TECH CAREERS
Frequently asked questions
What’s the difference between Product Manager, Technical Program Manager, and Program Manager?
See the Types of Roles section, above
What are stock options?
How much money should I ask for?
Use levels.fyi to understand reasonable ranges for large (and often the best paying) companies. For smaller ones these numbers will be less accurate and talking to people at the company would be more helpful)
Do not share a concrete number until you’re at the offer stage
What’s the interview process?
Check out these interview guides from Prepfully, (search by company + role)
Example for SWE: recruiter phone screen; a technical screen / take home (1-2 interviews); on-site (4-7 interviews); team match. Your onsite will generally take place over 1-3 days.
At large companies you often have to pass a general interview loop (e.g., for PgM, SWE) then match to a team. At higher levels you’re likely to team match first (e.g, screen with hiring manager) then do the interview loop.
How far out should I apply?
The larger the company, the longer the process. Expect 3+ months (up to 6 months) at a large tech company. Closer to 1 month at a smaller but still established company (e.g., Palantir, Scale, OpenAI). As short as 2 weeks at a smaller startup.
What level should I target?
Higher level = more scope, more impact, more compensation
This is a great question to ask while networking, but only after the person knows a little about you.
Aim as high as you reasonably can but keep track of whether your resume is being screened out by recruiters. No use applying to jobs where you cannot get traction (e.g., Director level roles)
Sometimes lower level at the right company/growth opportunity can have better long term outcomes. Level and immediate compensation isn’t the only thing to think about in a new job.
I’ve seen talented people get offers as Senior PM/TPM/Engineer (E5 at Meta, L5 at Google, L6 at Amazon). That’s a great exit, making $300k+.
The next level above senior is generally staff and you’ll probably know if this is even reasonable to target. This is an incredible exit. Basically, you’ll feel confident applying for senior roles, and feel that you’ve had the technical and product leadership background to justify moving one level higher.
Companies (especially larger ones) will try to “downlevel” you (e.g., you interview for L5, they tell you you’re getting an offer at L4
Remember, if you get 10 offers for L3 and 1 offer for L4, you’re now an L4!
Are levels the same across companies?
No, startups—especially smaller ones—tend to inflate titles since they’re free. Larger tech companies will typically downlevel you if you move from there to a startup (e.g., Staff SWE at Startup → Senior SWE at FAANG)
How can I tell the level of the job?
For large public companies, look at the base salary range of the job posting then look at levels.fyi to see what it aligns to. Many jobs are coded for two levels (e.g., L5 and L6)
You can also look at the minimum requirements for years of experience (e.g., 5, 8, 10, 15)
Ask the recruiter when you talk to them. They might say something like “you’ll be interviewing for the L4 or L5 level”.
Is compensation the same across companies?
No. Microsoft seems to pay less; Meta tends to pay more. Some fast growing companies that want top talent (e.g., AirBnb or Netflix a few years ago, Open AI today) pay even more than Meta, Google, Microsoft.
Note: these are some of the best paying companies in the world… a SWE at a bank or SWE at a consulting company (e.g., Booz Allen) will not make nearly as much but those are still good transitions and can get you into big tech down the road!
How should I value options at a startup?
Read this article. # shares * (Venture capitalist’s last paid price - strike price). For instance, if the company had a Series C in 2022 where the Venture Capital firms paid $11 per share, the most recent 409a fair market valuation from an outside 3rd party is $1 per share, and you receive 200 shares, then your options are valued at 200*($11 - $1) = $2000
This is illiquid; the likelihood that your startup IPOs is not nearly as good as in 2021, and IPOing in 2-3 years (for late stage companies) is not a guarantee. You should do some judgment of what the options are worth
E.g., if all public SaaS companies are trading at 6x multiple (e.g., annual recurring revenue * 6 = market cap) and private company Z is valued at 120x annual revenue in their latest funding round that took place during the zero interest rate world of 2021… and you are offered $1M in stock… it may not be worth nearly that much
If your company raised money last in 2021, recognize that private market valuations of companies are down at least 50% to 75%. So a $8B company may actually be a $2B company, or a $500M company. If you have an offer you should ask about their annual recurring revenue. Be suspicious if their valuation on paper is 10x, 20x, 50x the annual recurring revenue.
I want to be a product manager, how can I do that?
The PM market is not good right now and most companies want to hire people who have already been PMs, so getting a job that calls you a PM is the best thing you can do (frustrating, I know)
Option 1: apply to PM roles at big tech. Unlikely but not impossible and you might take an entry level job (e.g. RPM/APM programs)
Option 2: pursue PM roles at startups who are more willing to take a risk on someone without PM experience. Helps if you have particular technical expertise
Option 3: Pursue non-PM roles (e.g., SWE, TPM, PgM) at tech companies, do well, and try to laterally transfer to the PM ladder.
What else should I consider when choosing a role?
What are the dynamics of the team? You’ll be working with these people a lot, so you want to get along with them - it’s more than just a role and level.
What is your potential manager like? Getting into big tech is tough, but staying there and getting promoted is not easy. Having a good manager who will help you grow and move toward your career goals is important.