Team Selection Q&A and Videos

Hi everyone,

I hope this message finds you well. I'm currently an SDE-II at Amazon and have developed a keen interest in advancing my career towards AI, specifically in Vision and Autonomous Systems.

I am reaching out to seek advice on how to approach this transition within Amazon. I value my current role and team, but I'm eager to align my career with my growing interest in AI technologies.

Could anyone share their experiences or advice on how to discuss this career aspiration with my manager and skip level? Additionally, I would be grateful for any guidance on mentorship programs, internal channels, or resources that were instrumental in your career transitions within Amazon, particularly into AI-focused roles.

Any insights or recommendations on how to navigate this path would be immensely appreciated. Thank you for your time and help!

Hey Folks,

I have the famous question here : Big tech -> startup : Should I do it?

Context:

I have a pretty toxic leadership. I have even got offers internally, but the leadership played political and I didn't end up switching teams. Also to note, I was told that I have been given "meets most" or the lowest rating a person can get.

This was a pretty horrible, as I was in exceeds in my mid year. I am not sure why they are being nasty.

And rumor is that they will be letting folks with this rating go this month. ( All on blind, and some managers from other teams also confirmed, but I have not been given a last day yet)

Given this a context, I just want to see if I should take up a startup offer.

I have 10+ YOE, and I see that I am not getting as many calls as I used to just 2 years back. And the interviews are much more random. This makes me concerned.

I am not on visa. But moving from big tech -> start up is a huge paycut.

What do you suggest I do?

Hi Taro. I worked at Amazon as an SDE for a couple of years before I was laid off. Recently, I signed an offer for a 6 month contract at Amazon. I might get a one year contract at Meta soon though. I never worked at Meta before. I wonder if it is worth burning the bridge with Amazon to take the role at Meta.

I have a few reasons for wanting to take Meta.

• Amazon is only 6 months and it may not get renewed. I don't want to put a short role on my resume and be looking for a job again in 6 months.
• Long term, I don't want to be at Amazon. Amazon really hurt my mental health.
• I would like to join Meta as a full time a lot more than I want to for Amazon. Their culture reputation is not great either, but I really believe it's better than Amazon.

I have one reason for wanting to stick with Amazon:

• It's not like jobs fall out of the sky. I am returning to Amazon now and I may return there one day for a full time role even though I prefer not to.

Context can be found below:

I am a 32-year-old engineer with 7 years of experience. For the past 5 years, I've been working at a startup that is around 10-12 years old and recently went public, serving as a mid-level backend engineer.

Despite my time at the company, I haven't seen much career growth. I received my first promotion after a year and a half, but nothing significant has happened since then. I'm feeling lost and unsure about my next steps. The work is unmotivating, and I feel like I'm not learning or growing. I'm constantly occupied with production issues, and my manager frequently cancels 1:1 meetings. Even though I receive positive feedback, I know I'm not fully utilizing my potential, which is troubling as my years of experience increase without meaningful progress.

Currently, I'm extremely demotivated and struggle to find the drive to work each day. I wake up feeling stuck and unhappy with my job. Although I get my monthly salary and perform my duties, I'm no longer passionate about my work. I have the knowledge and skills, but I just don't feel like contributing to this company anymore.

Can you help? I'm not happy with my current situation. I used to be a curious person, staying up all night coding and learning new things. However, for the past two years, I've been merely going through the motions at work. I want to regain my curiosity and sense of empowerment, so that when I go to bed each night, I feel excited about what I can achieve the next day.

One of the questions I have is product manager same as the project manager (TPM)? It means a bit hazy between companies and has always puzzled me when looking at a job opening.

Another question was around what are the natural progressions for each of these titles in the career?

I've noticed that my manager often doesn't acknowledge my suggestions or thoughts during team meetings, even though our one-on-one interactions are fine. I feel that high-impact opportunities are given to other team members, despite my requests for them. I am moved to support work recently (manager claims that this is also high impact and there is scope to reduce operational work). Additionally, I received the no salary increment in my team in last review.

I also feel that my manager supports a teammate at the same level as me more than they support me, even though we are both working towards promotion.

