Such a bummer. The business is doing very well, but I'd rather have fun on a sinking ship than be unhappy on a yacht.
Pros
- The opportunity to learn about the fintech industry as well as practical system design and architecture. - The opportunity to work on widely used products and services. - There are loads of interesting Slack channels and groups to join around crypto, blockchain, quantum computing, cooking, you name it.
Cons
Background: I have been here < 6 months and joined remotely during the pandemic when offices are not a thing. I'm so unhappy and disappointed. I've never started a job and have it not go well—this is new to me. Moreover, the ways that this job is not going well is surprising. My work/life balance is fine, the pay is fine, and the benefits are fine. It's literally everything else that's awful. Onboarding and my team are the two biggest negative experiences. I feel like I'm burdening all of my teammates and especially my manager. I repeatedly cannot get the support I need and this has discouraged me from seeking help. The help I do get is a "oh, you have to use this tool." So I get referred to this tool like it's something I should know how to use when, in reality, it is a tool that was built internally at PayPal and I, as a new hire, have a 0% chance of knowing how to use. In general I'm drowning in a pool of abbreviations, foreign terms, and a lack of context. Documentation is scattered in confluence and mostly outdated. Reading source code is a good way to learn, but it's unfortunately the only way to learn at PayPal. When I ask for more help I'm either ignored or I another suggestion made without enough context. Communication in general is poor. My team is mind-blind when it comes to onboarding a new hire. They seem to not understand that I don't yet know how things are done at PayPal and they can't remember how to set up a new developer for success. Finally, there is 0 enthusiasm on my team. Nobody loves what they do and that is tragic. This is also a byproduct of lackluster management. I've tried to cultivate team spirit, but I feel stupid for doing so when it is met with nothing. Working at PayPal feels like eating by myself in a massive food court. I think there are teams out there that are fun and productive, but my team is the opposite. I'm just a newbie floating around waiting to be terminated. PayPal feels like a corporate blob and I have zero personal connections with my team. I feel as if I am burdening them and as well as my manager. I feel bad that I'm not instantaneously up-to-speed. Finally, a re-org eliminated a team member out of the blue and it gives me no security as I feel like my team doesn't like me because I'm new and stupid. The business is doing well, but I'd rather have fun on a sinking ship than be unhappy on a yacht.