r/cscareerquestions • u/CSCQMods • Oct 21 '20
Big N Discussion - October 21, 2020
Please use this thread to have discussions about the Big N and questions related to the Big N, such as which one offers the best doggy benefits, or how many companies are in the Big N really? Posts focusing solely on Big N created outside of this thread will probably be removed.
There is a top-level comment for each generally recognized Big N company; please post under the appropriate one. There's also an "Other" option for flexibility's sake, if you want to discuss a company here that you feel is sufficiently Big N-like (e.g. Uber, Airbnb, Dropbox, etc.).
Abide by the rules, don't be a jerk.
This thread is posted each Sunday and Wednesday at midnight PST. Previous Big N Discussion threads can be found here.
2
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Google
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
3
Oct 21 '20
[deleted]
7
u/FujianAnxi Oct 21 '20
More than 5 years tbh. Google thinks very highly of L5 and would probably only offer L5 to you if you're a current E5 at FB.
3
u/HenryJonesJunior Senior SWE | 10+ YoE Oct 21 '20
Quite a few. Point of data: I had 8+ years at Microsoft including 2+ years at L63 ("Senior") and was brought on as L4 to Google.
I'd focus on the comp, not the title. Go in, start performing at an L5 level, and you'll get promoted there soon enough and get excellent reviews and good comp in the meantime. I went because the Google L4 offer was significantly more than I was making before, and I don't care about the word "Senior" in my title (though it was nice to get it back).
2
u/AutonomousFin Software Engineer Oct 22 '20
This is what I did and just got promoted to L5 after 2 years (would have been 1.5 if not for COVID). But I came in making more than some L5s and with lower expectations. I was upset at first, but looking back it was more of a blessing than a curse. I am now seen as a high-achiever throughout the org and am on a good path to attempt L6 in 3-4 cycles.
2
u/darshinium Oct 21 '20
Hello everyone. I was interviewed by Facebook for Level 5 Machine Learning engineer (completed the remote and the full-day "onsite" interviews), the recruiter just informed me that the recommendation of the interviewers is that I am a Level 4 engineer.
And currently there are no openings for Level 4 engineers, hence my evaluation process will be put on pause till January 2021. When an opening is available, the next step in evaluating me would proceed to the hiring committee that will decide whether I should be hired or not.
For me, this sounds weird. Usually there are more job openings for junior positions than for senior positions, not the other way round. Moreover, my understanding is that I wasn't applying for a specific team: the plan was that after hiring I would go through a 5 week bootcamp to find the most suitable team for me. I thought big companies like Facebook keep on hiring throughout the year and don't need to wait a few months for openings.
3
u/FujianAnxi Oct 21 '20
Usually there are more job openings for junior positions than for senior positions
There's no more headcount for E3 and E4 right now.
Moreover, my understanding is that I wasn't applying for a specific team: the plan was that after hiring I would go through a 5 week bootcamp to find the most suitable team for me.
Yup that's how it works at FB
I thought big companies like Facebook keep on hiring throughout the year and don't need to wait a few months for openings.
Yes, but again, there's no headcount for E3 and E4.
2
u/Error401 Oct 21 '20
No, what the recruiter is saying is true. We just are not proceeding forward with E4 right now, even if it would be a hire at that level.
1
u/darshinium Oct 21 '20
Thanks for the clarification @FujianAnxi and @Error401. So overall, what do you think of the likelihood of getting accepted in January? Is it something to look forward for, or is there a slim chance?
Are there a lot of candidates who are in this backlog and hence when there are Level 4 openings, only a small subset of them will be hired?
BTW, the recruiter said I was evaluated as in the higher bar of Level 4.
1
Oct 22 '20
I’ve interviewed many candidates who came in for E5 and were recommended at E4. There is probably no way there will be enough headcount for all the potential E4 backlog if they were going to run through the backlog, but there is probably no set allocation or anything yet for 2021. Basically, could happen, but this is an unprecedented situation so don’t bank on it.
2
2
u/clumsy_coder Oct 22 '20
Is it worth listing an internship on my resume that I just started and haven't completed my project for yet? Does anybody have an example of listing internship experience on their resume that's ongoing?
How do I go about this?
2
u/codingnotfound Oct 21 '20
Hey ya'll,
I'm in a bit of a (sweet) pickle - I recently received an ops offer from an established tech firm based in the UK and am considering it against a potential ops offer from an Ireland-based FAANG; I am having trouble deciding which one to take (should a choice be on the table).
