My Interviews with Amazon

Post by nsxwolf » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 7:03 PM UTC

pc86 wrote: post #123

hellogoodbyeeee wrote: post #12

I'm a little confused. The recruiter said that $170-$200k was an acceptable range. Then they offered him the position for significantly less than that. I don't understand why he even considered the offer. I would have been really upset that they wasted my time with a bait and switch. Am wrong for feeling that way? Are there other factors to consider?

You are not wrong, but there are always other factors to consider. The recruiter has no incentive to tell the truth regarding salary unless it's way off. Think of it this way: worst case scenario, exactly what happens happens. The recruiter gets someone to apply who everyone likes but they don't accept an offer. Best case scenario, something makes the guy take the lower offer - whether it's his wife losing her job or…

Post by nsxwolf » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 7:07 PM UTC

perspectivep wrote: post #19

ivraatiems wrote: post #5

Good on the author for making the decision based on his and his family's needs and not "but it's a top-tier company, man, you gotta work for the best be the best do the BEST." People often don't consider cost-of-living when making job decisions. I think the way to do it is to equalize the salaries based on cost-of-living across each company you're considering. So if you make $60,000 in a small midwestern town, that's…

> So if you make $60,000 in a small midwestern town, that's the same as making $120k in Seattle or the Bay Area. Not true at all. I made almost that exact jump when moving from the Midwest to Seattle. You're forgetting things like raises, bonuses, and 401(k) matching that are a % of your salary. Sign-on bonuses and stock benefits are common out here but rare in the Midwest. Plus, even if your housing cost doubles, ot…

Post by overcast » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 7:18 PM UTC

Post by wargame » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 7:29 PM UTC

hibikir wrote: post #115

ivraatiems wrote: post #5

Good on the author for making the decision based on his and his family's needs and not "but it's a top-tier company, man, you gotta work for the best be the best do the BEST." People often don't consider cost-of-living when making job decisions. I think the way to do it is to equalize the salaries based on cost-of-living across each company you're considering. So if you make $60,000 in a small midwestern town, that's…

The difference in practice is nowhere near that though: I made those 60K when I graduated, in 2000! Salaries in the midwest for experienced engineers are far better than 80K: A few years ago, I made 120K as a full time employee in St Louis. A darned good house is 200K. Consulting gigs pay more: Last year I billed 220K, just a single customer. In comparison, I know senior engineers in the bay area making 150K at compa…

Post by jeffbarr » Thu, Jul 28, 2016, 7:32 PM UTC

ryanlm wrote: post #11

larrik wrote: post #3

Interesting, I get pestered by them constantly, and never actually considered going for it. For one thing, the common sentiment on HN seems to be 'friends don't let friends work for Amazon'. Amazon seems like a meat grinder, where getting hired isn't as hard as it seems, and they just burn through young people who don't know better. This is as someone completely on the outside who's only heard stories, though. When I…

I'll work for them in a heartbeat. Seriously, I want to work somewhere where I'm never bored, and can take part in conversations, etc. It seems like a good place for an ambitious new grad for a few years. If there are any Amazon employees reading this, please reach out!