Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

141–150 of 268 posts

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#141

Post by anonknowsaguy »

pjc50 wrote: post #101
anonazon123 wrote: post #22

No change since the NYT article. Amazon only changes things when it has to, and only in a lip-service kind of way. There was a flurry of discussion and proposals when the article was published, but it's all died down and we're back to where we were beforehand. Compensation, culture, and perks are infinitely better at Google, Facebook, Lyft, Uber, etc. All of them start vesting your stock monthly after 1 year, whereas…

I'm curious, does this apply to all of Amazon globally? I was considering Amazon Dublin and would be interested to hear what it's like there.

A colleague of mine moved to a senior position in Amazon Dublin about 3 years back. He quit in less than a year after being fed up with the ultra conservative attitudes of the people calling the shots there. He also mentioned they're pretty frugal when it comes to employee perks. Also you had to be on call two weekends a month. But it's a big company so maybe he just had a bad experience.

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#143

Post by humanrebar »

burfog wrote: post #65
sadamznintern wrote: post #37

I interned at Amazon last year in the Alexa org (non-frontline team in ML). My team was rarely in the office before 10:30 or after 6, even during crunch time (we launched our feature during my internship) but i did see code review responses at odd hours sometimes. I enjoyed the project a bunch, and while my coworkers werent the most social bunch they were pretty smart and effective. I did pretty well and exceeded man…

You forgot cost of living. Converting your numbers from Seattle to San Francisco: $203,000 with a base of $148,400. I don't know what the extra $55,000 is. An expected bonus? Some rough guess regarding future value of stock options? Retirement fund matching? You didn't make the distinction for your friends. Where I am, your standard of living can be had for $90,160 with a base of $65,910. The needed pay drops by abou…

> It's like my dollars are almost 50% better than your dollars.

Only if you're living paycheck to paycheck.

It doesn't make sense to adjust your savings rate (or loan repayment rate) by cost of living.

To illustrate, assuming you're living off of your base (a single 20-something can probably do better though), you're comparing saving a $39k bonus or a $24k bonus. That's over a 50% difference in savings rate.

That's not to say you should take the higher paying job. There are other considerations besides money, obviously.

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#144

Post by akerro »

codeonfire wrote: post #34

Thanks to linked in, I saw who was on a 1st level connection with the ex-director there who was arrested for running ads for prostitutes in Bellevue. Those 1st level contacts are still there and in higher positions now. Being 1st level on linkedin doesn't mean they are the same character or were part of the crime, but they are all in management positions. I emailed some women that still worked there and told them the…

What did you say?

- Hello, I stalked your supervisor, he's in a business of prostitution, you should leave your work.

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#145

Post by a-j-h »

DoubleGlazing wrote: post #136
pjc50 wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious, does this apply to all of Amazon globally? I was considering Amazon Dublin and would be interested to hear what it's like there.

I interviewed for a C# dev job at their new Dublin offices in the old Irish Nationwide building. I had to attend a recruitment open day watching presentations about why Amazon is so great and then come back a few days later for a surprisingly easy technical and HR interview. Despite being refurbished their work space looked very basic and clinical, but at least there were good views on the higher floors. No free food…

> their new Dublin offices in the old Irish Nationwide building

Amazon also have a new build office block on Burlington Road which they are currently moving into.

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#146

Post by dasmoth »

sokoloff wrote: post #103
gigatexal wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What gave it away? The fact that there’s a department called Human Resources? The only way to not feel like a cog in a wheel is to be your own boss.

> a department called Human Resources And in that phrase, "Human" is the adjective ...

The alternative seems to be something like “people operations”. I don’t find that any more encouraging, really...

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#147

Post by some_account »

sadamznintern wrote: post #43

I couldnt get into any of the companies you mentioned and picked Amazon as a last resort. What should I do now? Ive contemplated suicide but i dont know if thats a wise choice.

Are you f-cking kidding me? You are going to commit suicide because you can't get into another douchebag company filled with politics and competetive people??

It's just unreal to hear something like that. Amazon may be a shit company but it still looks great on a CV to the other clueless companies out there. Work there for a while, then go to some upstart where you are valued and important!

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#148

Post by thatoneguytoo »

tinderliker wrote: post #96
wizardofmysore wrote: post #71

In my team and all the orgs under my manager's manager is pretty chill. We are a team out of India. In India the comp is really high compared to other Indian companies. The vesting cycle is same as US though. I have heard about the bad culture in US. I have never seen anyone cry or even stressed. We don't have many crunch days.

TBH Amazon Indian org is known (from the Seattle folks I spoke to) for being sub-par filled with employees from service companies, so no surprises there.

^this. Part of my team at AMZN is in Bangalore, and they really are way below average compared to US. Usually its taken as low cost centre to send less lucrative work there, like operational stuff...

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#149

Post by mattzito »

throwaway84742 wrote: post #131
anonazon123 wrote: post #22

No change since the NYT article. Amazon only changes things when it has to, and only in a lip-service kind of way. There was a flurry of discussion and proposals when the article was published, but it's all died down and we're back to where we were beforehand. Compensation, culture, and perks are infinitely better at Google, Facebook, Lyft, Uber, etc. All of them start vesting your stock monthly after 1 year, whereas…

I heard FB starts vesting monthly right away these days, which imo is absolutely the way it should be. Google, take notice.

Google is also doing this now, fwiw.

Re: Ask HN: Amazon software engineers, how is the work culture now?

#150

Post by itronitron »

sjapkee wrote: post #122
swarnie_ wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I definitely stay at work, and stay on campus longer because of the free breakfasts and lunches.

Spend your free time on work... Very stupid idea.

it isn't really your free time if it involves going out and finding food
Post reply on HN