5 ms·

I fully agree that the fervor around FAANG is unhealthy. However, if you are just at the start if your career, that is the best time to move to wherever the jo

by nrp 5y ago

I fully agree that the fervor around FAANG is unhealthy. However, if you are just at the start if your career, that is the best time to move to wherever the jobs you are interested in are, rather than restricting yourself to what is available near where you currently are. There will be folks that have obligations preventing that, but most recent college grads should have little holding them from moving.

PragmaticPulp 5y ago
This comment is a good summary of the problem I was describing: It's easy to say that anyone who can get a FAANG job should get a FAANG job, but if circumstances don't line up, what else? That's where many students draw a blank, because all of the advice they've consumed revolves around FAANG job offers that may not arrive. Statistically, more people are rejected than accepted by FAANG companies. A lot of my mentoring time is spent helping students figure out what's next when their primary FAANG plan doesn't (or can't) work out.
- NeverFade 5y ago
  The number of successful top tech companies keeps growing. The winner-takes-all reality of our current tech business environment means that the job market is: 1. These top companies that pay very well and offer excellent career growth prospects. 2. Everything else below. So the real answer is "keep working at your fallback option until you can finally graduate to one of the lucrative positions at the top of the pyramid". That's the real, no-BS best course for the employees themselves. For companies below that top, that is horrible situation because it means all their employees (and especially their best) are temps just waiting for their real shot elsewhere. However, it is also the reality: most employees do leave for that golden top-tech offer that pays them x2+ their current comp with no risk. Non-top companies don't really help the situation much themselves; as we all know having FAANG on your resume is the surest way to get interviews, offers, and career upgrades everywhere outside of FAANG as well. So, the "top-tech or bust" attitude will continue.
  - btheshoe 5y ago
    Companies below the top can pay competitive rates, of deal with their employees wanting to go to the top. this is a natural consequence of market economies
- kirso 5y ago
  That is because a lot of people don't realize that we are not all based in the bay area and in fact in majority of the countries you have to scrape for 100 bucks after college with no skills and no name university. I am not being negative here, but its just the fact that privilege (even geographical) makes up for a lot in this case...

by nrp 5y ago

PragmaticPulp 5y ago

This comment is a good summary of the problem I was describing: It's easy to say that anyone who can get a FAANG job should get a FAANG job, but if circumstances don't line up, what else? That's where many students draw a blank, because all of the advice they've consumed revolves around FAANG job offers that may not arrive. Statistically, more people are rejected than accepted by FAANG companies. A lot of my mentoring time is spent helping students figure out what's next when their primary FAANG plan doesn't (or can't) work out.

NeverFade 5y ago
The number of successful top tech companies keeps growing. The winner-takes-all reality of our current tech business environment means that the job market is: 1. These top companies that pay very well and offer excellent career growth prospects. 2. Everything else below. So the real answer is "keep working at your fallback option until you can finally graduate to one of the lucrative positions at the top of the pyramid". That's the real, no-BS best course for the employees themselves. For companies below that top, that is horrible situation because it means all their employees (and especially their best) are temps just waiting for their real shot elsewhere. However, it is also the reality: most employees do leave for that golden top-tech offer that pays them x2+ their current comp with no risk. Non-top companies don't really help the situation much themselves; as we all know having FAANG on your resume is the surest way to get interviews, offers, and career upgrades everywhere outside of FAANG as well. So, the "top-tech or bust" attitude will continue.
- btheshoe 5y ago
  Companies below the top can pay competitive rates, of deal with their employees wanting to go to the top. this is a natural consequence of market economies
kirso 5y ago
That is because a lot of people don't realize that we are not all based in the bay area and in fact in majority of the countries you have to scrape for 100 bucks after college with no skills and no name university. I am not being negative here, but its just the fact that privilege (even geographical) makes up for a lot in this case...