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Comment by bitJericho | Hacker News Reader

I don't know where you plan on working, but do not take a job from Amazon. They will eat you up and spit you out as soon as you're not necessary anymore. That is to say, if you're project ends, you're fired. If you survive there that long.

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You don't have to worry about it with Amazon. Amazon definitely doesn't pay 170k to 99% of their SDEs. SDE2 total comp is under 150k and that is at least 95th percentile.

If, Cthulhu forbid, it's Amazon, also remember that you need to stick around for a while otherwise you have to pay back that munificent sign-on and any relocation money.

I do know people who happily paid both back to get out of there.

I worked for IMDb in Los Angeles for under a year, and they didn't require me to pay back any of the sign-on or relocation.

Sadly that's not how it works for Amazon Seattle.

Depending on your level, this is not true. This is pretty much only for entry level direct out of college.

This is completely untrue. If you're a software dev worth your salt you're not gonna get fired. Even if you did you'll probably easily find another job.

Obviously like any tech giant work life balance and general experience varies from team to team.

Just to broadly say that amazon is a terrible organisation to work for is a disservice to devs.

I personally know people who work and Amazon and have experiences ranging the spectrum from Amazing to terrible, it depends a lot on on the team you work with and the managers that you have.

Unfortunately it's not COMPLETELY untrue, but it is an unqualified exaggeration. Some teams are a complete shit show, others are as good as you'll find at any large company.

Amazon pays pretty well, but people will have to work hard for it.

This is completely true. I was an Amazon engineer who received a PIP soon after my team successfully launch our project. An Amazon SDM who did not know I received a PIP told me the same day that the team's funding had been cut and managers were having a war to cannibalize our headcount. I was also told (in the PIP document which I can post online) that I could save my job by choosing my Indian manager's friend in India (I was in Seattle) as my personal mentor and boss even though Amazon's mentor program is totally voluntary and SDE's don't manage people. I think this was a ruse to justify transferring the person to the US and obtaining a visa. Amazon is a terrible shit organization no engineer should work at. I of course no longer work there and now make exactly 82% more compensation. All those people can DIAF. I want Amazon to stay shitty and continue to employ those talentless assholes (who still work there) because I never want to have to deal with those people again.

Did you report it? Because that sounds like extreme misconduct. Amazon could have got rid of those nasty people. It might be a criminal investigation actually.

No. Obviously HR and senior managers signed off on the PIP document which outlined all this. I asked my manager who was making him do this (HR, execs, his real boss in India) and he said no one. I told him if that was true (which I knew it wasn't) then he fucked up because he cost Amazon a SDE and he was going to take all of the blame. He still works there so I was right. Amazon does not get 'rid' of ridiculously bad managers just as the catholic church does not get rid of child molesters and a person does not get rid of one of their organs.

I had no reason to stay as I have multiple masters degrees and Amazon, along with a PIP, was offering 0% raise and no RSU's after delivering a multi-million dollar project.

I did contact HR when I caught one of my other managers lying about my interview feedback in MRT notes (hiring system). All HR did was pull the feedback and when it was shown that a manager had done something inappropriate they of course dropped it. I knew it was a waste of time but didn't care. I was surprised I wasn't PIP'ed at that point. Amazon employees have to watch their managers closely.

Amazon is a terrible organization because Jeff Bezos is a terrible person.

I don't think thats true. I have friends who worked on multiple projects. The bad things that i have heard are about work intensity and salary hikes nothing related to firing at will.

This is not really true. I love amazon and been there quite awhile now. They shed the dead weight often, but if you like a challenge, you'll make it just fine

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