I'm not sure what to do—whether to stay and hope things improve or transfer to another team and start fresh. If I change teams, I will need to start working from scratch for my promotion.

I have been impacted by the recent layoffs. Let’s call it Company A. After that, I got an offer from company B. Since I’m on H1B visa, I had to sign the offer and join the company as soon as the visa transfer is completed. Let’s say a short time (less than 2 months) after joining company B, I got an offer from other companies - company C that I have interviewed in the past which offer better level, scope (project) and TC and if I decide to move to company C.

Questions:

1. How should I notify the manager at company B and explain them the situation?
2. How and when do I notify company C that I had to join company B to maintain my visa status?
3. I’m afraid that company C would think bad as I’m leaving a recently joined company B (what if the company C’s recruiter think if I will do same with them in future)
4. What if the company C does layoffs after joining them?
5. Is there a possibility to make sure anything(s) with company B to burn as less bridges as possible?
6. Communication tips are much appreciated
7. Any other inputs/questions I need to keep in mind

Thank you so much.

For example: If an organisation does not value quality code but no. of features shipped, I feel it would eventually face difficulty in adding new features. Thoughts?

I was reached out to by a recruiter from a non-American, overseas company (1000+ employees, multi-billion). The company is doing cool tech work, but the division that I'd be working with has 3.4 on Glassdoor with people complaining about culture and WLB.

Based on that alone, I'm inclined to pass. I'm thinking that I want my next role to have 4+ on Glassdoor.

Is that reasonable? I know this depends on what you want in career, but good WLB and nice people are top 4 for me.

I'm in a dilemma of wanting to change my career from a Data Engineering background to a SWE one.

My dilemma is about me not having too much of a coding background (too much SQL) and not wanting to do badly, alongside with probably having to accept less pay.

If someone is just starting into software industry as a fresh graduate then why not to get into AI/ML instead of software development?

I'm taking the first steps to leave my current job and need some help figuring out where I should go next.

For context, I've worked a couple of jobs across the private and public sectors, with my current job being at a consultancy. I like the work-life balance, my colleagues and openness to personal development at my current role but don't like how inconsistent the workload can be. It's often peaks and valleys when it comes to how much work needs to be done on a weekly or sometimes monthly basis. It usually means as employees, we sometimes have several days of little to no work, which to me feels like a waste of time that I could be using to develop my skills through actual projects. Also, the pay is lower than the average in my city. (Not a massive issue, but times are tough with inflation.) The other issue is that I'm often jumping around many different tools and languages, which has been good for building general skills, but I want to build more of an expertise in something.

Here's where I'm stuck. I'm looking at a ton of jobs and I find it difficult to know what is appropriate for me. I often second guess things like the job title, seniority level (This one especially. I never feel like I'm good enough.), type of company and pay, just to name a few.

I know there isn't a "perfect company" and at some point I need to bite the bullet.

What I'm hoping some people can answer is some questions to ask myself, or even a checklist to work through to overcome the overthinking and just start applying for things. I'm hoping that this sort of process can get myself to a point of applying once I've added some extra details to the resume.

What are your thoughts? What steps do you take to deciding on a company/role to apply for?

God, the universe work in funny ways. I've been in my current job for a couple of years and have been looking to get out basically since I started. The job was never as engineering-oriented as I wanted it to be, but my manager was really nice and I grew comfortable, so that slowed my exit a lot. I also went through an evolution in my job search, from certificate gathering to blind Leetcode grinding to job hunting over those 2 years that made me a better job-seeker.

And then finally, this week, fortune smiled on me: I got not one, but two job offers that pay decently (both comfortably above my current role) and where I would develop much more valuable skills as a Software/Data Engineer.

One is at a large financial data vendor (think Bloomberg) with 10K employees. The other is at a boutique data science and analytics consulting firm that only has 10-15 people. The latter offered actually a little more money, but not significantly more. The title at both is "Senior Software Engineer", which is good, because even though I'm actually a Data Engineer in both places, I know I'll be an Engineering-oriented one rather than an Analytics-oriented one.