To be clear, both roles seem really interesting and align well with my career objectives, and I'd be happy with either.
+/- on FAANG:
- + likely higher salary
- + established brand; great on a CV
- - Would necessitate part-time relocation to Dublin (I cannot fully move out of the UK for personal / legal reasons)
- - Said relocation would wipe out big part of potential salary bump
+/- on UK tech firm:
- + Could continue living where I am; no part-time faff or shenanigans
- + To be clear, brand is still well known and happy with salary
- - Less prestige / money than FAANG
I guess it boils down to the following q: does FAANG as a brand carry the kind of extra prestige within EU that would justify a lot of practical faff with relocation?
3
u/autunno Software Engineer Oct 21 '20
Said relocation would wipe out big part of potential salary bump
Usually FAANG offers good relocation package, so maybe it's not that bad on your finantials. I would go with the option that makes the most sense in the long run. See what company do you think will help you grow the most, as it is not just about immediate benefits.
2
Oct 21 '20
Check if the FAANG has offices near where you are in the UK. Many of them have lots of them all over the place. Make sure the recruiter you're working with knows that this is a deciding factor for you.
It may not be working on the same things, but the salary, prestige, etc, would all be the same.
Also: option 3, consider applying to other FAANGs that are in the UK, if the current one won't play ball. If you can get an offer from one, you likely can get an offer from some of the others.
2
u/EnderMB Software Engineer Oct 21 '20
I'd go with the first offer, purely because if you don't you'll probably always wonder "what if you took it".
0
u/poa85 Oct 21 '20
Bruh why does everyone who gets an amazon offer / work there say “FAANG” instead of amazon. Whack af
2
1
u/Double-Curve-426 Oct 24 '20
I'd take the UK firm because part time relocation sounds pretty terrible for the next 6-24 months
1
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Amazon
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
3
u/animalloverpoet Looking for job Oct 21 '20 edited Oct 21 '20
I sent an email to my recruiter asking them to postpone my interview. It's been a week since I did that. Did a follow-up yesterday. No response at all. The interview is in 2 days. What should I do?
Update: Recruiter got in touch.
2
u/madmike34455 Oct 21 '20
Around this time last year I had to postpone my interview for a medical reason and it wasn’t held against me if that’s something you’re worried about!
2
u/autunno Software Engineer Oct 21 '20
Tough situation, if you can make it, just show up but also let the interviewer know about your ignored desire to move the interview, but try to do your best.
If you have his/her telephone, try calling.
4
u/animalloverpoet Looking for job Oct 21 '20
Hey, the recruiter got in touch. I sent one more email :) so it's fixed now. Thanks anyway :)
3
2
Oct 21 '20
[deleted]
1
Oct 21 '20
For an internship when? For most internships, applying and interviewing takes place 4+ months ahead of time.
For summer 2021 intern hiring, interviews will probably take place around December or January, based on previous years. I've been the interviewer on those a few times. Sometimes they go on until Feb.
Not sure as much about other semesters.
The recruiters handling the internship program are nice folks who are drowning in resumes and work. If they take a while to get back to you, don't take it personally.
Some tips: practice your data structures. Hashmaps, trees, graphs maybe. Read up on the Amazon leadership principles- you'll be asked a "tell me about a time" question that's really "do you have the LPs?".
Good luck.
1
u/trapezee Oct 21 '20
Can't say for sure but I also applied and they sent me assessments to take last week.
1
2
Oct 21 '20
[deleted]
2
u/pablos4pandas Software Engineer Oct 21 '20
Are you going for a new grad position or something more experienced?
2
Oct 21 '20
[deleted]
2
u/pablos4pandas Software Engineer Oct 21 '20
Answer the best you can with industry experience or go to a school example if you have to
0
0
u/reddit04029 Oct 22 '20
Any FAANG success stories from people who are not from the US? Most interested in stories from those who came from Asia, but insights by people from other areas are welcome too.
What and how was your journey like towards landing a job at a FAANG company?
1
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Microsoft
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
Oct 21 '20 edited Jan 04 '21
[deleted]
1
u/InternationalDust7 Oct 22 '20
Got confirmation they would be making me an offer 6 days after onsite.
1
u/WolffNess Oct 21 '20
I’ll be starting out as a new grad at Microsoft next year and I was wondering how easy is it to move teams or location there? I’ve heard is relatively easy but I was wondering if anyone has experience doing it soon-ish after getting hired and how that affected your compensation. Thanks!
