Google no, Yahoo yes, Microsoft yes

[Noirish]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
I've received offers from Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco, and some mid-tier companies to do software engineering. Google said no. I'm in silicon valley.

here is some information for those of you looking at Google. They have an insane number of candidates coming in, so they can be ultra picky. Let me give you a tangible example: For Google and Yahoo, I had 5 interviewers each onsite. For both, I think I messed up on maybe 1.25 of the interviewers. Yahoo said yes. Google said no.

I'm having a hard time deciding between Microsoft and Yahoo (and the other Silicon Valley mid-tiers). MS is offering $84K with 10% bonus. The Silicon Valley companies are offering on the order of $105K and varying bonuses. The MS guy said the difference is in "cost of living," but I call bullshit.

What to do?

cost of living difference does factor into salaries.
for 20k more, i'll probably stay in ca.

what's your working experience (years)?

 

[Horus]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi

Originally posted by: jagga
What are your education details?

I have a PhD in Computer Science from a top-20 school, but it was probably more my skillset and experience that got me the positions.

SMARTY-PANTS!




J/K. Congrats on those offers, you're in the "set-for-life" club at the moment, really.

 

[SagaLore]

Cisco or Microsoft. Don't do Yahoo, unless you want experience coding malware.

 

[ITJunkie]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
I've received offers from Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco, and some mid-tier companies to do software engineering. Google said no. I'm in silicon valley.

here is some information for those of you looking at Google. They have an insane number of candidates coming in, so they can be ultra picky. Let me give you a tangible example: For Google and Yahoo, I had 5 interviewers each onsite. For both, I think I messed up on maybe 1.25 of the interviewers. Yahoo said yes. Google said no.

I'm having a hard time deciding between Microsoft and Yahoo (and the other Silicon Valley mid-tiers). MS is offering $84K with 10% bonus. The Silicon Valley companies are offering on the order of $105K and varying bonuses. The MS guy said the difference is in "cost of living," but I call bullshit.

What to do?

Are you talking the Redmond campus for MS? Cost of living here (Seattle greater metro area) is pretty frickin' high. It's probably not Silicon Valley high but 21K difference is a pretty big spread. I would agree with your "bullshit" assessment...to some degree.

 

[sygyzy]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
The most difficult part is that I own a condo here in silicon valley; I got it on a good deal, and I definitely don't want to sell it. If I move to WA, I would have to rent out this condo, maybe for 2/3 of the monthly mortgage, leaving me to pay about $1000 a month on it. If I go for Microsoft, it would be really hard to afford the condo payment as well as an apartment up there.

If you got a good deal on it, why won't rent cover the mortgage. I don't think I have ever seen a housing situation where rent couldn't cover the mortgage.

 

[shuttleboi]

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
The most difficult part is that I own a condo here in silicon valley; I got it on a good deal, and I definitely don't want to sell it. If I move to WA, I would have to rent out this condo, maybe for 2/3 of the monthly mortgage, leaving me to pay about $1000 a month on it. If I go for Microsoft, it would be really hard to afford the condo payment as well as an apartment up there.

If you got a good deal on it, why won't rent cover the mortgage. I don't think I have ever seen a housing situation where rent couldn't cover the mortgage.

This is Silicon Valley. The housing prices are extremely high. I've already checked local rental rates; renting out the condo will only cover about 2/3 of my monthly mortgage.

 

[shuttleboi]

Originally posted by: binister
Go for the Yahoo job. I have three friends that work there and they love it.

Plus, as the say... If you ever leave California you won't be coming back.

That is an extremely scary quote. Unfortunately, it seems to be all too true.

 

[shuttleboi]

Originally posted by: Dacalo

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
The most difficult part is that I own a condo here in silicon valley; I got it on a good deal, and I definitely don't want to sell it. If I move to WA, I would have to rent out this condo, maybe for 2/3 of the monthly mortgage, leaving me to pay about $1000 a month on it. If I go for Microsoft, it would be really hard to afford the condo payment as well as an apartment up there.

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
But I want to move back to Silicon Valley in a few years, and it's not like I'm going to be able do a currency exchange between WA and CA. So I'm going to be losing a lot of money when I come back to CA.

Where is the quandry? Seems like no brainer to me.

Perhaps a subtle boasting?

Sorry, I didn't mean to boast. From the facts, what is the no-brainer decision in your view?

 

[herbiehancock]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
here's what I found from an online cost-of-living calculator:
Salary in San Jose CA: $105,000
Comparable salary in Seattle WA: $72,494.73

Ok, so Microsoft has a point with cost of living differences. But I want to move back to Silicon Valley in a few years, and it's not like I'm going to be able do a currency exchange between WA and CA. So I'm going to be losing a lot of money when I come back to CA.

So how do you figure that? If anything, you may be able to actually save a bit more in Seattle vs. San Jose. Not only are housing costs way more expensive in SJ, but food, gasoline, damned near everything.

So you put it at a $105K salary in SJ equates, in costs, to having a $72K in Seattle. You were offered $13K above that figure for Seattle, so you should have the same standard of living and be able to save quite a bit more.

Or is California money more highly valued than Washington state money........in other words, will your money saved over years devalue moving from WA to CA? I don't think so, and the compound interest of the greater savings over the years in WA will more than offset the "higher" salary in CA.

 

[SoulAssassin]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi

Originally posted by: sygyzy

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
The most difficult part is that I own a condo here in silicon valley; I got it on a good deal, and I definitely don't want to sell it. If I move to WA, I would have to rent out this condo, maybe for 2/3 of the monthly mortgage, leaving me to pay about $1000 a month on it. If I go for Microsoft, it would be really hard to afford the condo payment as well as an apartment up there.

