and god help you if you ever use any of them, obviously you have time to play games you don’t have enough work to do. It’s all for show.
I remember a Meta recruiter reached out to me. We had a couple of talks, and then on one of them I asked “So how’s the work life balance”
Oh it’s great! We have a 24/7 cafeteria here, so if you ever need a snack it’s always available. We have sleeping pods, so you can easily sleep, and even 24/7 laundry services, so it’s all around a very relaxing place.
Uhhh yeah man. I’m not some kid fresh out of college. I own a home, and I’m very aware of my work time vs my personal time. Hard pass all around. Kids, if the company sounds too good to be true, there’s an ulterior motive. Those things sound super great… but they’re of course all meant to keep you working around the clock, meeting deadlines. The companies aren’t “hip” or “cool”, it’s all to attract you, and then work you to the bone. A strict 40 hour work week is better than foosball anyday.
I know I’m preaching to the choir but for the people interviewing for their first software gig - well maybe one of them will read this.
If I were a kid right out of college, I’d honestly consider it. The key is truly knowing what you’re getting into. Companies gobble up those kids out of college because they’re naiive, and they want to prove themselves. MAANG knows that and take advantage of it. As long as you’re aware of that going into it, and plan to use them too, then go for it. Just don’t plan to be a lifer, know that they don’t care about you going in.
Get in with the full idea of being a parasite, doing the barest minimum work possible while getting friendly with higher ups. It’s not like doing a good job there would be better for the customers/end users anyway
Right? I realistically just need 150k/yr to be stable in my area, I could chuck the other 150k/yr into savings and quit after 3 years with 450k in the bank
They’re looking for a volume icon ninja-pirate-wizard, who takes no prisoners. They work hard and play hard so get ready for your boss to be overly demanding and drunk.
We’ve got free local artisan coffee, organic fruit, mineral water, and beer. We turn the kitchen table into a ping pong table with a net after lunch for however long people want to use it and people do. At 17:00 everyone’s got a beer on their desk and by 18:00 the doors are locked and the lights are out. One Thursday a month the table is used for beer pong after work and we play card games like Exploding Kittens. Idk I like it here.
Not everywhere sucks. I’ve never worked an hour over my full-time requirements (ever), I get unlimited sick leave and no one shames me for missing a week as long as I call in properly. 31 Vacation days and company parties are nice too, plus paid travel time and nice hotel rooms. Also I’ve never made more money in my life and we’re all getting extra bonuses to cover the unexpected inflation.
Oh and I can work from home four days a week if I want to. Gotta come in that one day, but it’s a fifteen minute walk from my house so that’s just fine for me. I come in on Tuesdays because that’s when the company orders lunch for everyone (just one day a week but still cool).
At 17:00 everyone’s got a beer on their desk and by 18:00 the doors are locked and the lights are out. One Thursday a month the table is used for beer pong after work and we play card games like Exploding Kittens.
I’d rather go home at 17:00 and do all those things with my real friends, or you know, spend some quality time with my partner.
Plenty of my real friends are people I used to work with back before I was married and stopped getting as much out of this sort of culture… There doesn’t need to be some hard line here - just because you work with people doesn’t mean you can’t be friends
I envy you a bit. On the other hand, I have conditions that are at least okay, so I probably wouldn’t trade places because that’d be a lot of hassle searching for a nice place like yours and then trying to get into it
Just a little detail, is your company in the USA, in the EU, or elsewhere?
That sounds like a great gig! Great office life, and a ton of PTO (for American standards). Although I will say, I’ve been in small startups. The beer and alcohol is fun - but the startups grow. It’s all fun until someone who doesn’t drink joins, or someone develops a problem. Keep an eye on those two issues, about 3 of the 4 startups I’ve been at one of those has happened.
Wow you’re lucky. I’ve always wanted a job like that.
And for a while I had something similar but unfortunately rotten. We had a ping pong table, afterwork parties, no overtime, lunch, even a swimming pool. And we could use all of it.
