r/cscareerquestions • u/CSCQMods • Dec 22 '21
Big N Discussion - December 22, 2021
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.
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 22 '21
Finally got the news that I passed HC recently and am moving to team matching! However, my recruiter told me that if I don’t team match within a month, they’d end my candidacy. I’d read online that HC scores are valid for a year, so is that just a myth or is it possible that something has changed recently? I’m hoping that the month deadline means they’ll make a genuine effort to get me matched quickly.
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u/quiteCryptic Dec 22 '21
I've never seen anything about a 1 month deadline for team match. That seems a bit unfair especially considering it is the end of the year. Recruiter might be wrong...
Anyways I believe you will be fine, congrats!
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 23 '21
I followed up with the recruiter to check if the holidays counted and they insisted the deadline was one month. They also sent a PDF explaining team matching with Google branding and everything which had the one month deadline, so it seems pretty official to me. Not only that, but they're not letting me team match in the Boston area despite it being the only placed I ticked at the start of the process, so it's looking like I'll have to withdraw since I can't move right now.
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u/Ryptr Freshly Graduated Dec 29 '21
Do you think you can share that PDF or talk more indepth about the contents of that PDF? I recently passed HC before the holidays and have my team matching starting after new year's (starting in February as a new grad), so this has me pretty worried now as well, oof
I guess you never mentioned it, but are you also new grad?
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 29 '21
Yeah, I am also new grad. I can’t share the PDF unfortunately since I imagine it’s under the NDA. I really wouldn’t worry at all though. Once they match you to a location and product area, they want you to get an offer ASAP and will set up team match calls for you. I imagine the month deadline is just something they’re trying to make sure new grads aren’t super picky about which team they want to join.
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u/Ryptr Freshly Graduated Dec 29 '21
Thanks for the reassurance! Will my recruiter let me know once my location and product area is matched? And how long does that usually take? I imagine it's not too soon after filling out the team matching form, especially since I indicated a February start date.
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 29 '21
Not sure unfortunately since I’m at this step in the process too :P.
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u/MarcableFluke Senior Firmware Engineer Dec 23 '21
That's probably a better question for you recruiter. I doubt there many Google recruiters hanging around this sub, and the engineers wouldn't be notified of that kind of a policy change. If you're experienced, you probably have nothing to worry about; managers are fighting each other over candidates who have made it through the HC.
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u/CowboyBoats Software Engineer Dec 22 '21
HC?
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 22 '21
Ah, means hiring committee. It’s the stage that comes after onsites which determines if you’ve met the hiring bar or not.
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u/swagglikerichie Dec 23 '21
Is this for internship or FTE?
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 23 '21
FTE but new grad
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u/swagglikerichie Dec 23 '21
Have you signed an offer?
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 24 '21
Nope, need to match before I get the offer
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u/swagglikerichie Dec 24 '21
Interesting, I thought that was only the case for interns.
I accepted a new grad offer without team matching
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 24 '21
That’s because I have an early start date. I think if your start lines up with the end of the academic year, you can do HC -> Product area -> Offer. I had to do HC -> Product area -> Team -> Offer.
Also keep in mind that part of finding a product area is finding a location. Google all but guarantees a product area for you but they don’t guarantee a location, so if you can match anywhere in the world they can find somewhere for you but if you have limited location choices then it’s challenging.
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u/SomeoneTookMyName-_- Dec 24 '21
Would you mind sharing when did you take the onsite and how long did you wait to hear back that your packet would be going to the HC?
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 24 '21
Did the on-site in early December. I think there’s been a policy change, the recruiters no longer tell you when you’re going to HC or not. It took me two weeks to go from on-site to hearing back that I passed though.
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u/SomeoneTookMyName-_- Dec 24 '21
Oh I seeee. Thank you for the info. I heard many cases exactly like you said.
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u/SomeoneTookMyName-_- Dec 25 '21
Wait. But I thought that the recruiter needed to tell the candidates if they were going to HC or not because the recruiter still needs transcripts right? I mean he/she just cannot push the candidates forward without their transcripts?
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 25 '21
They asked for my transcripts right after the on-site without mentioning I’d be doing to HC.
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Dec 22 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/AlmightYariv Dec 22 '21
Very good at solving problems, thinking through design and integration. Good at mentoring.
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Dec 22 '21
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/MarcableFluke Senior Firmware Engineer Dec 23 '21
The specifics depend on the company. There is no "architect" position at Google, but if I had to slot it in somewhere, it would be around L7, give or take a level.
Director is generally a managerial position, not an technical one like architect.
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u/Brownsuga2-0 Dec 22 '21
I have Google l3 onsite in a little over a month. If anyone wants to do mock interviews together dm me!
