Leetcode grind thrown out the window?

Question

I've been doing leetcode for the last 5 months in prep for getting a job at FAANG as a developer. I've got much better but still struggling with some medium level problems around DP and such. In the meantime, got an offer from a non-FAANG company (in Fintech) for a lead devops role. Interviews were long and extensive but didn't focus much on algos and more on the devops/cloud ops knowledge.Struggle is, should I reject the offer and keep grinding leetcode to get into FAANG, eventually? Total comp is clearly lower than FAANG-level (still 6-figures though).Pros: Lead devops role at a public company sounds very appealing and more promising for the future (devops is generally less competitive and requires more seniority)Cons: Interview prep for the last 5 months is thrown out the window. Lower paycheck than FAANG, could be like 100k lower. But I don't like my current job so desperate for a change

rvz · Accepted Answer

What would you rather do? Get an offer from a non-FAANG company whilst earning slightly less than FAANG but still 6-figures + stock or risk more months with the leetcode lottery and dare to score big with a FAANG offer with slightly more compensation?
The real question is can you afford to risk more time into leetcoding again for a FAANG offer despite disliking your current role? If the answer is yes, reject the offer otherwise accept it.
One more thing. If it were me, I'd get a referral from a current FAANG employee first and leetcode everything else before applying. Then my CV would be at the top of the interviewing pile.
The choice is yours.