Anyone work at Amazon in VA? What's it really like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- we knew that. Nonetheless they can be a barrier to hiring, messy and stressful.

PP the stock vests along the way (original offer was 4 years to 100% vesting - negotiated to 2.5). You can't ever be sure anyone won't "cut you". Perform well and don't fear.

My concern, was that they have such high turnover, they try to cut people even if they are performing well. As a cost saving measure and to avoid paying out fully vesting options.

That hasn't been my experience.

What is the salary range for engineers at AWS, and if they make the 4 year + tenure what is career progression? Product manager? Business development?

My husband is doing it. Money is good, not sure the range. Max is $160,000 but they give bonuses for some stuff. Sounds like its easy to bounce around and change jobs. Be prepared to travel some, especially to Seattle which we did not expect. He's happy there but only been a short time. He hasn't heard of anyone being cut but plenty leave for other companies paying more once they get the experience. They would not allow him to negotiate vesting. Many of these jobs people only stay a few years, not just amazon.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- we knew that. Nonetheless they can be a barrier to hiring, messy and stressful.

PP the stock vests along the way (original offer was 4 years to 100% vesting - negotiated to 2.5). You can't ever be sure anyone won't "cut you". Perform well and don't fear.

My concern, was that they have such high turnover, they try to cut people even if they are performing well. As a cost saving measure and to avoid paying out fully vesting options.

That hasn't been my experience.

What is the salary range for engineers at AWS, and if they make the 4 year + tenure what is career progression? Product manager? Business development?

My husband is doing it. Money is good, not sure the range. Max is $160,000 but they give bonuses for some stuff. Sounds like its easy to bounce around and change jobs. Be prepared to travel some, especially to Seattle which we did not expect. He's happy there but only been a short time. He hasn't heard of anyone being cut but plenty leave for other companies paying more once they get the experience. They would not allow him to negotiate vesting. Many of these jobs people only stay a few years, not just amazon.

So it's more of a springboard to other cloud jobs, making what $200k. How is the work and hours -- do you work or is it more suited to a single income family?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes- we knew that. Nonetheless they can be a barrier to hiring, messy and stressful.

PP the stock vests along the way (original offer was 4 years to 100% vesting - negotiated to 2.5). You can't ever be sure anyone won't "cut you". Perform well and don't fear.

My concern, was that they have such high turnover, they try to cut people even if they are performing well. As a cost saving measure and to avoid paying out fully vesting options.

That hasn't been my experience.

What is the salary range for engineers at AWS, and if they make the 4 year + tenure what is career progression? Product manager? Business development?

My husband is doing it. Money is good, not sure the range. Max is $160,000 but they give bonuses for some stuff. Sounds like its easy to bounce around and change jobs. Be prepared to travel some, especially to Seattle which we did not expect. He's happy there but only been a short time. He hasn't heard of anyone being cut but plenty leave for other companies paying more once they get the experience. They would not allow him to negotiate vesting. Many of these jobs people only stay a few years, not just amazon.

So it's more of a springboard to other cloud jobs, making what $200k. How is the work and hours -- do you work or is it more suited to a single income family?

It really depends on which unit you are in from what we understand. He's been away a week a month so far and for the next few months. They never told him about the travel in the interview. He could probably say no to some/all of the trips. His big complaint with the travel is its a hassle as there aren't really any direct flights to Seattle. He can work at home a few days a week and has a lot of flexibility. I think it really depends on the family and how you structure it and who does what. Its really varying for him but when he talks to co-workers some travel, some don't. He'll do training at night but there doesn't seem to be a work at night requirement. He will sometimes get text/email from co-workers/boss at 7-8 due to the time difference but if he doesn't answer them right away or till the next day, its fine. He's enjoying the work, co-workers and seems happy there. He was worried about taking the job after reading about AWS/Amazon and it hasn't been his experience at all. Everyone has been really friendly, welcoming and seems to work well together. There is a lot of job mobility within Amazon which is nice so after a year or two if you don't like your position, you can switch or if you just want a new experience.

I wouldn't use it as a springboard to Cloud but a springboard to AWS. Most people stay within AWS and if they leave are going to private companies for more money. We haven't figured out what others are making but with the bonus structure some are doing very well, but we think its more on the sales side.

