#Should I leave my SWE job at an investment bank for a backend dev role at a smaller company?

21 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

slim parrot
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Hi everyone, I'm currently working as an analyst level SWE at Goldman Sachs. Sadly, I don't like to work with the proprietary language (Slang). I'm afraid of being "pigeon holed" in the long term.

I've received two concurrent offers to work as a backend engineer with Node.js/Ruby on Rails stacks + other technologies such as AWS, Docker, ... at other companies (smaller than GS).

For this next comment, I'm not from the US and I'd like to eventually (medium to long term) work at a first world country by being there or do it remotely. I've spoken to a friend about this and he told me I shouldn't leave GS because I'd be leaving a global company for a company of a "lower tier" and I'd struggle to return to the "higher tier". He insisted I should stay at GS and leverage the company name/experience for job applications abroad.

What do you guys/gals think? Could my friend be correct? Should I stay/leave GS?

lime cedar
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is there higher compensation?

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are the smaller companies relatively layoff-safe?

granite gazelle
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Different circumstances, but I did something similar.

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I'm much happier at a smaller company.

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Make sure the small company is nice. Small companies are more "varied" than big.

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Higher highs. Lower lows.

slim parrot
# lime cedar is there higher compensation?

On the crypto exchange offer, the TC will be considerably higher (like +40%). On the global consulting company (very likely above WITCH tier, closer to Accenture) offer, the base would be 20% higher but due to lack of bonus, they would match my GS TC.

slim parrot
slim parrot
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Both smaller companies would also be fully remote

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While I'm currently hybrid in GS, 3 days in-office while 2 days homeoffice

slim parrot
# lime cedar is there higher compensation?

The tricky thing is, both offers compare well to my current analyst TC. But if I level up to associate within GS in 2024, it will beat both offers but not by a large margin

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The crypto exchange offer TC would nearly match my associate TC, losing by like 10%. Still, if I ever become a VP, the TC will easily beat both offers.

slim parrot
lime cedar
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how’s your career track at goldman looking

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are you close to promotion

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i don’t think the prestige factor is a problem when goldman will still be the next entry on your resume anyway

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also at the consulting place you’ll actually be working directly as a developer right?

slim parrot
slim parrot