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Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

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Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#51

Post by kia »

vonconrad wrote: post #7

I would say "do it." Working for Google is a dream to many developers/engineers. Their reputation is generally pretty good. Career wise? If you don't end up liking it (or think that the salary is too low), you'll be in the Bay area with a visa, Google on your resume and 12+ years of experience (assuming you'll be with Google for at least a year). I would bet your chances of getting another kickass job would be a lot…

As far as I know H1B is company specific. If you change the company you have to get another H1B to work for that company.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#52

Post by jacquesm »

Of course you should do it. Yes, Google is a large company. But they're one of the most respected software companies in the world and even if longer term you decide to part again just having them on your resume is going to make it worth it, that's not counting the possibility to expand your network and the ability to learn from some of the best minds on the planet when it comes to writing software.

The salary should be the least of your concerns, that's short term thinking.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#53

Post by jacquesm »

mulch wrote: post #31
djhworld wrote: post #14

Why do you put yourself down about your degree? You've been working in the industry for 11 years and have just got a job offer from probably one of the hardest companies to get into - no one cares about your degree nowadays, you've proven yourself already.

Without opening another can of worms, doors are more easily opened here if you have a 1st or 2:1 from say Oxford or Cambridge, particularly in the City. From across the pond it looks like the US is worse for this with grads from Stanford, MIT or CMU having a way easier time of it career-wise. It seems a lot easier to get in those "name" companies.

Yes, but this is one of the hardest doors of all to open and it's open for you right now.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#54

Post by davidw »

jrockway wrote: post #47
davidw wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Perhaps, but staying in the UK is in some ways even more limiting. Having just gone on a trip to Ireland, I'd do it just to get away from the dank darkness that pervades those northern lands:-)

Can't UK citizens / permanent residents work anywhere in the EU?

Sure, but objectively, it's probably easier and more remunerative in many ways to work for Google in the Bay Area than, say, seek out a job in Sicily, where the weather is certainly wonderful, but there are not many IT jobs and they generally aren't of the interesting variety (unless you did something, like, say, create Redis, in which case you can happily stay in Sicily and hack on your project:-). Not to mention the language barrier and cultural differences.

Our move from Padova to Innsbruck, Austria, 4 hours away by car, was far, far more difficult than when I moved from Portland, Oregon to the Bay Area years ago. For instance, there are no one-way rental trucks in Europe that I know of, so if you have furniture or things to move, it's going to be expensive and/or time-consuming.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#55

Post by devmonk »

The offer sounds good to me. In other parts of the country for an FTE, that's not too shabby, and it will look loads better on your resume (depending on what you'll be doing and how that fits with your goals) than other positions. But, I'm concerned that you are asking HN. Don't take a job you'll hate, even if it is for Google. It isn't worth it.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#56

Post by nandemo »

jscore wrote: post #13
ardit33 wrote: post #6

110k is way too low, they are definitely lowballing you. If you think you are good, you should be making at least 130k-140k+, so I am sure you can negotiate that. If they don't come up on salary, you still can do the following: 1. Join google, work hard, get some experience, make some friends, then 2. Few months (or years) later, look for better opportunity with a better pay. It would be easier for you to find anothe…

I couldn't agree more with #2. It's downright terrible.

That's rather heteronormative.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#57

Post by [deleted] »

davidw wrote: post #34
tommizzle wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hah - The things James Bond has done for our country...

Not really James Bond, just the allure of something different. Same reason people take more notice of an American in Italy. The important thing, I guess, is to come from somewhere 'interesting' to people.

[deleted]

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#58

Post by europa »

kia wrote: post #51
vonconrad wrote: post #7

I would say "do it." Working for Google is a dream to many developers/engineers. Their reputation is generally pretty good. Career wise? If you don't end up liking it (or think that the salary is too low), you'll be in the Bay area with a visa, Google on your resume and 12+ years of experience (assuming you'll be with Google for at least a year). I would bet your chances of getting another kickass job would be a lot…

As far as I know H1B is company specific. If you change the company you have to get another H1B to work for that company.

Once you have an H1 b , transferring that to a different company is not that difficult.

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#59

Post by protez »

ardit33 wrote: post #6

110k is way too low, they are definitely lowballing you. If you think you are good, you should be making at least 130k-140k+, so I am sure you can negotiate that. If they don't come up on salary, you still can do the following: 1. Join google, work hard, get some experience, make some friends, then 2. Few months (or years) later, look for better opportunity with a better pay. It would be easier for you to find anothe…

If 110k is way too low, how much is typical for the positions of his description? I just do wonder. What goes into the fair ballpark figure? 150k?

Re: Ask HN: Should I take this Google job offer?

#60

Post by keeptrying »

strlen wrote: post #24

Do it. $110k is lower than you might get elsewhere, but it shouldn't matter for this reason: * Compared to Microsoft, Apple, etc... $110k for somebody coming on a visa is still a good deal. If you're local to the valley , then sure you can get a higher number. Nonetheless, this is still competitive. * If $110k is "too low" for you to live off, even with a family in the valley, you're doing something wrong. Newsflash:…

Also just to add to this, with your experience you'd be able to apply in the EB2 category for a Green Card and since your British, you should be able to get it in 2 years or less.

And once you have a visa, you can work for anyone here in the US by just transferring it. Transferring a visa is much much simpler a process than getting a new one.

I think this is a great opportunity to get to the states and work in a great environment. Some of my friends came to the states with $40K starting salary and now they earn about $100K base + bonus(Denver,CO).

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