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AWS is huge, so YMMV across teams. Some teams have operational and funding issues, so your experience there may be hellish. You could think of it another way a
by shitlord 6y ago
AWS is huge, so YMMV across teams.
Some teams have operational and funding issues, so your experience there may be hellish. You could think of it another way and realize that you have your work cut out for you. I previously worked on an AWS team like this and left because I got tired of the grind.
On the other hand, a lot of teams are great places to work. Before I left AWS, I worked on a really good team with intelligent co-workers and interesting engineering challenges. It was like night and day - the team was over-funded and had very few operational issues.
- rory_isAdonk 6y agoThat's great to hear. Often online all you hear are the extremes at both ends. I hear that you're basically put on PIP as soon as you join, any truth to this?
- shitlord 6y agoI was never a manager so I don't know the official policies around dev lists and PIPs. Generally, new hires are given a few months to ramp up and become contributing team members. People are usually placed on the dev list if they don't meet expectations, and placed on a PIP if their performance does not improve. I'm guessing it reflects poorly on managers if they devlist someone shortly after hiring them. During my time at Amazon, I know only one person who was placed on a PIP and he was kind of a bad engineer. But I have heard stories of managers abusing the dev list to meet org-level dev list quotas.
- julianozen 6y agoNo there isnt. I have only known of one person to get a PIP during my 3 years there, and it took way longer then it should've
- rory_isAdonk 6y agoAh that was my fear, not because I feel like I'm a terrible software engineer and I'd be asking for PIP by joining Amazon. More just because mortgages etc, I'm very anxious money wise.
- julianozen 6y agoYou'll be fine. Amazon didn't become the company it is today by burning out hardworking and talented engineers for no reason. In the scenario I am referring to, the engineer did a very poor job of communication and receiving feedback. When your company is as big as Amazon, you're going to have some people who didn't quite fit. The people who succeeded there don't spend their time talking to journalists or complaining on HN Overall, I spent my time there working with ambitious and smart people. And money-wise, I feel like you can't work at a safer place in the tech industry then at a FAANG company, particularly Amazon.
- rory_isAdonk 6y agoGreat I had aimed for applying for Stripe in August, again my anxiety is consistent I've quite a encompassing study guide I've made for myself. Thanks though man you insight is invaluable.
- gigatexal 6y agoCrazy to think that such a profitable unit like AWS could have teams that are hurting for funding. I guess it’s run like that though.
- ryanianian 6y agoEvery company struggles with 'properly' managing funding and resources.
- julianozen 6y agoI think AWS teams are not generally hurting for funding. You see that more in retail parts of amazon
- cpufry 6y ago> It was like night and day - the team was over-funded and had very few operational issues. oh god which service/team/