Arely Silva

Amazon is requiring a 5-day RTO starting January 2025. Agree or disagree with the reasoning, it's happening, and it will be felt across #tech. Credit to Amazon, they interview and hire fantastic people, they also fire very well and move people out at a rapid pace, but the average tenure is less than 1.5 years for full-time tech employees. Most Amazonians will be faced with a difficult choice in the next few months and will have to put a real price tag on the tradeoff between the convenience and productivity of #remotework versus everything we collectively despise about in-office work: The commute and the cost associated, time wasted in traffic, parking, distractions near your desk, water-cooler small talk, still on Zoom calls daily, and most importantly, time lost with your family/kids. You either stay and recommit to the status quo of Pre-covid19 or you begin exploring external options, unlocking those golden handcuffs, and targeting remote-first opportunities, likely to make significantly less in TC. At the L6 level, that could mean up to 50% less in Total Comp at all but a handful of Top Tech Companies. Interesting to see how this shakes out and impacts the larger tech market but in the meantime, I'm hiring #engineers @ Sumo Logic, and all of these roles are open to 100% remote. Tech Stack: Java, Scala, Typescript, React, Redux, Kafka, Docker, K8s, AWS. https://lnkd.in/gxJtS-vf

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60% onsite to offer ratio yesterday with 3 offers going out. At 4 offers so far for the month, we are only 8 days in,1 more interview today!!!! I’d like to end the week with 5 SWE offers! Every candidate I worked with this month I found in our applicant tracking system. They applied to a bunch of SWE roles, were never moved forward, gave up, and I hit them up randomly. If there was an audit done, no one could find commonalities between my submissions EXCEPT: 1) they have all previously applied to other SWE roles 2) they all reside in WA and are interested in working hybrid/ want to be on our main campus / require no relocation Aside from that, they all come from different backgrounds, different sized companies, various schools, some have masters degrees / others don’t. I don’t believe there’s one type of person who can be successful at Microsoft. I also am a firm believer that you increase your chances of being contacted by simply applying. You may not get reached out to for the role you applied for, but you’re maximizing the chances that someone like me will find you. I don’t mind digging through the applications across the entire company because they’re easy wins. Less convincing, less chasing, less back and forth, higher attendance rates, and so far 100% offer acceptance. (I recognize this stat won’t last forever, but I’ll ride it til it changes🙃)

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This is why WE need YOU! Different builds Different The Rotational Engineering Program was designed to provide access & and equitable experience for candidates that historically have not been viewed as “traditional software engineers”. ❗️APPLY HERE :https://lnkd.in/gDTQjcz4

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The Tech Industry is at it again with major layoffs and restructuring. If you are a Recruiter or TA lead within the industry, please reach out. I have some amazing colleagues that have been impacted by layoffs who are equitable and scale!!! #OpenToWork #TechLeads #PMMe!

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Impact is the ultimate currency. One of the most consistent themes across all of my candidate conversations is that impact is king. Every engineer who successfully climbed the ladder emphasized the importance of focusing on measurable, objective outcomes that benefit the company. At Amazon, for instance, engineers aren’t just evaluated on the quantity of their work, but on the tangible impact that work has on the business. Promotions are often a lagging indicator; they’re based on sustained, high-impact performance over time. A Staff Engineer at Google mentioned that it took over six months of consistent next-level performance before the promotion discussions even began. This sustained impact is what ultimately sets you apart. →Takeaway: Always focus on delivering results that matter to the company. Understand what your organization values and align your efforts with those goals. One engineer said it nicely, "focus on big rocks and leave the small ones alone". Read more about what I’ve learned from conversations with principal and staff engineers over the last 2 years here: https://lnkd.in/guujy8zr Subscribe to the Careersy Coaching newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gjbC2N7X

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100% ONSITE TO OFFER RATIO THIS MORNING ON MY FIRST SWE2 EVENT DAY!!!! Let’s goooooo!!! (Don’t be fooled by this post, definitely had doubts at the start of the week. Doubts around if I could keep up in this space? Am I qualified to be here? Could I hit the metrics expected of me? Which I think are all ok and healthy to have as you transition into a new space. I’ve had to remind myself that other people’s qualifications, don’t take away from my own. Someone can have more years of experience, be more qualified on paper, be amazing at their job … and guest what I can still do a great job too. Everyone on my team is winning in their own unique way. Some people are really good at navigating tough conversations with candidates. I’ve seen some people excel more on the project management side - getting tasks done, job applications cleaned up, instructions out to the team. I’ve seen some people do well and have high-volume via LinkedIn Recruiter. I’ve seen some people have high offer accept ratios/ better results with less volume. The list goes on. There are always wins that can be highlighted with each and every person - that’s where I’m personally choosing to put my focus!)

