I'm definitely not saying you have to go the FAANG route (I certainly didn't & I'm the author of this article), but I do think when a potential employer sees th

I'm definitely not saying you have to go the FAANG route (I certainly didn't & I'm the author of this article), but I do think when a potential employer sees that on your resume it gives you instant credibility that you've been vetted by one of these giants. You can earn that credibility in other ways for sure. For better or worse tech is that elitist IMHO.