I Used to Be Impressed by People Who Work at FAANG

As someone who has worked at a Fortune Global 500 company, I used to be impressed by people who work at FAANG. I don’t know if it was the financial stability, prestige, or?perks?they offer that made me think working there was worth it.

A good salary, nice work environments, and great career opportunities are what most of us dream of, but at what cost?

Here’s why I’m not impressed by people who work at FAANG anymore.

Huge Paycheck, Little Freedom

There are different ways to think of freedom as a worker. Here’s the?freedom you lose when working at big tech companies:

Freedom to spend your time the way you want

What’s the point of having money, but no time?

I’m not taking money lightly. Money can help you bring happiness to your life,?but if you don’t have time to enjoy those moments, then you have nothing.

You’d wish to buy that time wasted with the money you have, but one of those things you can’t buy with money is time.

Big tech companies expect to own your life. They’ll call it “to be passionate about your job” so they offer you great pay in exchange for your commitment. You might leave the office early, but if you keep thinking about how to solve a company issue at home (and even when commuting) then you know you have no freedom.

But they’ll make you believe that you still have freedom. How? All types of perks: insurance, fitness, sports, videos games, food, events, you name it! But are you still in control of your life, or only spending your time and money the way they want you to?

Freedom to choose

How many useless meetings have you attended at work? How many boring projects have you been part of? How much time have you wasted reading emails at work that had little impact on your job position?

You don’t get to choose whether you do any of the above. Some of them are orders you have to follow, and some others become a job routine you do without even asking yourself, “Is this worth it?”

I used to laugh and think, “today they paid me to read some emails and attend some meetings — easy work” But the sad truth is that I’ve never got to choose between doing useful tasks at work (so growing in my career) and doing that lazy work.

Choosing how you want to work is a privilege very few people have at big tech companies.

Lots of Pain, Yet Not Gain

In one of the places I used to work, there was a huge proverb written on the wall “No Pain, No Gain“ I used to see it every time and even convinced myself that was the way to success.

How wrong I was.

Truth is, every office work is the same.?Your efforts won’t be compensated the more you work at a company?(at least not proportionally). You can?double the production, and generate more revenue for the company you work for, but that won’t double your salary.

You might get a palm on the back, a day off, jokes about a promotion, or (if you’re in luck) a bonus, but at the end of the day, your salary remains the same.

Lots of pain, yet not gain?(at least not what you deserve).

What makes things worse is that once your contract is over, and you move on, only a few coworkers will remember you and your achievements.

Now I’m Impressed by People Who Create Their Own Stuff

I don’t have anything against FAANG, actually, any company that pays you well will demand a lot from you, which is fair. But?how can you actually get freedom?and be truly rewarded for all your achievements?

It’s simple. Create your own stuff.

It doesn’t matter what it is. Start building something that you can claim is yours and can compensate for all your efforts:

• Do you want to solve a real-world problem??Create?a product
• Do you want to solve a specific problem? Create an app
• Are you good at teaching? Create a course
• Are you good at writing? Start blogging, write a book

In the long run, you’ll develop multiple income streams that will give you not only the financial stability but the freedom you deserve.

Of course, in the beginning, you’ll work more and earn less, but as you grow, you’ll start working less and earning more.

I’m not saying you should quit your 9–5 right away or give up your dream of working at FAANG. Keep working and try to get there, but as soon as you enter a comfort zone, move on and start building your stuff.

I don’t want to get a job at FAANG anymore. Going back to my 9–5 job routine still scares me. It’s been almost 2 years and I haven’t even thought of job hunting again.

<<<<<<>>>>>>

Build your own stuff with my step-by-step guide “Code Less Earn More” by joining my email list with 10k+ people.