However we were seriously underpaid, I got an 80% raise just by saying hello in another company. No remote work without any reason at all (most of my team was in other countries). And awful decision making by upper management.
Made me cynical if something like it is even possible. Glad to hear it is.
Those things sound super great… but they’re of course all meant to keep you working around the clock, meeting deadlines.
This is not going to be universally true at all big tech-companies. There are places with perfectly reasonable WLB on top of huge salaries and fantastic perks.
These places are usually big enough that you’re going to see extremes on both ends within the same company - some departments with huge deadline pressure cultures, and some with highly relaxed work settings. It can be a bit of a gamble.
I know I’m preaching to the choir but for the people interviewing for their first software gig
First software gig? In this market, take whatever to get experience imo.
But that second/third/etc job? Culture, then salary, then everything else. Last interview I went to bragged about giving everyone brand new sneakers yet pay $25k less than average.
Company: Provides amenities and services that would (technically) allow a person to live on premises. Pays you enough to retire early if you didn’t have to bother with rent or a mortgage.
Also company: “We can’t hire you without a permanent residential address.”
I also worked at multiple places that had fully decked out break-rooms: free food, game consoles, VR, and 60-inch TVs. Everyone was afraid to use them for fear of looking like they were screwing around. Except the interns. They used the hell out of that stuff.
My wife’s job has all of those amenities, too! Well, it didn’t at first, but she’s been 100% WFH since covid. She’s got an office with a window, cats in the workplace, lunch is brought to her straight from the kitchen, and she can even take breaks to go on walks with her family during the day.
and god help you if you ever use any of them, obviously you have time to play games you don’t have enough work to do. It’s all for show.
I remember a Meta recruiter reached out to me. We had a couple of talks, and then on one of them I asked “So how’s the work life balance”
Uhhh yeah man. I’m not some kid fresh out of college. I own a home, and I’m very aware of my work time vs my personal time. Hard pass all around. Kids, if the company sounds too good to be true, there’s an ulterior motive. Those things sound super great… but they’re of course all meant to keep you working around the clock, meeting deadlines. The companies aren’t “hip” or “cool”, it’s all to attract you, and then work you to the bone. A strict 40 hour work week is better than foosball anyday.
I know I’m preaching to the choir but for the people interviewing for their first software gig - well maybe one of them will read this.
I agree with work life balance, but working at meta for 2-3 years for $300k might be worth the sacrifice
If I were a kid right out of college, I’d honestly consider it. The key is truly knowing what you’re getting into. Companies gobble up those kids out of college because they’re naiive, and they want to prove themselves. MAANG knows that and take advantage of it. As long as you’re aware of that going into it, and plan to use them too, then go for it. Just don’t plan to be a lifer, know that they don’t care about you going in.
deadname the pricks, you’re already doing it for google. it’s facebook
MAAAN would be a much better acronym though
ANAMA
deleted by creator
I was thinking MAANA
Get in with the full idea of being a parasite, doing the barest minimum work possible while getting friendly with higher ups. It’s not like doing a good job there would be better for the customers/end users anyway
MAANG sounds like a Superman’s villain
I thought that it became MANGA when it changed from FAANG?
Right? I realistically just need 150k/yr to be stable in my area, I could chuck the other 150k/yr into savings and quit after 3 years with 450k in the bank
The hell? I live two years for 100k CHF. Lucerne, Switzerland, flat in the historic, more expensive part.
3 years can be a very long time, though.
My soul is worth more than that, and I don’t even have one.
My office has two ping pong tables. They’re literally roped off with caution tape, and nobody is allowed to use them. I wish I were kidding.
Jesus, it’s like a cargo cult.
Also, happy cake day. Death to Reddit.
Make a photo. Great meme potential
Photo?
I wish I could, but cameras are restricted :/
Strange, not even a quick one?
I believe the industry term is “agile”.
