HACKER Q&A
📣 none2022

Is it a career negative to join Meta now


I see a lot of negative press about Meta on HN(and frankly most news media) and that leads to this question.

If I were to join Meta now, would that harm my prospects down the line. Would a hiring manager hold it against me that I joined Meta at a time when so many unsavory details were known about the company.

For some context I work at another FAANG (have worked at a couple ) and have concerns about Meta from what I read about it.

Except that the other outfits have had their warts too and ultimately what matters I believe is your team and management chain and from that perspective believe Meta would be a step up from my current situation.

Love to get some opinions on this


  👤 romanhn Accepted Answer ✓
The people that care are a tiny minority. Even fewer of them are hiring managers. Way more will see it as a positive signal, having worked at difficult-to-get-into, competitive company. Don't worry about it, do your thing.

👤 themodelplumber
Man that example sounds like a really subjective d*ck of a hiring manager.

If there's some objective concern and they have buy-in from their team and they raise it diplomatically, I'm 150% sure you'd be able to respond in a sensitive and reasonable way with a few minutes of forethought.

For example just about everybody understands that a huge company like that is not exactly constructed of evil individuals at every level. And someone with a mote of experience ought to know that a lot of times people join a Meta knowing there's probably a way they can make positive changes even against huge internal headwinds, and perhaps even demonstrate as much after the fact.

Just IMO.


👤 badrabbit
Why do you want to work at meta if you are at a faang already?

My opinion: if you want to be in management/hr/legal type of roles it is a bad idea. Else, I don't think it is a big deal, so long as it benefits your career goal (as in don't move horizontally).


👤 shetill
if it pays you more and you can't make the same at current company then go, kind of a no brainer

👤 samstave
Being at FB is a cancer on my resume. I have removed it.