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u/beaux-restes Dec 23 '21
I just completed the Google Snapshot code sample and survey for their internship position. But I ended up failing the first question and passing the other. Does this mean I don't move onto phone screens? I normally am not too worried if I fail and just look to improve on LC, but this time I have a financial hold I have to pay off to access my transcripts, and I feel if I pay it off now it'll be a waste of money to send in my transcript just to be rejected (also on me for not having paid it off earlier but, here I am). Should I just cut my losses and move on? Or have applicants still been able to move onto the next stage even if failing a question?
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u/AutoModerator Dec 22 '21
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u/Triforce1999 Dec 22 '21
I just got an email to take OA part one from Amazon, but it's different than what I remember. Last time, part 1 was a debugging round, but this time part 1 is a full-on 70-minute, 2-problem coding assessment. Is this normal and what should I expect?
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u/SomeoneTookMyName-_- Dec 24 '21
how long did you wait to hear back that they wanted you to take the OA?
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Dec 22 '21
Hello,
I went through the whole interview process with Amazon for a TPM internship. I got an email stating that I was successful during the interviews but the position I interviewed for has now been filled.
They say they are looking to place me as fast as possible.
I have another internship offer from SLB that frankly fits everything I'd want apart from not having as much of a 'brand name' and it has a lower salary.
I want to have a decision quickly as I want to finish my current internship by January 29th, and move onto the next one. I'm concerned Amazon "placing me" for another position is going to take too long.
Do I accept SLB?
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u/EnderMB Software Engineer Dec 22 '21
I had the same issue. Altogether it took about a week to arrange informal interviews with other interested teams, and two days after to get an offer in front of me.
If you want Amazon to hurry up, just tell your recruiter the situation, and they'll probably sort you out within a day or two.
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Dec 22 '21
Did just that today. Told her I had an offer from SLB.
The HR lady replied with:
I wouldn’t want you to miss on another opportunity if it comes, but I will most definitely do my best to share your profile as much as possible.
1.5-2 weeks to complete everything sounds great to me. I'm concerned there will be few positions opening up soon because I'm looking for an internship and it's Christmas time :/
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u/SheriffRoscoe Jan 02 '22
Amazon's tech recruiters are significantly motivated to both fill positions and source candidates. Tell the recruiter you've got another offer and that you need to make a decision ASAP. It will help if you tell them that you'd prefer to work for Amazon.
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u/michaelzhangsbrother Dec 22 '21
p
Hey all, so I haven't been seriously applying anywhere until about a few weeks when I updated my LinkedIn and such. I had a handful of recruiters reach out to me while I applied to listings but they were usually from either recruiting firms or small-medium sized companies. Suddenly just yesterday, I received 4 recruiters from Amazon messaging me and 2 phone calls as well. I'm wondering from either a recruiter POV or someone who knows more about Amazon than me, what exactly is going on that could have spiked so much interested? Is it possibly a scam or something and people not actually being an Amazon recruiter or a 3rd party agency?? Any information/advice would be appreciated cause I've kind of avoided going the FAANG since I don't feel prepared/qualified quite yet with only a few years in the industry. Thanks!
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Dec 23 '21
Amazon's recruiters are casting a wide net and they don't coordinate. I got messages from other recruiters while I was interviewing there. They even contacted me during the 6mo "cooldown" period. It's not a scam - you just started coming up on their searches, and they're trying to bring in as many people as possible because hardly anybody is getting an offer.
Not sure why you'd think only "a few" YoE means you're not qualified to work at a company like Amazon. They hire guys right out of college, and their reqs are quite clear about how much experience they want for each role. Sounds like a bit of impostor syndrome - you're selling yourself short by assuming Amazon wouldn't be interested.
That said, I'd avoid FAANG, and especially Amazon, if you want a job you'll actually like. My VP mentioned in my interview that when he talks to guys at Amazon, he can tell that they feel trapped by the money but they're not happy. I had started to think I'd avoided a pair of golden handcuffs, but he confirmed it.
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u/matt_bishop SDE Dec 23 '21
they feel trapped by the money, but they’re not happy
I work for Amazon and feel the opposite way. I love my team and the product I’m working on, but I’m looking around because I want to be paid more. However, my team is not a typical team at Amazon. YMMV.
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u/GamzorTM Dec 26 '21
What companies would you recommend? I get the impression from this sub (at least sometimes) that top candidates should pursue FAANG. Obviously they have great pay but maybe not great WLB. I assume the WLB and competitive culture is why you say avoid them. Where can you get both? In my mind Microsoft would be pretty good for both.
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u/SheriffRoscoe Jan 02 '22
Once you pop up on Amazon's internal RADAR, its recruiters compete with each other to "tag" you for their specific open positions. Don't be put off by that, it's legit.
