All companies have a few bad apples, but every interviewer?! Ultimately did not go through with it because I could feel the notorious culture in the interviews, because they are famous for PIP, and because they were determined to force me to move to Seattle and work out of an office.
I am generally not interested in their missions