But here's the twist: I'm pretty sure I want to move to Asia now. The reason for the move is personal: I have a lot of family and friends there and it's been something I've wanted to try for a long time.

So here's my dilemma: do I stay or do I go? If I don't end up leaving, then switching companies is obviously the right move. However, this is unlikely. I'm pretty sure I want to go. I cite this because making the move to a different country is a process that will take me 4-6 months, and stuff can always happen that might change my mind. Again, not likely, but needs to be said.

The more interesting and likely scenario is where I do go ahead and move in 4-6 months time. Do I accept a new job then? I think the straightforward answer is no and that's for 2 reasons: 1) it can look bad/odd on my resume if I list working at a company for 4 - 6 months prior to moving; 2) starting at a new job is usually stressful and there's a lot to learn. Moving, especially to a new country/continent, is also stressful, so why add to my stress? My current job is comfortable, so it won't stress me.

However, changing jobs also has a compelling reason which is I will learn more at my new job (whichever it is). Probably a lot more. I feel like I've stagnated at my current job and haven't learned the best and latest tools in the DE space: Spark, Airflow, Docker, Cloud. Changing jobs will give me that exposure, and 4-6 months is not nothing! Heck, university co-op terms are only 4 months! Plus, if go to the consultancy, I might get assigned a project that is only 4 months (or fewer), so I might be able to add value before the move. So the "odd-look" on my resume could be totally offset by the learning/growing I do and the tools /projects I'm able to add to my resume as a result.

To answer the question of whether I can take my job with me, I'm pretty skeptical, particularly for the big vendor. They want me in the office 3 days/wk, and on top of that, I will have been there max 6 months by the time I go. Not prime time to ask to relocate. Plus, I'm pretty sure the role is tied to my current location, so it's almost certainly a no. The consultancy has greater chances, but even there, not sure they'll want someone to continue working for them who can never come in and who's in a different timezone.

So that's a wrap! I think I gave a lot of context, but happy to provide more if needed!

Thanks :)

I work in AI and am considering working in my next company, Google, Meta/Facebook, and Apple have all called given my reputation in the industry as a past startup founder and well known open source contributor.

What should I think about in joining a company beyond perks and benefits? Should I optimize for learning with an AI legend in their early stage venture that has raised half a billion but hasn’t built or released a product yet, or go for a larger publicly traded company with many layers of management that has established promotion paths and product market fit. What else should I consider before taking a job?

I switched jobs a few months ago. Recently, I shared with my skip during our quarterly 1:1 that I'm not feeling much of a long-term vision or impact in my current team. He hinted at a potential opportunity to work on a new project crucial for an upcoming product launch.

I'm eager for growth but hesitant about switching teams again, considering it would be my third move in a short time. Also, the details of what we'll build, how it'll integrate with other products, etc are still uncertain, as is the org structure for the new project's ownership. This raises concerns about stability. However, I'm inclined to embrace the opportunity, especially after reading about embracing ambiguity for growth from Alex's LinkedIn post.

My ultimate goal is to transition to a different org, but I know I need to demonstrate impact first. Any advice on navigating this situation would be greatly appreciated.

I have 2 years of experience in big tech product related teams (Typescript frontend and C# backend) and I want to pivot to more low level teams for better on call and team cultures. AI compiler / accelerators seem like a growing field. What are some good resources to learn?

I checked out one Microsoft Maia team that have 12 people. 10 of them are principal level. The team looks highly specialized, which makes cutting into it even harder.

I know for sure that one of my friends got that at OCI -> Oracle switch. What about Faangs?

Large tech companies used to provide a sense of stability and financial security, but with falling stock prices and layoffs everywhere I wonder if joining a hyper growth late-stage startup with a growing business and hefty pre-ipo RSUs is a better choice?

I switched jobs ~4 months ago and switched teams (not voluntarily) after ~1 month. My eventual goal is to (voluntarily) internally transfer into the AI org once I'm eligible.