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Aspiring Technical Program Managers, listen up! 👂 Deepti, a seasoned TPM at Amazon, shares invaluable insights to ace your Amazon interview. 🎯 🌟 Preparation is key: Be ready to dive deep into past projects, approach hypotheticals, and think out loud about your decision-making process. 🧠 Showcase your technical depth: Demonstrate expertise in distributed systems, APIs, databases, microservices, and articulate technical designs through Q&A and whiteboarding. 💼 Flaunt your business acumen: Highlight your experience working with engineering teams, stakeholders, resolving conflicts, and facilitating technical trade-offs. 🚀 Customer obsession is at Amazon's core: Explain how you've represented the voice of customers and delivered impactful results. Deepti's advice will help you feel confident and set you up for success in the Amazon TPM interview process. Best of luck! 🍀 #TechnicalProgramManager #AmazonCareers #TechInterviews #SystemDesign #BusinessAcumen #CrossFunctionalCollaboration #ProductManagement #SoftwareEngineering #TechLeadership #CareerGrowth #Hiring Interested in Applying? Here is a fantastic opportunity to explore - bit.ly/3APvtQs

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One thing I wish I had explained to me sooner was the Mega Backdoor Roth. I was under the impression that you could only contribute to a Roth if you made under X amount. When I worked at Amazon I was under the income threshold - therefore I was eligible to max it out. When I transitioned to Microsoft, I started making more than the cut off. For 2 years I didn’t have Roth contributions, until I started exploring the compensation package more. Instead of being upset about that, I think more people should openly talk about what they know, don’t know, mistakes they made and what they do. This is how I found out about it … people were talking about it and I looked more into it. Microsoft 401k allows for a Mega Backdoor Roth. Instead of the regular $7k that everyone believes is the “cap”, you can contribute a lot more. For 2024 I believe it’s $69k for anyone under 50 as far as total contributions. That number seems crazy … but don’t disregard it. Max 401k contribution is 23k for 2024. Microsoft gives 11.5k (50% match). Leaving you at 34,500 From there, you can put in $34,500 instead of worrying about missing out on $7k. The cool thing about this is your money can be traded, you’re paying no cap gains tax on it, you won’t pay taxes when you retire, and in 5 years you can pull out that initial contribution you made. You are parking your money, to make free money, that will make more free money at a faster rate. There are other companies outside of Microsoft that are structured to allow this, but I love that my company offers it as an option. It helped me catch up rapidly on 7 years of missed retirement contributions. Also having employees contribute to 401ks is actually an advantage to the employer so really everyone wins in this scenario. Take the free 401k money. Forget the traditional Roth. Find a company that supports the mega backdoor roth. You can actually surpass people who make above $161k base pay this way😉

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A few years ago, I wrote a post on Quora about interview process for Principal Engineer role at Amazon. In that post, I shared my own experiences as the recruiter owning that hiring process, as well as tips from other Principal Engineers who had been through the process. Even today, I get weekly emails and messages from senior engineers who saw that post and want to learn more about the Amazon interview. We often end up talking about more than just Amazon. We discuss career development and interview skills in general. I really enjoy those conversations! Since 2017 (when I wrote the Quora post), Amazon has created several helpful resources to prepare candidates for their interviews. Here below are those "official" interview prep materials. I hope you find them useful. Feel free to share them with your friends who are getting ready for job interviews. The Original Quora post: https://lnkd.in/gGVBsJfn Amazon Interview Prep Repo: https://lnkd.in/gnnanGCz Now that you have a starting point, in coming weeks, I plan to write about the "softer skills" that are hard to measure but can really make a difference in interviews. I will expand on those topics. I will breakdown topics like "technical leadership assessment in interviews", authenticity, dealing with ambiguity, "active listening during interview", and other topics. I will write about 'interview preparation' itself! DM, email me on what other 'non-obvious' topics you want me to write about? PS: I'll try to keep my writing practical and broadly applicable, even though my experience is mostly with Amazon. 😀 #interviewing #careeradvise #careergoals #careertransition #interviewpreparation #interviewtips #principalengineer #amazon #amazoninterview

