Ask HN: Where are 150k to 200k salary job in Silicon Valley?
I always hear and have read quite a few times that there are thousands of people who earn 150k to 200k salary.
I have 9 years of experience but my salary is 118k per year with 2k as stock options per year. I work in data analytics as tech lead without any direct reports. With $2300 rent in Peninsula it is really really hard to live in Bay area for 2 people.
Is 150k to 200k only paid at google / Facebook / Amazon / Uber?
Where do you find companies hiring managers or directors or tech leads offering such salary ?
I have no network. I tried networking and going to meetup but nothing happened. Even if I go networking way it is going to take longer to find job through that route. I am looking for immediate opportunity. I have LinkedIn profile but it seems that most connections are there for namesake purpose only.
Any guidance and / or tips you can provide for landing such job in valley ?
33 comments
[ 2.2 ms ] story [ 68.6 ms ] threadAnd not to be condescending, but if you have no network after 9 years of experience, you might want to think about what it is about you that is causing that.
Given that definition, I agree it is concerning that OP doesn't know where to reach out. Perhaps the best course of action is addressing why that is the case.
It's not about making connections so that people will give you a job as a favor. It's about making connections so that you have social proof of your competence, plus to take advantage of the fact that someone telling your target "hey, take a look at this person" stands out much better than sending one more resume to a poorly monitored email account.
Which, in response to your last question, also means knowing someone who knows someone where you want to work is almost as good as a direct connection. You really don't need to know all that many people to have a usefully large second degree network (doubly so if you're in a tech hub).
As a general rule, if someone hands your resume to a hiring manager, or says "I know that guy; he's good" that carries a hell of a lot more weight than you evidently think it does.
Yes, of course you need to know what you're doing. The point is that knowing someone at the firm you're applying to, or knowing someone who know someone there is useful. Like it or not, we are social animals and we respond to that stuff.
Networking is where people, usually former colleagues, will remember you (positively) when their employer asks them "Hey, we need someone who can do X?" And vice versa.
If you can't make friends with people you work with, that will make networking hard or impossible but you can't blame that on "networking".
Networking as an activity involves contacting the people you know, then if necessary, people they know, and so on. Networking is what you do when you're looking for a new gig.
Attending 'networking events' for people looking for work, you're going to have a low yield, because everyone there is looking for work. You may want to add them to your network for later, but it's not likely you'll find a job right away through that activity.
In business, I've landed first-time contracts with people that I initially met 20 years ago. I added them to my network (by hanging on to their business card and checking in with them every couple of years before LinnkedIn came along). So really, you need to establish and nurture your career-facing network for the long haul. That is the way to stay employed over the years.
Just apply and be firm during negotiations.
I would really like a site where they can teach you these skills or take care of it for you. A few premier sites that can act like agents already want you to have a GOOG/AMZN/APPL pedigree.
NB: It helps enormously to have competing offers.
I got into most places by reference. That doesn't mean success - no high salaries, no good prospects, just barely managing to find the next place. I wouldn't say I'm too bad socially; young nerdish traits waned enough already. But with growing age finding Bay Area-adequate salary - kids, you know - is harder, not easier, even though experience and skills grow.
It's a real problem. Would be thankful for a good advice.
I would say networking is less about meeting people and more about building a reputation. Commenting here on HN is one way to build that reputation. You can get go to meet ups to meet people, but giving talks is how you get reputation. The same applies to conferences. At work, especially in larger companies, you can build reputation as experts in one particular technology, lead brown bag sessions to demonstrate that expertise.
You sometimes notice other people that have good network. It's also important to stand out in front of these people to get second degree connections. If you also have good network, these people would gladly be your best friend.
1. Get a job where people report to you
2. Get a job with company with bigger budgets e.g. Google
3. Get a job where you are closer to the money making e.g. sales, finance industry jobs
4. Do something else where you control the flow of money rather than just get a paycheck. I am thinking real estate development or renovations, for example.
5. Live somewhere where the cost of living is cheaper but earn the same money. You could get a remote job in SV then go move away. I don't know US that well but isn't Oakland cheaper? Or if you are remote working just go live in some dead town somewhere.
6. Get a job contracting using some arcane skill that no-one wants to work with so it pays more. E.g. Microsoft SharePoint.
7. Become a business analyst / project manager etc.
8. Become a corporate C*O.
9. Get a 9-5 tech job (literally) and then get a second job.
10. Get a 9-5 tech job (literally) and do a side project money making.
I have found the unicorns like to hand out RSUs like candy.
Of course, you can apply to startups also...but I am not aware of how much they pay.