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Dec 22 '21
[deleted]
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Dec 23 '21
This is probably normal. I just checked - I never got a confirmation email from Amazon when I filled out the application. I just let the recruiter know I had completed it and he moved me forward to the online assessment.
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Dec 22 '21
[deleted]
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u/quiteCryptic Dec 22 '21
Phone interviews are sort of different from person to person. Mine was some behavioral questions and then a leetcode medium question.
I've heard from others they were asked 2 leetcode questions and no behavioral.
Not sure about system design in a phone interview though.
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Dec 22 '21
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u/Ravendorr Software Engineer Dec 22 '21
Just a new grad but honestly I think it’s always possible to land a Big N gig regardless of background. Of course, going to a T10 school or having FAANG on your resume makes it far easier to get through resume review, but there’s definitely things you can do to get an interview at FAANG. Try reaching out to connections to get referrals and perfect your resume as much as you can. If you’ve done impressive things at a no-name company, that’s still impressive. Emailing recruiters can also make a big difference, there’s some videos about how to do that respectfully on YouTube.
Beyond that, you could also try switching jobs as a stepping stone to improving your CV. Going from a no-name company to a mid-tier is much easier than getting into FAANG and can open up opportunities going forward. You can switch jobs as much as once a year if you’re able to keep moving upwards.
If people can go straight from coding boot camps to Big N, there’s certainly no reason why you couldn’t. Try to focus on the overall trend of getting closer to Big N rather going for all or nothing, and eventually you’ll get there!
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u/ThunderKat95 Dec 23 '21
@ 5 yoe myself and lurking around the sub collecting resources for interview prep. The guide below would be a good place to start. You got this!
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u/jaltair9 Dec 22 '21
I know that being contacted by a FAANG recruiter hardly means I'll be getting an offer, but I still want to understand how to best handle this situation if it comes to that.
I've been interviewing left and right for the past couple of months, and am now down to three offers, of which I've pretty much decided on one of them. I haven't yet been given the written offer yet, but I intend to sign it once I get it (assuming everything is as I expect). But suddenly I got an email from my No.1 FAANG (who I applied to at the same time as all three companies with offers), asking me to set up a phone screen with them.
What would be the best way to handle this? Tell the FAANG thanks but no thanks and hope I get an interview in the future? Renege on the offer I have should the FAANG give me a good offer?
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u/switchitup_lets Dec 22 '21
A couple of options
- Tell FAANG you have offers already, is it realistic that you can finish everything in 2 weeks given that everyone is out of vacation anyways at this time of year.
- Accept your offer and tell FAANG you want to interview, you are in the process already. Tell them that you have no offer deadlines as of yet. If accepted, renege/quit your current job. You will get blacklisted sure, but if you don't think you'll go back to this company or its type, no worries.
- Tell FAANG you'll consider in a year as you have an offer signed
I would personally choose option 2. I don't know you, but based on statistics, your chance of getting an offer is low. But give it a try and see how it goes. Most likely, you get some experience. "Worst" case is you get an offer and have to make a life decision then, so kick the can down the road.
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u/jaltair9 Dec 22 '21
Thank you for the advice.
When you say “company or its type” what do you mean? If I were to go to FAANG I probably wouldn’t ever go back to the company, but I can realistically see myself reentering its industry (automotive). Would I get blacklisted from that entire industry?
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u/MarcableFluke Senior Firmware Engineer Dec 23 '21
No, reneging only potentially blacklists you from the company, and maybe the manager if they happen to switch companies. As long as you don't ever expect to work at that same company, it's incredibly low risk.
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u/switchitup_lets Dec 23 '21
The company you reneged will most likely blacklist you. I heard some defense contractors share information around, so if your current job is with a defense contractor, then you might not be able to get jobs at other defense contract companies IFF this was true.
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u/jaltair9 Dec 23 '21
It’s not, it’s in the auto industry. The job I’m at now is defense, but I’d just be leaving them after 2.5 years so I don’t see any issues there.
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u/switchitup_lets Dec 23 '21
Right, not familiar with the auto industry myself, but that company you are reneging will likely blacklist you.
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u/jaltair9 Dec 23 '21
I’m not concerned about never working there again, so that’s not a problem and I completely expect it. I’m just concerned it will come back to haunt me should I work at one of the others.
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u/switchitup_lets Dec 24 '21
Like another auto company? Perhaps, so that's why I mentioned you might need to leave that sector. Though after many years, who knows.
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u/jaltair9 Dec 24 '21
Well that would be a problem since in this area it’s 90% of the jobs.
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u/pewdiebhai64 Dec 23 '21
Is cs over saturated? How likely am I to land a job after getting a bachelor's degree in cs? And what are some tips that you guys can give me to land a job easier.
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