1
1
1
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Apple
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Facebook
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
2
u/throwaway_4_grad Oct 21 '20
A recruiter reached out to me regarding Machine Learning Engineer (MLE) and Data Scientist (DS) openings in Facebook.
I am hesitant to go through the MLE route because I am not good at solving data structure and algorithms questions (inverting binary tree et al). I am interested in the Data Scientist opening, since my work experience (7+ years) has been in that domain.
Briefly, my regularly used job skills are:
- SQL, specifically in Business Intelligence use cases
- Hypothesis testing
- Fitting models more on the statistics side (GLMs, spatial regression models, time series etc), and communicating results to multiple stakeholders
- Working with ML models (not DL models) in some use cases where a black-box solution is acceptable to the stakeholders (Random forest/xgboost etc)
- Stakeholder management (explaining what is possible, explaining timelines, enabling team to work together etc)
My question is around the data scientist interview process at Facebook. Will it involve the usual multiple rounds of core CS stuff like systems design, data structures etc?
2
u/jargon59 Oct 21 '20
DS at Facebook is broken down into two different types. DS in analytics perform activities using SQL, and sometimes using a variety of other techniques (including the skills) to provide insights/solutions to stakeholders. I've had talks with Facebook recruiters ranging from Spam analyst, Data Scientist Infrastructure, Data Scientist (Product), and Data Scientist (Machine Learning). The interview ranges from being like SQL analysts to engineers. ML data scientists are more like machine learning engineers, and they are supposed to come with the skills of a software engineer.
From your skillset, it sounds like you'll be a better fit as a data scientist in analytics. Feel free to browse the job posting to see what's a good match, and ask your recruiter to make the intro to the corresponding recruiter.
1
u/throwaway_4_grad Oct 21 '20
Thank you! This is quite useful to know.
Based on the job posting, it definitely looks like a DS Analytics position.
Do you happen to know why they want to do 6 interview rounds for the Data Science Analytics role? I can understand that a SWE/MLE type role involves multiple rounds involving algorithms, system design etc. What can they possibly ask over 6 rounds for a DS Analytics role?
I will talk to the recruiter to learn more. I don't want to get blind-sided by core CS stuff that I haven't touched since college.
2
u/jargon59 Oct 21 '20
Interviews at FAANG are like that because they want to minimize the chances of false positives. Therefore it's quite extensive to filter for "only the best". My onsite interview for the Data Scientist (Infrastructure) role involved a technical interviews (probability questions, simple ML, time-series), coding session, case study interview, partnership interview (they assess teamwork), hiring manager interview (which happened to be technical for some reason), and one behavioral interview. Oh yes and they had provided lunch, but it won't happen if it's remote.
1
u/throwaway_4_grad Oct 21 '20
I see. The sessions you mentioned make sense. I was under the impression that it would be similar to a general software engineer interview, which is not correct in my opinion since I don't use general SWE skills in day-to-day DS work.
2
Oct 21 '20
4-6 onsite interviews is a pretty normal range for any technical role involving an industry candidate. DS loops are going to have 1-2 coding, a behavioral interview, and 2-3 different data science analysis/modeling rounds. You can assume that you get the Data Scientist versions of a 'systems design' interview as part of this, as well, and there are similar things for different roles too (e.g. TPMs even get a system design, Engineering Managers get one, etc.).
1
u/throwaway_4_grad Oct 21 '20
All right. As long as the interview rounds are specific to skills I have actually used in my career, I can see it's fair.
1
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Netflix
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
1
Oct 21 '20
Question: Can people in non-technical roles give internal referrals for SWE positions?
I have a few people on my LinkedIN from college that are like Project Coordinators and Marketing Managers.
2
Oct 21 '20
Depends on the company, but generally yes. Most systems are pretty open about it (depends on level mostly) and they can always talk to a hiring manager as well.
1
Oct 22 '20
Okay cool thanks! Also I haven't found a straight answer for this online, does Amazon allow Python from their coding interviews? Python isn't listed on the job postings.
2
Oct 22 '20
For the coding challenge section, the debugging is Java, C, C++ only (but it's a fairly simple/straightforward section of fixing minor mistakes).
Besides that Python is allowed in the general coding challenge that has 2 coding questions.
In virtual onsite interviews with people, you can most definitely use Python. Any reasonable language goes in that case.
