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How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

oliverzheng.com

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Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#161

Post by ardit33 »

deckard1 wrote: post #102

......................

You sound like somebody that doesn't understands the issue the author is conveying. While it might not apply to everyone, it applies to many people that work at top companies.

When leaving a company that has coddled you for years (think top offices, great food all the time, drinks, snacks, perks of traveling, people recognizing the brand, etc...), it can be a tough adjustment for the first two months. You might not miss the work, but you will miss the perks for sure.

Also, the two years salary requirement is a good rule of thumb. It gives you enough time to: 1) Relax, travel, and decompress for few months and 2) Start your own project, and see it to completion (any non trivial project will take at least one year).

I did something similar, and I think the author's advice is good.

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#162

Post by ardit33 »

deckard1 wrote: post #160
phyzome wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unemployable after 2 years? In what world? People take sabbaticals all the time. They raise kids. They start businesses. They take care of sick family members. They work on personal projects. There are a shitload of reasons people take time off. And then they pick up at a new job.

..

I disagree.... I am doing this, and I have friends that did the extended "1 year" + holiday/sabbatical, and yes they found jobs fine after it.

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#163

Post by thaumasiotes »

danans wrote: post #141
Redoubts wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand how you couldn't save 50% of your income per year while working at facebook.

Assuming a $200k income, a modest 2bd Bay area house, 2 preschool aged children, between mortgage/rent (4k/mo), childcare (20+k/child/year), car, food, taxes, and other basic life expenses, it's totally possible not to save 50%. Unless you meant as a childless single person making 200k/yr. Then yes, it's easy.

> Assuming a $200k income... 2 preschool aged children... childcare (20+k/child/year)

Does $200k not seem low for a two-income family? Does paying for childcare not seem strange for a one-income family?

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#164

Post by phyzome »

caymanjim wrote: post #32
AceJohnny2 wrote: post #20

> you have enough savings to last at least two years. I've always heard it as being 6 months. Especially with his next point assuming you can certainly find employment. Or maybe that's what I chose to remember, because I'm lucky enough to work in a high-employment sector in a region that can't fill enough positions: i.e. my profile is in high demand. (... for now. I know)

Almost no one has enough savings to last two years. It's an absurd metric and enforces how out of touch the author is. It reads as nothing more than a brag. Anyone good enough to get hired by Facebook in the first place is going to have no problem finding a job in two weeks, nevermind two years. Quit, shop around and burn some savings until you find something good enough. If it's not your dream job, stick with good e…

> Almost no one has enough savings to last two years.

This doesn't seem correct to me, but people don't like to talk about their personal financial situation (any of income, expenses, and savings) sooo... I guess hard to say.

I'd definitely be able to live for 2 years on my savings, but I'm pretty frugal and am privileged to not have student loans. I recognize this is not everybody's situation, but I don't think it's helpful to constructive to frame it as "bragging" or "humble" or any such words. People have different situations and I think it should be OK to talk about that.

That said, it's probably overly conservative to say 2 years as a minimum. I'd use the standard 6 months figure for that. 2 years is a good idea if you can swing it, obviously...

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#165

Post by ryandrake »

debt wrote: post #135
DarkTree wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I've worked at a couple very high-profile companies in the Valley and have never felt this prestige primarily because I don't hang out with complete douchebags. > If people get all starry-eyed when you announce the company you work for; run in the opposite direction. Get over yourself and out of your bubble. American culture constantly pushes the value of prestige and the way of obtaining that being going to good s…

It’s one thing for friends or family to think where you working at is cool and another thing for random people to be inflating your ego. Or you may start to think you’re better than other people because of where you work. I’ve seen this phenomenon in San Francisco quite a bit. That is where the person and their entire social circles become cliques that serve simply to reinforce their ego. It’s sad and weird to observ…

I think many people ask that “So... where do you work?” or “What do you do for a living?” question as a polite way to figure out where to stack you on their social status totem pole. At least in the Bay Area and likely other places, you kind of have to go out of your way to find people who dont do this. Usually I just say I’m an exotic dancer, which often gets a chuckle, breaks the ice and subtly sends the message that I’m not interested in being silently judged based on where I work.

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#167

Post by phyzome »

southphillyman wrote: post #52

The article is blocked for me, but writing a blog about why you quit and what you plan to do next seems to be pretty effective. Any insider blog or article about FANG seems to do well, but one's which describe why a person DOES NOT want to work there have increased likelihood of going viral. I'm sure those writers get flooded immediately by recruiters and the like.

Does this work for you? https://archive.fo/4XcXQ

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#168

Post by shostack »

wil421 wrote: post #105
hellllllllooo wrote: post #93

2 years of savings is a crazy suggestion. 3-6 months should be fine especially if you've got top tier company on your resume.

Why would you quit before finding a job? I work on a relatively mundane but desirable platform at a boring megacorp and get hit up by recruiters on LinkedIn weekly.

When I moved to the Bay my wife got a job before I did and I was fortunate enough to be able to take some down time before taking my current role.

That time was priceless. I was able to fully decompress from past work stress (shocking how much you build up), get my gaming fix out of the way, and then move on to be incredibly productive with self-driven education with coding things I'd wanted to learn.

I also had a massive amount of creativity come back to me because I was well rested and not stressed or distracted.

If you are ever in a position to do something like a multi month or year break in between jobs, I can't recommend it enough.

Re: How to Quit a Top Tier Tech Job

#169

Post by fatjokes »

Redoubts wrote: post #112
ttul wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Two fucking years of savings? What world is this guy living in?

I don't understand how you couldn't save 50% of your income per year while working at facebook.

It's amazing how much your expenses and tastes can grow with your income.
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