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

261–268 of 268 posts

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

#261

Post by [deleted] »

sadamznintern wrote: post #202
mter wrote: post #21

I work under 40 hours a week with no pressure to work more, I get along with my coworkers and look forward to going to work in the morning. I have worked a crunch time that was pretty terrible, but that was a once off. It's been almost 2 years since my last crunch time. The comp is decent. It doesn't match google/fb but it's better than a non tech company. I have a target of ~170 total comp as an SDE II with just und…

> I have a target of ~170 total comp as an SDE II with just under 4 years of experience out of college. This is honestly lower than I expected. I have friends who are new grads at Facebook that make more than that with 0 years of experience.

[deleted]

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

#262

Post by mzz80 »

naikrovek wrote: post #238
mter wrote: post #21

I work under 40 hours a week with no pressure to work more, I get along with my coworkers and look forward to going to work in the morning. I have worked a crunch time that was pretty terrible, but that was a once off. It's been almost 2 years since my last crunch time. The comp is decent. It doesn't match google/fb but it's better than a non tech company. I have a target of ~170 total comp as an SDE II with just und…

>my take home is quite a bit over 170. I hate you so much. I have been clawing and scratching my way to $100k/yr for over 20 years and I am still nowhere near it. I do more work than my peers, my peers come to me when they need a solution designed or created, and I am the go-to guy when someone has a technical question of any kind. I work for a company you are all familiar with, no matter where you are in the world.…

Are you in the Silicon Valley or Seattle? Location matters when you're talking about compensation numbers. If you're on a visa it also seems like your compensation could be less due to negotiation power. However, it sounds like you're not in the Silicon Valley since salaries for new grads start at above 100k/yr. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not when you factor in the cost of living.

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

#263

Post by mzz80 »

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.

That attitude is a reflection of your internal perceptions. I got into all the companies mentioned and I chose Amazon as my first choice.

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

#264

Post by imauld »

sjapkee wrote: post #77
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…

>no free food/drinks It's sooooo important.

Depending on where your office is, it could be.

My last company was in an office park in the middle of no where and I don't drive. There were no stores within walking distance either. So if I felt like having a snack or something to drink that wasn't water I'd be SOL. So it was nice that we had snacks and drinks available and made working in such a remote spot much more tolerable.

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

#265

Post by shwin »

pc86 wrote: post #174
ImSkeptical wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think it really depends on the team you're on at Amazon. (well, the vesting, free drinks etc doesn't). I never found the NYT article to be even slightly representative of my time at Amazon, and the group I was in at the time made additional changes to help improve morale that really worked. I believe you can find a good, or bad, team to work on at Amazon, and I assume the same is true of other big companies too (I…

If anyone here honestly believes free food and office decor stack up as benefits right alongside retirement benefits and vesting schedules, please take a step back and evaluate your life. I'd rather live on a software developer's salary with no 401k access and a 6 year vesting cliff than live on 2/3rd the salary with immediate vesting and a generous 401k match.

What's your math?

In year 0-6, I would think the latter case comes up better, assuming (which is definitely true at like, all large tech companies) that yearly stock + 401k match (not even touching tax benefits) is better than 1/3 of your salary?

I would think stock + 401k > 1/3 salary basically (this was true for me at Workday, anyway)

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

#266

Post by dfire »

throwaway84742 wrote: post #12
dieterrams wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mind if I ask what team(s) you were on at Amazon? Looking to avoid the worst. I’m starting to get the impression, though, that if I want to be happiest as a Big Tech Co. engineer, I really just need to work at Google.

I heard FB is good as well, though I still don’t get why they need so many people to do what they do. Heck, even MS is probably better than Amazon. I delete all Amazon recruiter emails (of which I receive about 2 per week) as soon as they arrive.

"even MS is probably better than Amazon" - what makes you think so poorly of Microsoft?

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

#267

Post by naikrovek »

mzz80 wrote: post #262
naikrovek wrote: post #238

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>my take home is quite a bit over 170. I hate you so much. I have been clawing and scratching my way to $100k/yr for over 20 years and I am still nowhere near it. I do more work than my peers, my peers come to me when they need a solution designed or created, and I am the go-to guy when someone has a technical question of any kind. I work for a company you are all familiar with, no matter where you are in the world.…

Are you in the Silicon Valley or Seattle? Location matters when you're talking about compensation numbers. If you're on a visa it also seems like your compensation could be less due to negotiation power. However, it sounds like you're not in the Silicon Valley since salaries for new grads start at above 100k/yr. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not when you factor in the cost of living.

It is a lot. You don't have to live in the most expensive house you can find within 10 minutes of work.

I am a US citizen and I didn't go to college. I live near Chicago.

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

#268

Post by jbpetersen »

naikrovek wrote: post #267
mzz80 wrote: post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you in the Silicon Valley or Seattle? Location matters when you're talking about compensation numbers. If you're on a visa it also seems like your compensation could be less due to negotiation power. However, it sounds like you're not in the Silicon Valley since salaries for new grads start at above 100k/yr. It sounds like a lot, but it's really not when you factor in the cost of living.

It is a lot. You don't have to live in the most expensive house you can find within 10 minutes of work. I am a US citizen and I didn't go to college. I live near Chicago.

You could always move to where things are booming and see your salary double overnight.
Post reply on HN