Ask HN: Why did you decline a FAANG opportunity? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Why did you decline a FAANG opportunity?

5 pointsmkl955 comments

My reason was that the position required me to relocate to a very expensive area where I would struggle financially.

Interested in hearing any other stories.

I had severe performance anxiety tied to the estimated salary I'd need to live in a comparable style to my current non-S.F. location (In oz, close to central business district in a 3 bed apt with pool, by a river with fresh food markets and hipster coffee nearby).

I also now realise I severely underestimated my pricepoint, but that would actually have made it worse: I did not believe I could generate the revenue or value to the company to match the salary I'd need, and I didn't want the guilt trip going in.

I've stayed in the Not-For-Profit sector on a 3-4x lower salary, and I'm tolerably content.

I do feel I let the guy trying to hire me down. I should have been clearer sooner, so he didn't waste time on me.

Separately I declined Amazon when I learned what a complete bastard employer they were but I didn't even get beyond the "how would you do this.." no time-waster barrier questions (again, I was a direct referral so I bypassed the normal gate-keeping)

The last thing (and this is specific to people going FAANG in the USA) is that if you work in the US even on temp visa you have 5+ years of the IRS in your life when you leave, you have double-taxation risk unless you pay accountants, and your IRA/ROTH is almost certainly not considered tax free in your normal domicile and you can wind up having other costs like "you left our health system, kiss goodbye to your lifetime rating" -If they employ you in Europe or Asia you may not have these problems because of sane taxation and bilateral treaty models.

I wasn't young. I had higher exposure to these risks.

The money offered was good but when compared to the cost of living of having to relocate and my then company’s benefits and pay (although less) the delta/net benefit was not enough to make me move.

This was 12 years ago and the salary plus stock was nothing to sneeze at. I have zero regrets.

I declined a position at Meta / Facebook, for ethical reasons. Much like I would feel icky to work in (and have to tell others I work in) a tobacco or firearms company.

Why did you apply, if you didn’t intend to accept if offered?

I didn't. They reached out to me.

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