HN Explorer

Can I work at Facebook with a family?

7 points by benawabe896 ↗ HN
I've been given an opportunity to move to Menlo Park and work with Facebook, but I have a stay at home wife and two toddlers. I feel like this is a great opportunity, but also feel like I could be setting myself up for misery. Can a single income household even live near Menlo Park? Will I ever have time for my wife and kids? Thanks in advance for any comments.

9 comments

[ 3.5 ms ] story [ 27.9 ms ] thread
kitcar
Depends on the specific role, salary, and the lifestyle you choose to live, but Facebook has thousands of employees, many of which have families larger than yours and are still doing fine -
brogrammer90
You can but the majority of your 23 year old coworkers will annoy the ever living shit out of you. They may even implicitly put you first on the chopping block because not hanging out with them outside of work means you're not a team player.
HorizonXP
I left Facebook/Instagram earlier this year. MPK is very family-friendly, I'm sure you and your family will enjoy it.

I lived in Palo Alto in a 2BR/2BA apartment near El Camino and California. Not the most luxurious space, but it did me just fine. I was alone, so I Airbnb'd the 2nd room, earning about $2k a month. My rent was $2700, plus ~$100 for utilities and Internet. I made enough that the $2700 wasn't a big deal if I had to eat the whole thing, but I was alone, so I optimized. MPK's free food definitely helped me keep costs low too, but of course, that doesn't quite help the rest of your family.

These are questions best answered by Peeps @ FB, but you're not the first, and I'm sure they have plenty of resources to help you out.

All said and done, it's definitely doable, but depending on your salary, it could be tight. If you want a bigger/cheaper place, consider MV, Cupertino, or Redwood City, or even San Jose. Heck, Oakland's a great option too. Check the shuttle schedules to see what works.

I enjoyed my time there, I'm sure you will too. But ultimately, you have to answer this for yourself!

eaurouge
Don't live in Oakland if you're going to be working in Menlo Park - long commute, not even a fun drive on a weekend. If you're really pressed, Newark (just across Dumbarton Bridge) and Fremont (just south of Newark) are much better options.
HorizonXP
I would agree with this, except a few of my friends have moved to Oakland from SF and they're loving it. They have families too.
benawabe896
This is an awesome response, thank you very much!
JSeymourATL
Ask the hiring manager (or HR contact) if he can put you in touch with other FBers who also have young families for networking & advice.

Don't worry about having to keep up with young single, hang-out after work crowd. You'll likely come in earlier, focus better, and bang-out the work quicker. The older managers will appreciate family is a priority.

nbm
I can put you in contact with a friend who works with me at Facebook with a wife and (slightly older than toddler) kids if you would like to talk to someone. My contact details are on my user page.

Your recruiter can do the same thing, of course.

My personal advice:

You control how much time you spend at work and doing work at home. I've gone through periods of being very careful of not doing more than ~40 hours a week of work, and also taking advantage of the ability to work from home some of the time. I've also gone through periods of doing much more than that, because I chose to. I am confident I would not be looked upon differently not having done so.

When you choose your team after Bootcamp, make sure you are clear with your manager on how you want to work. (Feel free to reach out to me after you start - my unixname is nbm.)