Meta team selection - Does it make sense to join an infra team?

Monetization/ads will have the worst work-life balance out of any org in the entire company. In terms of how much better infra is, I don't know, but it can't be worse than monetization/ads (WLB is just terrible across the entire company right now).

The weird thing is that I don't know how Meta classifies infra for new people. Infra isn't an org, it's more of a function that can exist in any org. I worked in ads. We had ads infra teams - I literally worked with them. Ads and infra aren't mutually exclusive.

Here's a good thread about product vs. infra overall: "Between platform (serving developers) and product teams (serving end customers), what should be one's preference based on level?"

Also, how should one define impact after joining a team?

Meta is very metrics-oriented. Figure out the KPIs/OKRs and work backwards from there. As an E4, you are expected to become familiar with the experimentation frameworks there relatively quickly: "I got feedback about experimenting, and I'm unsure how to process it."

Here's what I recommend to prepare yourself for the Meta role and succeed there:

• The Complete Onboarding Guide For Software Engineers
• Nail Your Promotion: Junior To Mid-Level (L3 -> L4)

I'd focus more on the quality of the manager than the team.

how should one define impact after joining a team?

Talk to engineers (ideally senior+ who have been on the team for 1+ year), and ask how they measured impact. Ask the manager about the projects they think will be valuable, and how will that be measured.

Thanks Alex & Rahul - very helpful info indeed. Do you think these job cuts at Meta (every year) are here to stay? Also, any tips on battling imposter syndrome, especially when coming from a non-FAANG company?