Nah that just means they can’t plan for shit and are constantly fighting fires.
fast paced environment
They’re looking for a volume icon ninja-pirate-wizard, who takes no prisoners. They work hard and play hard
so get ready for your boss to be overly demanding and drunk.a rockstar is who they want
We’ve got free local artisan coffee, organic fruit, mineral water, and beer. We turn the kitchen table into a ping pong table with a net after lunch for however long people want to use it and people do. At 17:00 everyone’s got a beer on their desk and by 18:00 the doors are locked and the lights are out. One Thursday a month the table is used for beer pong after work and we play card games like Exploding Kittens. Idk I like it here.
Not everywhere sucks. I’ve never worked an hour over my full-time requirements (ever), I get unlimited sick leave and no one shames me for missing a week as long as I call in properly. 31 Vacation days and company parties are nice too, plus paid travel time and nice hotel rooms. Also I’ve never made more money in my life and we’re all getting extra bonuses to cover the unexpected inflation.
Oh and I can work from home four days a week if I want to. Gotta come in that one day, but it’s a fifteen minute walk from my house so that’s just fine for me. I come in on Tuesdays because that’s when the company orders lunch for everyone (just one day a week but still cool).
I’d rather go home at 17:00 and do all those things with my real friends, or you know, spend some quality time with my partner.
Plenty of my real friends are people I used to work with back before I was married and stopped getting as much out of this sort of culture… There doesn’t need to be some hard line here - just because you work with people doesn’t mean you can’t be friends
Well we gotta get in out 40 hours. Not more. We just start later.
I envy you a bit. On the other hand, I have conditions that are at least okay, so I probably wouldn’t trade places because that’d be a lot of hassle searching for a nice place like yours and then trying to get into it
Just a little detail, is your company in the USA, in the EU, or elsewhere?
Europe
Exploding Kittens is boring. Secret Hitler is a much better party game
That sounds like a great gig! Great office life, and a ton of PTO (for American standards). Although I will say, I’ve been in small startups. The beer and alcohol is fun - but the startups grow. It’s all fun until someone who doesn’t drink joins, or someone develops a problem. Keep an eye on those two issues, about 3 of the 4 startups I’ve been at one of those has happened.
Wow you’re lucky. I’ve always wanted a job like that.
And for a while I had something similar but unfortunately rotten. We had a ping pong table, afterwork parties, no overtime, lunch, even a swimming pool. And we could use all of it.
However we were seriously underpaid, I got an 80% raise just by saying hello in another company. No remote work without any reason at all (most of my team was in other countries). And awful decision making by upper management.
Made me cynical if something like it is even possible. Glad to hear it is.
This is not going to be universally true at all big tech-companies. There are places with perfectly reasonable WLB on top of huge salaries and fantastic perks.
These places are usually big enough that you’re going to see extremes on both ends within the same company - some departments with huge deadline pressure cultures, and some with highly relaxed work settings. It can be a bit of a gamble.
First software gig? In this market, take whatever to get experience imo.
But that second/third/etc job? Culture, then salary, then everything else. Last interview I went to bragged about giving everyone brand new sneakers yet pay $25k less than average.
explain how!
aww, goods and services… I wanted money.
Company: Provides amenities and services that would (technically) allow a person to live on premises. Pays you enough to retire early if you didn’t have to bother with rent or a mortgage.
Also company: “We can’t hire you without a permanent residential address.”
I also worked at multiple places that had fully decked out break-rooms: free food, game consoles, VR, and 60-inch TVs. Everyone was afraid to use them for fear of looking like they were screwing around. Except the interns. They used the hell out of that stuff.
My wife’s job has all of those amenities, too! Well, it didn’t at first, but she’s been 100% WFH since covid. She’s got an office with a window, cats in the workplace, lunch is brought to her straight from the kitchen, and she can even take breaks to go on walks with her family during the day.
Who does laundry at work?
Implication was that you stayed there overnight, and didn’t have to worry about needing clean clothes