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A lot of people turn down offers due to compensation. That’s a fact. I didn’t make that up, it’s not a personal opinion, it’s an important part in making a decision. People want more transparency around compensation, so here is what I’ve been seeing on my end. I’ve been recruiting software engineers with 4+ years of industry experience. On average I am hearing people say they are targeting $180-220k total compensation. I have had a few outliers outside of that. I have people who request $120k and $150k. I’m not sure if those numbers are publicly listed somewhere, but on the lower end those are the two I get. 9 times out of 10, candidates will say they are looking for “the market rate”, “willing to negotiate”, “want to wait til the offer to discuss numbers”, and they will try to counter the total comp expectation question back to me. When we talk some more - they open up that they are willing to take less, that’s their IDEAL* compensation, and I always jot down the comp goal / never ask what they’re currently making. I believe current salary is irrelevant because you are taking a risk when joining a new organization, leaving your tenure, and should look for increase in your next role. I do have candidates who are my OUTLIERS - they request $300k+ with the max so far being $440k. In these situations, I used to let candidates know we probably wouldn’t be able to come close to that or compete. Lately though, I’ve been questioning that logic. I think Microsoft CAN compete, but you have to look at your package holistically. In the last year I have challenged myself personally to see… can I make more investing than my base pay? Can I beat out these Engineering salary expectations without being in the field/ making less? And if I can do it … can I share how* I’m approaching this because yes …. Base pay I don’t make 300k. No where close to that. But despite the ups and downs of the market, I’m determined to clear $300k this year. I believe I’m worth every penny and what those engineers who demand crazy numbers have taught me is …. you’re worth whatever number you want. You just need to get a little creative 🤑 Microsoft sets me up perfectly to do a few things: Receive: 50% 401k match 10% discount through ESPP HSA contribution The numbers below do not account for RSUs granted, bonus pay, Perks+ stipend, or healthcare benefits. My fidelity acct only includes 12 months of investing while at Microsoft, this doesn’t include any money outside of having my current 9-5 job. (This isn’t total savings, doesn’t include any side income, just an experiment.. is this possible?) Since I’m heavy on Microsoft stock/ refuse to sell, I am investing in 4 different categories: 1. Our competitors that pay dividends 2. Safe companies that pay dividends 3. ETFS 4. Outside of tech stocks - I like semi conductors, healthcare, defense and growth stocks

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Tried to recruit someone from Oracle today. We both agreed .. now is not the time. The stock has been INSANE! With shares vesting in March, it makes more sense to interview in Jan. Prep now, take the online assessment early Jan, get an end of Jan/early Feb onsite, get your Oracle shares and ✌🏻 Use the shares you’re walking away from as negotiating power! I also think outside of comp, it’s important to see what candidates feel like they’re missing in their current role. This individual disclosed over time that the role had become more ops focused and he wasn’t as hands on / actually developing. The only thing really keeping him are the shares… which I completely understand not wanting to walk away from. I’m always very up front with candidates. I get nothing out of pushing you into the interview process faster or at a time when you’re simply not ready. Being in recruiting I think it’s important to know what companies are performing well and which ones are hurting. This helps with timing, getting people into interviews, and makes you a more reliable source for people to confide in. Oracle is a dividend stock that I’ve personally loved and I told the candidate that. I told him point blank - DO NOT feel pressured by me. You do not need to interview right this second for Microsoft. Instead, I’ll be here when he’s ready, he has my email, and happy to ride this out together. Up 58%🔥crazzzzyy

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Hey Jobseekers, :) Here is a list of big tech jobs across all roles While I am not recruiting for these roles specifically I want to make jobseekers aware they exist! Opportunities are happening all around you - Be open to them! :) -------------------------------------------- But how can you stand out in a crowded job market? Think outside the box and create a video resume that will leave a lasting impression. Here’s a step-by-step guide: 1) Script Your Story: Craft a concise 1-3 minute script highlighting your skills, experience, and passion for the role and company. 2) Lights, Camera, Action! Use your smartphone to capture your video. 3) Showcase Your Personality: Film a short clip of yourself doing something fun, like rock climbing, painting, or biking. 4) Edit and Share: Use a free mobile or desktop editing app to put your video together. 5) Post Your Video Resume: Share your video on LinkedIn, using relevant hashtags like #[Company Name], #[Job Title], #Creative, #RemoteJob, #HybridJob, and more. By taking this creative approach, you’ll not only showcase your skills but also your unique personality and enthusiasm. So, what are you waiting for? Start creating your video resume today! "

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Product manager role for Alexa. It’s Friday people and that only means one thing. Friday is when positions are posted up the most, but nobody is applying even though this is the best time. Hiring managers procrastinate just like you and there is no other time product managers roles are posted on LinkedIn more that Friday night and a little bit Saturday morning. These are the most commonly posted product manager roles and also the industries that are thriving. Digital payments Healthcare or Health Tech E-commerce Data Privacy and/or Cybersecurity Growth AI Product Strategy and Roadmap Recently Funded Startup of First PM Hire (💰💰💰) Automotive Product Leader (ie head or director of product) I have a resume template for each type of product manager role in Skool! https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH See you in Skool for the resume templates. https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH PS Are you curious how my team is able to get to these roles as fast as we do? You can find out the hack in Skool! https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH Don’t be late to Skool! https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH #productmanagement #productmanagementcareers #productmanagementjobs #speedtolead