He doesn't worry about getting cut or the things the PP talked about as he's always been a contractor so those things are normal to him and we keep enough savings to make sure we'd be ok. To us, its just a normal part of IT.

[Anonymous]

DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

[Anonymous]

I'll spill the beans

Salaries tend to be low - generally capped at $150
Stock is where you can negotiate a lot a - $100K+ a year or more is well within normal ranges, and 2-3x that possible in some roles.
Sign on stock bonus of $100K totally negotiable
Vesting schedule is built knowing most people won't last. First year is very very low - like 5%. Second year and third bit better, fourth is the big chunk.

Everything negotiable.

$150 + $200K in stock per year is pretty attainable at a lot of levels. If you did that years ago, you'd be sitting pretty.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'll spill the beans

Salaries tend to be low - generally capped at $150
Stock is where you can negotiate a lot a - $100K+ a year or more is well within normal ranges, and 2-3x that possible in some roles.
Sign on stock bonus of $100K totally negotiable
Vesting schedule is built knowing most people won't last. First year is very very low - like 5%. Second year and third bit better, fourth is the big chunk.

Everything negotiable.

$150 + $200K in stock per year is pretty attainable at a lot of levels. If you did that years ago, you'd be sitting pretty.

What do you mean most people won't last?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

Did you transition to sales from engineering or were you always in sales?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'll spill the beans

Salaries tend to be low - generally capped at $150
Stock is where you can negotiate a lot a - $100K+ a year or more is well within normal ranges, and 2-3x that possible in some roles.
Sign on stock bonus of $100K totally negotiable
Vesting schedule is built knowing most people won't last. First year is very very low - like 5%. Second year and third bit better, fourth is the big chunk.

Everything negotiable.

$150 + $200K in stock per year is pretty attainable at a lot of levels. If you did that years ago, you'd be sitting pretty.

What do you mean most people won't last?

It's not a place known for its down to earth happy easy going lifestyle.

[Anonymous]

Any lawyers at Amazon? What's it like?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

Did you transition to sales from engineering or were you always in sales?

Always sales. Have a team of engineers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

Did you transition to sales from engineering or were you always in sales?

Always sales. Have a team of engineers.

So probably not a clear path engineering to sales. So what is income like for engineer? Sounds like salaries are at $160k with maybe an annual $100k stock bonus? Seems pretty good if you can survive vesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

$400k sounds actually perhaps somewhat low for IT sales, if it requires that kind of work. My SIL is in IT sales at HP, clears $250k, and I know doesn't work nearly that hard and went to some middling private school. Though perhaps she leverages her good looks, which may be less applicable to the more hard-nosed DOD world

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

So you now receive an annual stock grant of $400k? or you mean the $100k stock grant you received when you joined has quadrupled in value?

Is there really consensus that AMZN will continue its torrid appreciation? It's P/E ratio is like 500 -- it barely eeks out a profit b/c it is always reinvesting, not sure if investors will always value that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

$400k sounds actually perhaps somewhat low for IT sales, if it requires that kind of work. My SIL is in IT sales at HP, clears $250k, and I know doesn't work nearly that hard and went to some middling private school. Though perhaps she leverages her good looks, which may be less applicable to the more hard-nosed DOD world

DOD is a very different beast. The sheer frustration of dealing with government inefficiency is the hardest part of the job. That said, its a WAH position that allows plenty of time for golf, so $400K works.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DOD sales for AWS. $400k, and yes, the job can feel like its taking over your life. Stock grant that was initially 100K is now worth 400K. RSU's do take absurdly long to vest, but 401k growing like wildfire as they grant stock as part of their company match.

So you now receive an annual stock grant of $400k? or you mean the $100k stock grant you received when you joined has quadrupled in value?

Is there really consensus that AMZN will continue its torrid appreciation? It's P/E ratio is like 500 -- it barely eeks out a profit b/c it is always reinvesting, not sure if investors will always value that.

That. We are judiciously profit taking now to balance out our portfolio. That said, yes, I do believe that it will continue its torrid appreciation, with some corrections along the way of course.