During a 1:1 with my skip manager, I mentioned that my current team didn’t have much opportunity for impact. He floated a meaty project in a different org and asked if I was interested. Previous question . Let’s call this option 1. Afterward, I spoke to my direct manager, who presented opportunities in the other team that he directly manages. Let’s call this option 2.

Now I'm trying to decide between these options.

Pros of option 1:

• More technically interesting
• Platform/infra play that will eventually integrate with every single product => project has large scope

Cons of option 1:

• Not sure whom I'll work with
• Not sure how much support I'd get. (Good thing if lots of scope; bad thing if I'm flailing alone)
• Org structure tbd: although my skip asked if I want to work on this, he’s loaning engineers to another org to fund the initiative.
• Uncertainty re: how well defined the work is

Pros of option 2:

• I know there are things that I can start working on tomorrow that are time-sensitive and needed for an upcoming product launch.
• My EM manages this team and is responsible for the overall delivery. He seems to care more about this new project/team than my current team.
  • It sounds like my EM would rather that I work on option 2 than option 1
• Product surface is high-visibility and therefore affords opportunity for impact

Cons of option 2:

• I'm less interested in product / user-facing work, even though it's high-visibility

With all this in mind, does anyone have advice on which option I should pick or things to keep in mind?

Thanks for reading this far!

I just started my first job out of college as a Data Scientist over a month ago. The team I got assigned to was formed just recently after a reorg and is somewhat of a mess. I feel like our team is responsible for a lot of the repetitive, low-value, and uninteresting work (i.e a lot of boilerplate SQL with inefficient cross-functional processes) that other teams don't want. Also all the ICs on our team are either new to the company or new to this product line so the team has been struggling trying to ramp up. We also have to deliver projects to our internal clients under very tight deadlines so the stress level is always high. However I do love the company and my internship on another team last year was great, so I would like to stay in this company for at least the next 2-3 years. I know the best thing for me right now is probably to keep my head down and become good at my job. However, it would be great if I can get some perspective on how to navigate this situation and stand out under this kind of circumstance. What would be the best for me both in terms of short and long-term growth?

Thanks so much for taking the time!

What aspects/criteria should I consider when it comes to staying in a company vs switching companies vs switching teams internally? (Keeping in mind of How often is switching companies healthy?

Follow up: How hard/easy it becomes as and when we grow further in career (keeping in mind about senior roles in next company/family etc.)

My company recently changed my remote role to in-person and I have to move cross-country.

I started interviewing for the few remote companies that are left and got an offer.

My problem is that I really like my company and my team. It's a midsize company with about 500 engineers or so. I'm wondering if people have any suggestions / tips on how to make a decision in a case like this. For me, being remote is important since it enables me to live near my family right now, but my career progression is also important at this moment and I can always go back to remote later in my life. Thoughts on this?

I also wonder if I can leverage this offer and ask my company for an exception. My team really needs me since I'm the team lead with deep knowledge about a lot of our new services and it can kill some of our projects completely, at least for 6-12 months.

How can I avoid being assigned a manager who is managing people for the first time? This happened to me and my colleagues multiple times and it was always extremely stressful and unpleasant to work with someone who is managing people for the first time.

I know this would never happen to a staff engineer or a tech lead, but I'm mid-level.

Should I ask to move to another team? What reason should I give for wanting to switch teams?

I have been working as a backend engineer for around 6 to 7 years, splitting my time between India and the UAE. Recently, I've come to the realization that I don't derive much enjoyment from software engineering. Also, I don't plan to stick to current startup for long as I don't see much future ahead. Consequently, I am contemplating pursuing an MBA with the aim of transitioning into either product management at major tech companies like FAANG or management consulting at firms such as McKinsey. I don't have a strong preference for either career path; my primary consideration is which one offers higher compensation in Europe.

Question:

1. After obtaining an MBA from a top business school, which role typically commands a higher salary: product manager or management consultant?

2. If I were to continue in software engineering and attempt to transition to a position at a FAANG company in Europe, which role would likely yield the highest income: engineer, product manager, or management consultant?

3. Can I get breakup of salary?

I acknowledge that these questions may seem unconventional, but at this juncture, my main focus is on maximizing my earning potential as I navigate my career path.