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IF YOU WORK AT MICROSOFT AND DON'T MAX THE ESPP YOU ARE LEAVING FREE MONEY ON THE TABLE!!!!! I didn't know what ESPP was because Amazon didn't have the option and personal finance is something that has been a learning curve for me. I've been learning more and more about Microsoft's benefits the longer I have worked here. What is the Employee Stock Purchase Plan? Employees can take a payroll deduction between 1-15% of their compensation (maximum $25,000), which builds up between the offer date and the purchase date. On the purchase date, Microsoft uses the cash buildup to purchase the stock on the employees’ behalf. Microsoft has four 3-month offering periods every year and enrollment periods. $22,500 (your contribution)+$2,500 (10% Microsoft discount) By contributing to an ESPP you have a couple of options: 1. You can take an immediate 10% profit - $2,500. Some advise selling immediately and diversifying so you aren't heavy on Microsoft stock (considering you probably also have RSUs) 2. You can hold the shares. You might want to do this because you only incur taxes when you sell ESPP shares, not when you purchase them. This allows you to defer taxes! Something to remember: You could have to pay ordinary income taxes and capital gains taxes. You will pay ordinary income tax on the difference between the actual purchase price and the market price on the date of purchase. Additionally, you will pay capital gains tax rates at the difference between the purchase date price and the final sales price (which is subject to short-term or long-term holding period requirements). It really depends on your goals. For me personally I am interested in paying the least taxes this year and taking full advantage of every benefit I am offered, even if it comes with some level of risk. You can diversify by investing in competitors and other industries with an HSA, backdoor roth, or brokerage. Either way IT'S FREE MONEY!!!!!!!!!!!

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This post is intended to provide actionable steps for female and BIPOC professionals navigating the job search journey. It’s not by any means a complaint, or critique to hiring teams or tools, just tips to navigate challenges. We can’t change reality, but we can focus on what’s within our control. A study from the University of Washington, presented at the AAAI/ACM Conference on AI, Ethics, and Society in October, revealed significant gender and racial biases in AI-powered resume screening tools. The researchers tested three open-source LLMs using 554 resumes and 571 job descriptions, generating over 3M name and role combinations (I Googled the paper). The models favored resumes with male, white-associated names 85% of the time. Female-associated names were chosen only 11% of the time. Biases against BIPOC names were even more severe. This bias was evident even for roles traditionally dominated by women. The researchers attributed these biases to societal privileges and prejudices embedded in the training data, which AI models then replicate and amplify. I’ve posted about this before, society has taken steps against bias and discrimination, but AI isn’t equipped to handle these complexities yet. If your training data leans toward bias, AI will multiply it exponentially. AI doesn’t have (yet?) the ability to discern and mitigate these biases. Specific interventions are needed, and while I hope solutions are on the horizon, the reality is that many teams will continue relying on these tools for efficiency, even at the risk of perpetuating discrimination. So, what can we, females and BIPOC (so, me? 🤣), do to increase our chances? - This one is painful: ladies, we might need to use initials instead of first names. We always provide gender and name information, but this way, our skills can be visible to the initial automated screening without gender assumptions. - Eye-catching Canva resumes are pretty but not ATS-friendly. Stick to conventional templates. If it’s within your financial means, consider working with a trusted resume reviewer. Overleaf is your best friend if you know it. - Use gender-neutral, professional, and universally understood language. Avoid adjectives that might unconsciously trigger gender biases (Google them). - Of course, you need to tailor your resume language to align with job descriptions. No matter what. - Avoid unnecessary personal details. And while pronouns are important for identity, be aware they might trigger intrinsic biases in automated systems. - Leverage networking (this is where my introverted self struggles). Most of the time, you’ll need inside help to gain visibility in a sea of applicants. Lean on people who know and care about you, if you have them. Let’s do what we can to make the system fairer until it truly becomes so. #BiasInAI #JobSearchJourney #DiversityAndInclusion

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When I’m hiring, I am often surprised & frustrated 😠 that so many people miss the basics. Here are basic things you should check for. Even if you are interviewing for a deep-tech co, the hiring process itself is not rocket science. 1) you will need a format where the resume is tightly written in a single page between 400-600 words. It's your resume no autobiography 😂 2) It has no spelling and grammar mistakes. It's really easy to fix in world of AI. BTW at Resume Mate we will soon roll out AI features to help with this and It will be free to use 3) It has all the core sections (Education, Project, Skills, Experience, Projects). Freshers can write down their Internships as experience. Btw you can check your Resume completion score of your resume using resumemate.io 4) Your resume should always have necessary links and contact details. I am sharing a template which is tightly written and has nice layout and at same time easy for application tracking system to extract out details. you can get this at: www.resumemate.io Fell free to share or copy the post with giving credits I won't mind 😜 . Hope the info reaches everyone in your network making resume or looking for Jobs #Jobs #ATS #resumemate

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