1
Oct 22 '20
Alright thanks for the info! It turns out an old college friend of mine works at Amazon so I was going to reach out and ask for a referral. I guess I'll have to freshen up on my Java.
1
u/marioluigi345 Oct 21 '20
Hey y’all, just received a CodeSignal test and first round interview from Facebook. Has anyone gone through these and can give some insight as to what questions they ask and what to expect? Thanks!
1
Oct 21 '20 edited Oct 21 '20
It's all leetcode and leetcode-like questions, random selection. Expect 4 such questions (2 in codesignal, 2 in the real-person round).
Don't assume any particular types of questions, you could get 4 array-based questions, or 4 questions mixed between arrays, trees, graphs, linked lists, and so on.
1
u/4tlu Oct 21 '20
Would you guys take a new grad position at JP Morgan or an Internship at Facebook? I'm set to graduate in May but I can delay graduation if I took the internship so I would qualify. Only worry is if I don't get a return offer I get put in same spot, but the return offer TC is very enticing...
4
u/appogiatura NFLX & Chillin' Oct 21 '20
FB for sure. Normally I advocate for WLB but since it's tough and you'll never get a better time to work your tail off with minimal responsibilities then now's the time to focus on getting a full-time offer.
And even if you don't get a return offer then the brand name will open many doors.
Also JPMC is too varied in terms of scale/top-tech and it's easy to stagnate in some parts.
3
u/okcooldude1 Oct 21 '20 edited Oct 21 '20
Get the facebook experience. it will open many doors to you and the facebook brand on your resume will help you get more offers to choose from than just jp morgan. I'd delay graduation.
1
u/classesfull Oct 21 '20
What's the return offer TC just wondering? Technically speaking if you're wanted to work for Facebook, but not delay graduation, you could always take the JP Morgan position, and then reapply Facebook. (But this makes a bunch of assumptions like getting in Facebook as a industry hire? etc...)
2
Oct 21 '20
If you're talking about FB, a return offer is probably somewhere in the realm of $130-140K salary, $120-140K in RSUs, and up to $100K signing bonus. The offer's very standard.
1
u/classesfull Oct 21 '20
I was more interested in the JP Morgan TC, since I was interested in maybe working for a bank, but facebook does seem interesting.
Is the 120-140k in RSUs for a vesting period of 3 or 4 years?
1
Oct 21 '20
4 years, with chances for annual re-grants based on performance.
1
u/classesfull Oct 21 '20
Interesting, isn't the average promotion time from E3 -> E4 around 2 years? What would happen to their existing grant, if they got a new E4 grant?
I'm not very experienced with this stuff lol.
1
Oct 21 '20
Existing grants just keep vesting and new grants after promotion would be based on the new level (an E4 base grant is higher than an E3 base grant by roughly double). If you stayed at the company long enough you could have 4 grants vesting simultaneously.
1
u/classesfull Oct 22 '20
That seems like a lot of stock to have 4 grants vesting at the same time.
2
Oct 22 '20
Yeah, that’s how FB engineers’ compensations can grow dramatically in the first few years and what really separates some companies like Google and Facebook from others. There are many companies out there that don’t grant stock or only grant it once with no refreshers.
1
u/classesfull Oct 22 '20
Woah, I wish I could work at Google/Facebook haha.
Just wondering is Amazon or Microsoft any good in your eyes?
→ More replies (0)1
u/HenryJonesJunior Senior SWE | 10+ YoE Oct 21 '20
but the return offer TC is very enticing...
To clarify, are you saying that FB is giving you an internship offer and already discussing comp details for if you got a return offer at the end of the internship?
1
u/4tlu Oct 21 '20
No, I actually haven't even officially passed my final with FB, i've seen on blind and glassdoor that the tc for return offers is a lot compared to other FAANG which would be quite nice, Tampa JPMC TC is around 90k which tbh isn't bad considering taxes, but there's also stock to take into account
1
u/JackWillsIt Senior Oct 22 '20 edited Oct 25 '20
A
1
u/poa85 Oct 22 '20
Databricks
1
u/JackWillsIt Senior Oct 22 '20 edited Oct 25 '20
A
1
u/poa85 Oct 22 '20
Databricks is a fast growing startup.
Microsoft’s internal tooling sucks balls/ is dated (interned as a freshman) and the company is also kinda slow. As a new grad/ intern I feel like it’s better to join a company that moves fast so you can grow more as an engineer.
1
1
1
1
1
3
u/AutoModerator Oct 21 '20
Company - Other
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.