FAANG (Facebook/Meta, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) jobs are often seen as the pinnacle of tech careers. However, the reality of working at these companies might not align with the dream. This article explores what people actually do at FAANG companies in 2025, the pros and cons of joining early in your career, common myths about talent quality, and the feasibility of getting into a FAANG company now. This information is primarily for tech professionals in the US, Canada, the UK, or the European Union.
What People Really Do at FAANG Companies
FAANG companies are often perceived as hubs of innovation where employees engage in intellectually stimulating work, developing cutting-edge technology. These companies were pioneers in implementing rigorous, multi-stage interview processes. However, the day-to-day reality can be quite different.
Building vs. Maintaining
The attractiveness of FAANG jobs often lies in their focus on building technology in-house. This allows employees to work on the fundamental building blocks rather than just applications built upon them. For example, Google develops technologies like Google Search, Google Analytics, and Google Cloud Wallets.
However, with companies like Google having grown to around 180,000 employees, many roles are focused on supporting existing products. There's no guarantee of working on exciting, high-impact projects; instead, you may be involved in maintenance for products like Gmail or Android. While projects like Google Quantum exist, these are often staffed by researchers and PhDs, not just general machine learning engineers. Therefore, it's a mistake to assume everyone at a FAANG company is a "genius" contributing to groundbreaking innovation. Many roles are focused on the less glamorous work of maintaining and scaling existing systems, which can be incremental, boring, and low impact.
Pros and Cons of Joining FAANG Early in Your Career
Joining a FAANG company early in your career has its own set of advantages and disadvantages.
Limited Skill Set
A primary risk of spending your entire early career at a FAANG company is developing a limited skill set. Because you're working with internally developed technologies, you might become disconnected from the broader tech landscape. This can reduce your market value if you are laid off or want to change roles.
Impact and Responsibility
In large FAANG organizations, teams are highly specialized, with many individuals performing specific tasks. As a product manager, you might have business analysts, product owners, and project managers supporting you. While this can seem advantageous, it can also limit your scope of work and impact. Decision-making often comes from the top down, so you might not experience the same level of responsibility as someone in a smaller company. You might become accustomed to working only with extensive support systems, making it difficult to transition to smaller teams or companies with fewer resources.
When FAANG Experience is Most Valuable
FAANG experience is arguably most valuable for mid-career professionals who have already worked at companies of different sizes. FAANG companies are no longer in a stage where everything they do is pioneering. Although salaries at FAANG companies are generally higher, the cutting-edge innovation is often happening at startups and unicorns.
Myths About FAANG Quality Talent
One common belief is that working at a FAANG company means working with the brightest minds. While FAANG companies employ many talented individuals, it is not universally true.
Interview Skills vs. Job Performance
Some individuals who are only mediocre performers can successfully pass FAANG interviews through extensive preparation. They might excel at answering product case studies or system design questions, but this doesn't necessarily translate to exceptional on-the-job performance. The ability to ace an interview, which often follows a framework, does not guarantee exceptional job performance.
Ex-FAANG Employees
Due to the number of former employees of Google, Meta, and Netflix, having these companies on your resume is no longer as rare or impressive as it once was. The interview process is the most challenging part of getting into FAANG, and even with thorough preparation, success is not guaranteed, as interviewer biases can play a role. Excellent talent can be found in various companies, from startups to tier-one organizations. Some of the most skilled and hardworking professionals work in startups, not FAANG companies.
FAANG New Hires Performance
Hiring managers at smaller companies interviewing FAANG alumni are noticing a trend. While strong on theoretical questions, candidates from FAANG backgrounds often struggle with practical, day-to-day product work compared to those from startup or scale-up environments.
Feasibility of Getting Into FAANG in 2025
Gaining entry into FAANG companies can be challenging, especially without specific advantages.
Key Factors
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University Internship Programs: Attending universities with strong internship programs with FAANG companies (e.g., University of Waterloo, Stanford, Harvard) provides an advantage for early career opportunities.
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Tier One Logos: Having tier-one logos (Snap, Twitch, Discord, Pinterest) on your resume significantly increases your chances.
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Niche Expertise: Possessing niche expertise in a specialized field like quantum physics and quantum product development can be highly advantageous.
Low Probability Scenarios
Cold applying to FAANG companies without a referral has a very low chance of success. Even with referrals, success is not guaranteed due to internal candidate pools and hiring priorities. FAANG companies have become massive, bureaucratic organizations.
Who Should Temper Expectations
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Small Logos: Candidates with resumes comprised of small logos are unlikely to be considered.
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Geographic Location: Individuals living outside countries where FAANG companies have offices may find it challenging to get noticed.
Focus on building a strong network and gaining experience in the right geographic location can create unfair advantages. Even with top-notch experience, education, and training, failing to invest in the right network and location early on can hinder your career progression. Ultimately, if you don't get the job or the interview it might not be a reflection of your capability. Focus on compensation and impact at promising scaleups.
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