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What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

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Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#11
post #4
post #2

Value all parts of compensation that you cannot easily sell at zero. Options? Zero. RSUs for a private company? Zero. Promises for future raises? Zero. Actually: any promises - zero. (Promises on signed paper may sometimes be worth more than zero) Always remember that the place you work at has no (and owes no) loyalty to you. Calculate accordingly.

Important: same goes for bonuses, which are also practically promises, and are not guaranteed.

Some bonuses actually are contractually guaranteed. They might be variable by performance, but every company I've worked for with a bonus plan has guaranteed some bonus outside of the absolute worst performance (in which case you should be looking for a new job long before this becomes an issue)

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#12
post #6
post #2

Value all parts of compensation that you cannot easily sell at zero. Options? Zero. RSUs for a private company? Zero. Promises for future raises? Zero. Actually: any promises - zero. (Promises on signed paper may sometimes be worth more than zero) Always remember that the place you work at has no (and owes no) loyalty to you. Calculate accordingly.

I’m in this situation right now. Got my first job 17 months ago at a FAANG. Was promised compounding RSUs every year and a bonus every year. They’ve delayed the compensation by 5 months because “I joined late.” They didn’t tell me about this until I asked about 10 months in. Hell I joined this company earlier out of college than most students. 2 weeks of vacation post-college when most students were taking 2-3 months…

Which FAANG company hasn't been giving you bonuses or refresher grants?

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#13

It's interesting that nearly all of these pieces of advice are fairly non-controversial. What's the point of posting stuff anonymously if it's the same stuff that most people would be happy to attach their name to?

Right, I saw basically nothing there that would be controversial.

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#14
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m in this situation right now. Got my first job 17 months ago at a FAANG. Was promised compounding RSUs every year and a bonus every year. They’ve delayed the compensation by 5 months because “I joined late.” They didn’t tell me about this until I asked about 10 months in. Hell I joined this company earlier out of college than most students. 2 weeks of vacation post-college when most students were taking 2-3 months…

Which FAANG company hasn't been giving you bonuses or refresher grants?

Has to be Amazon or Apple. Probably Amazon due to the skimping on RSUs and bonuses, have heard that they’re upping the PIPs lately

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#15
post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’m in this situation right now. Got my first job 17 months ago at a FAANG. Was promised compounding RSUs every year and a bonus every year. They’ve delayed the compensation by 5 months because “I joined late.” They didn’t tell me about this until I asked about 10 months in. Hell I joined this company earlier out of college than most students. 2 weeks of vacation post-college when most students were taking 2-3 months…

Which FAANG company hasn't been giving you bonuses or refresher grants?

Definitely not Google or Netflix. Netflix they’re automatic and basically the same for Google.

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#16
post #2

Value all parts of compensation that you cannot easily sell at zero. Options? Zero. RSUs for a private company? Zero. Promises for future raises? Zero. Actually: any promises - zero. (Promises on signed paper may sometimes be worth more than zero) Always remember that the place you work at has no (and owes no) loyalty to you. Calculate accordingly.

Honestly this is bad advice. Sure, you shouldn’t plan your life around striking it rich but if you’re going to take a job thinking the equity comp is worthless then you are probably choosing the wrong company and/or going to negotiate poorly. Late stage growth companies that offer RSUs can be sold on secondary markets, so even though it’s not as easy to sell it is probably not worth 0 unless something is very wrong,…

Maybe you've had good experiences; mine are that this is excellent advice - companies are there for themselves and not (repeat: not) for you.

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#17
post #8

> When you’re in college... Your time is less valuable This really jumped out at me. As a college student, I've never had so many opportunities available to me at once -- nor so little maturity with which to take advantage of them. That said, I certainly agree with taking care of low-level health problems, the sooner the better.

Mobility but no means, versus means but no mobility.

Most people find later in life that they actually had more means then they realized.

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#18
post #6
post #2

Value all parts of compensation that you cannot easily sell at zero. Options? Zero. RSUs for a private company? Zero. Promises for future raises? Zero. Actually: any promises - zero. (Promises on signed paper may sometimes be worth more than zero) Always remember that the place you work at has no (and owes no) loyalty to you. Calculate accordingly.

I’m in this situation right now. Got my first job 17 months ago at a FAANG. Was promised compounding RSUs every year and a bonus every year. They’ve delayed the compensation by 5 months because “I joined late.” They didn’t tell me about this until I asked about 10 months in. Hell I joined this company earlier out of college than most students. 2 weeks of vacation post-college when most students were taking 2-3 months…

How are those things not specified in the contract?

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Which FAANG company hasn't been giving you bonuses or refresher grants?

Definitely not Google or Netflix. Netflix they’re automatic and basically the same for Google.

Same at Facebook and Apple. At least, they're entirely formulaic.

Re: What’s good career advice you wouldn’t want to have your name on?

#20
> * Gain the trust of people who have a lot of influence. One big benefit of working with such people is that you can learn a lot; another is that if you do good work, they come to respect and trust you — and that can be crucial in getting the best jobs.*

Best advice in that article. Find the people who are clearly the thought leaders and ask them to mentor you.

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