I'm an old technical guy. Just received AWS offer that is more than double my current Cisco total comp! I'm stunned. Didn't bother to negotiate just accepted it as-is.
I thought my age would make finding an equivalent position difficult. I would like to thank my manager for being a jerk. It motivated me to look for something better. Otherwise would have finished my career at Cisco at half the comp.
I've been at Amazon for several weeks now. It is busy, chaotic, and wonderful! The engineers are fully in control of their destiny and their success. It is nothing like Cisco.
If your tired of the Cisco BS, have talent and drive, apply and interview. There is opportunity everywhere at Amazon. I regret not bailing on Cisco sooner.
I work only 1.5hrs per day at Cisco but paid as a fulltime. I do multiple other side gigs as they come in - some lasting 2 months or a few weeks. I can get long term side gigs, but I don't want to push myself. Besides, I'm an empty nester, house paid off, 2 cars paid off, 2 kids done their college. Shhhhhhhhhhhh, don't tell anyone at Cisco about this!!
You can work at Cisco part time while working full time for another company at the same time-This is what the large majority of Cisco employees choose to do today, including most of the folks in my group
Other choice is accept higher compensation position at AWS full time which is the moral thing to do
"not true for software development engineers with current market skills (aka cloud/web >software engineers)."
Those are commodity skills easily outsourced. Complex networking skills are more >differentiated and in shorter supply.
OK, my experience is different, as a person that has given live programming/code interview many times (in CISCO and others). A lot of those so called could software engineer failed on Java server Go-lang server code interview miserably.
To the OP. You'll have to work for a living though, not like most of the rest of Cisco who sit around posting nauseating remarks on WOKE check-ins such as "Go Cisco!" or "Welcome from NY!" or "Love your shirt/bookcase/hair cut, Chuck". Vomit inducing. IF you want to work hard then good luck to you. But you say you're an old technical guy. Why not just ride it out?
"Aerospace engineering is extremely complex but those engineers aren't compensated well."
It is supply and demand. Recent world events may change the demand. Western world is moving to a long term war footing. The cold war is back. It isn't easy to increase the supply of aerospace engineers as demand increases. Everything is changing quickly.
Corporations value employees that can sell stories to Wall Street, or are creative at dramatically reducing labor costs; outsourcing, h1b visas, or transitioning to contract employees
There aren't many companies that value complex networking skills. Aerospace engineering is extremely complex but those engineers aren't compensated well.
"not true for software development engineers with current market skills (aka cloud/web software engineers)."
Those are commodity skills easily outsourced. Complex networking skills are more differentiated and in shorter supply.
Congratulations. Get ready for completely different working environment. AWS is making bank earning low margins and making it up in volume. Its a completely different world from the high margin business Cisco does. Amazon does not have a reputation for being a company that's preaching about it's "people deal". More the opposite. As someone has already mentioned, its not likely to be a life of creating PPT decks while red badges do the heavy lifting. And unlike Cisco, deadlines are likely going to mean something. Not that you can't be successful there, just that being successful is going to take a different set of skills than you may have been exercising.
Cisco only give stock to VP?
"This is actually not true for software development engineers with current market skills (aka cloud/web software engineers). The base pay is not much different if you compare a new hire today between CISCO and AMZ."
Your data is old. Within the last month, AWS recognized their base pay was not competitive and made substantial improvements.
The cloud employment market has entered gold rush territory. It is similar to the networking industry in the early 1990s. Comp for experienced, grey haired, engineers who know how to get things done and can hit the ground running is exploding. Complex overlay networks and scalable network based services are at the heart of the cloud providers infrastructure. Everything depends on the network. They are all growing like crazy and need experienced people to continue to grow. Everyone in this space is comping much better than Cisco. This won't last forever. Seize the opportunities while they exist.
On top of this, base is substantially higher than Cisco.
This is actually not true for software development engineers with current market skills (aka cloud/web software engineers). The base pay is not much different if you compare a new hire today between CISCO and AMZ. Of course, inside of CISCO, there are plenty of level 10/11 that have very low base. The difference is Sign-on and RSU.
What's the divorce rate at AWS? Are people allowed to have kids yet?
Yes. RSU vesting is backend loaded. To compensate, very large, cash, signing bonus that pays out monthly over 2 years until RSUs start to vest. On top of this, base is substantially higher than Cisco.
I can easily live with this. Signing bonus is huge and RSUs are many.
Well, You get your first batch of RSU AFTER 2 years ..... I know a number of people who were let go a month before that 2 year period
What about Google, Facebook, and others? Do they pay equally as well?
AWS will throw out a really attractive offer, wrapped around a ton of caveats… unless you can ‘gut it out’ for 4 years you will more than likely walk away and give up most of the comp in the original offer. Only those people AWS really want can negotiate a comp that’s front loaded…
AWS offered me $1million per month. I get a free car, a mansion and full health benefit. Come to AWS folks, leave cheapskate Thithco Thithtems for newbies and the incompetents.
AWS offered me 4X my current pay with 800K package, and 300K signing bonus. That's for an entry level engineer position. What is everybody waiting for?
AWS is a sweatshop.
Get ready for long days, micromanagement, and no life.
Two friends work there and talked me out of pursuing.
I got triple offer at AWS, negotiated to 3.5x of my last Cisco total comp, AWS agreed.
For you folks still at Cisco, upgrade your skills and put AWS at the top of your training. Azure is ok too but not as good as AWS in terms of pay and job opportunities.
Congratulations!
I wish I could say thanks to my boss for being an explosive tyrant.
It’s true, most of the respectable tech/cloud companies pay 1.5-2x more! Sure, they require you to do something other than make PowerPoints but it’s worth the jump if you aren’t allergic to actual work.
i've heard 75% of AWS employees leave with PTSD within 4 years. thank you for your service.
VERY good for you and congrats. Sounds like a great decision. They may make you work over there. Be forewarned.