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Chief
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Would say the same, honestly, but I'm perhaps operating with the same bias as you. Ex-MBB - now in tech.
Try cross-posting on Blind as well to get more inputs - my sense is the crowd there is more tech-heavy.
In general, I feel like you can always do an MBA a couple of years down the line and pivot to consulting / strat if you want. Solid engineering experience under your belt will give you depth, and help transition to product management also if that's interesting.
The reverse jump from strat / consulting to more technical / engineering roles is harder in my opinion. Age may add further complexity (i.e trying to pivot to tech after consulting at 28 vs doing the opposite through an MBA).
Overall, good problem to have. All the best to you and your family!
I hear you. I'm not saying it's easy - just that if you want to make that jump later in life, it's very doable through a top MBA. And from my experience, MBB won't care about how technical someone's workex is - they want aptitude + pedigree. The business knowledge can come from the MBA. Still very competitive, but doable.
Check the salary progression of a SWE at FAANG vs MBB. If he cares about money, it’s SWE 100 out of 100 times, easiest choice ever
Ok I’m 2 weeks late to this but…I’m in t1 consulting pulling in decent money. My brother just graduated Stanford and is going to Coinbase with 320k TC (160k base). Many of my SWE friends make upwards of 400-500k TC working 30 hours or less a week. It’s no competition, SWE is the way to go. Do not listen to MBB, times have changed.
Chief
Is he more interested in coding, or is he more interested in tech? There’s really not a wrong answer here, starting out as a software engineer at a place like Google or Netflix will set you up great for the long run, as will MBB. I’m inclined to say go FAANG, unless it’s Amazon 😅
Everyone is scared of Amazons pip culture
I agree with Principal 1 above on their comments. I've seen several postings of people having difficult time going back to FAANG into a technical role. FAANG doesn't associate tech with consulting, yet, all of the consulting companies seem to be tripping over themselves to hire you into their tech consulting lines if you have Java/Python experience in your garage listed on your resume.
For the person who said a 30 year SWE gets outflanked by a 5 year SWE, the same happens in any industry if you let yourself get old and crusty and don't keep up with the times, maybe except as a union factory worker (where seniority counts for something). If he goes the SWE route, just make sure he stays current on latest trends and gets his way over to working on things that will have lasting impact for a while.
Chief
Most weren’t SWEs either… they were PMs which is very very different than SWE
Rising Star
I don’t think you can beat 2-3 years at MBB including a rotation internationally post-undergrad for professional and personal development.
Chief
SWE at FAANG is def Not one of them tho
Rising Star
All y'all saying MBB are crazy. Speaking as someone with technical skills who moved from consulting to tech. Tech industry is 100% better.
SWE skills are valuable, and it would be a shame to let them atrophy
Wanna show your brother this? Might help him decide 🤷♂️
Chief
Yes
I‘d advise for MBB as well. SWE is a skillset that does not last very long (e.g. great SWE skills from 10 years ago aren’t relevant today), so you either build your career on staying very up to date there or you get more general and transferable skills in consulting.
But you transition from IC to Manager roles in Tech where you are not required to code
Keeping up with the latest is the bare minimum in tech. That’s why tech has huge demand and less supply
Because it keeps on upgrading and you have to upgrade yourself too
Faang every day. Get out of consulting before you get in
FAANG, can always come to consulting later
Chief
The people saying FAANG to MBB is easier are likely the people that never made it into FAANG
If you got a FAANG offer out of undergrad, it really will not be that difficult to get one 2 years post undergrad
Even more if you go do something like consulting at MBB
If you talk to any SWE who just simply transitions more into a management/business role will tell you that their own coding abilities falls off drastically.
WLB is my number one criteria, FANG is the way to go. Worked my first 80 hour week and I'm miserable
Rising Star
MBB
Rising Star
Commented below.
For the salaries, probably Faang
But for the knowledge, experience, MBB
It depends what he wants and also his feelings (i mean with the interviewer and the manager from each company)
It still a junior so both choices are good
Agree with the others, I’m not from the us but I imagine it would be super hard to move from faang to MBB, especially coming from such an operational position like swe. But it’s also completely different jobs - what does he want to do? It’s more a decision between stay broad, decide later or build an expertise already and continue on a specialist track.
Chief
Not at all — that’s what MBAs are for
Chief
FAANG for better wlb and not losing all your free time during the prime of his life.
MBB if they want to optimise long term growth (unless they know they want to stay in technical roles)
MBB
Because in addition to a broad set of skills you learn, you also get the chance to look into different industries and see what you actually like and might want to do later. I thinks that’s pretty amazing as a fresh grad. Plus, exiting into industry is usually easier than going from industry to MBB later
Chief
FAANG to MBB is much easier imo
FAANG. Better work life balance, more aligned with his undergrad, more opportunities to stay in highly paid and more enjoyable roles
Way easier to go from SWE to MBB than vice versa.
Also if he eventually doesn't want to do SWE anymore he can switch to a marketing/sales/presales/whatever role at a tech co. Most of my colleagues at SAP started off in a technical role and are all non-technical now.
FAANG SWE is the more straightforward path to hitting and then coasting at 4-500K TC. Depends on his goals and ambitions.
For example, is he the type that finds engineering boring but is good at it? If so, he might feel very bored very quickly there. But thrb then also have to ask, how much does he value "stimulation" if it comes at the cost of all of his weekday evenings?