If you got a good deal on it, why won't rent cover the mortgage. I don't think I have ever seen a housing situation where rent couldn't cover the mortgage.

This is Silicon Valley. The housing prices are extremely high. I've already checked local rental rates; renting out the condo will only cover about 2/3 of my monthly mortgage.

Then, frankly speaking, it's hard to say you got a good deal when you only rent out a place w a 3K mortgage for 2K. If you were to sell it, are you upside down on your mortgage? You have a very good point about moving back, let's say you put 10% in your 401k in Seattle vs SVC. That's 2K/year plus interest over the next (I'm guessing) 40 years. Plus if you have to contribute 1K/mo to make up the difference in your mortgage. Then consider that you seem to be happier in CA, I think the answer is to take one of the local jobs.

 

[AgentEL]

$84K for a guy with a PhD in CS from a good school sounds like lowballing. I know a few smart people that made that coming out with a BS. Yahoo for $105K in California sounds like the right choice.

 

[Bateluer]

I'd go with MS myself. I can be pretty certain that MS is going to be around for a while. Not so sure about Yahoo.

 

[compnovice]

Originally posted by: AgentEL
$84K for a guy with a PhD in CS from a good school sounds like lowballing. I know a few smart people that made that coming out with a BS. Yahoo for $105K in California sounds like the right choice.

I kind of agree ... MS paid the Phd's in CS from my school at least $90K... And its not a top 20 school either...

EDIT: I am not familiar with the cost of living in either of those areas, except that California is expensive...

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi

Originally posted by: jagga
What are your education details?

I have a PhD in Computer Science from a top-20 school, but it was probably more my skillset and experience that got me the positions.

oh dude...i could have gotten you $120k+ here in Santa Monica...

 

[shuttleboi]

Originally posted by: compnovice

Originally posted by: AgentEL
$84K for a guy with a PhD in CS from a good school sounds like lowballing. I know a few smart people that made that coming out with a BS. Yahoo for $105K in California sounds like the right choice.

I kind of agree ... MS paid the Phd's in CS from my school at least $90K... And its not a top 20 school either...

EDIT: I am not familiar with the cost of living in either of those areas, except that California is expensive...

Are you saying that your friends with a PhD went to work at Microsoft in the Redmond, WA, region and got over $90K? Just want to confirm.

 

[shuttleboi]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: shuttleboi

Originally posted by: jagga
What are your education details?

I have a PhD in Computer Science from a top-20 school, but it was probably more my skillset and experience that got me the positions.

oh dude...i could have gotten you $120k+ here in Santa Monica...

I'm familiar with the Santa Monica area. The only good companies I know there are Google, Symantec, Activision, and of course the Hollywood stuff.

 

[Goosemaster]

IIRC didn't yahoo fire most of its US software development base?

I swear I heard that in the news of something...

 

[Ameesh]

i worked for microsoft for 3 years and i would suggest working for yahoo in the choices you presented.

when you decide to move back to cali you'll be in a worse opsition with an 84k salary.

 

[Ameesh]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
IIRC didn't yahoo fire most of its US software development base?

I swear I heard that in the news of something...

where did you hear this? they are hiring like crazy in southern california

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi
I've received offers from Yahoo, Microsoft, Cisco, and some mid-tier companies to do software engineering. Google said no. I'm in silicon valley.

here is some information for those of you looking at Google. They have an insane number of candidates coming in, so they can be ultra picky. Let me give you a tangible example: For Google and Yahoo, I had 5 interviewers each onsite. For both, I think I messed up on maybe 1.25 of the interviewers. Yahoo said yes. Google said no.

I'm having a hard time deciding between Microsoft and Yahoo (and the other Silicon Valley mid-tiers). MS is offering $84K with 10% bonus. The Silicon Valley companies are offering on the order of $105K and varying bonuses. The MS guy said the difference is in "cost of living," but I call bullshit.

What to do?

Yes, there is a difference in "cost of living". If you work 16 hours a day, your cost of living will go down a lot

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
IIRC didn't yahoo fire most of its US software development base?

I swear I heard that in the news of something...

where did you hear this? they are hiring like crazy in southern california

my mistake then.

 

[compnovice]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi

Originally posted by: compnovice

Originally posted by: AgentEL
$84K for a guy with a PhD in CS from a good school sounds like lowballing. I know a few smart people that made that coming out with a BS. Yahoo for $105K in California sounds like the right choice.

I kind of agree ... MS paid the Phd's in CS from my school at least $90K... And its not a top 20 school either...

EDIT: I am not familiar with the cost of living in either of those areas, except that California is expensive...

Are you saying that your friends with a PhD went to work at Microsoft in the Redmond, WA, region and got over $90K? Just want to confirm.

Not friends of mine but some people from my school...Of course, the information is all through word of mouth and I haven't seen any offer letters

Also, I am not saying $84k is less by any means, but probably you could have squeezed out a little more.

In the end, salary isn't everything....

 

[shuttleboi]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster

Originally posted by: Ameesh

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
IIRC didn't yahoo fire most of its US software development base?

I swear I heard that in the news of something...

where did you hear this? they are hiring like crazy in southern california

my mistake then.

Why would you say something like that if you aren't sure of its veracity? Are you trying to freak me out or something?

 

[imported_goku]

Originally posted by: shuttleboi

Originally posted by: binister
Go for the Yahoo job. I have three friends that work there and they love it.

Plus, as the say... If you ever leave California you won't be coming back.

That is an extremely scary quote. Unfortunately, it seems to be all too true.

Why would that be true?

 

[doze]

It is much more important to be happy where you live and be satisfied with your job and pay. Work will seem the same no matter where you are as I'm sure both Microsoft and Yahoo are decent to work for. Decide where you would rather spend your free time and go to work there.