I've made a few rules for myself regarding working in tech:
1. Do not work for a company where tech is not their primary product. If you are only a cost center, you will be treated like a second-class citizen.
2. Work for a smaller company. Your work is so much more impactful when you are not part of a mega-machine.
3. Work only remotely. The quality of life increase that comes with working remotely is massive, and I am not willing to give that up.
Of course this is not always going to be realistic. For one, working for a company that sells tech does not mean that you will be treated well, but it is more likely. Smaller companies, and remote only tend to pay a bit less (and definitely less than a FAANG), but still more than plenty to live a great life.
Who knows where life will lead me, but I will try to stick to these points.
I work for a small company where tech is elementary for the primary product, and even has become a (small) product of its own. I used to work one day per week from home, which suited me well, but since the bloody Corona crisis, I've been working from home full time, and I don't like it, at all, and video conferencing even less. Although I am nerdy-ish and introvert, it seems I do need to connect to physical people from time to time.
Impact meaning my impact on the product, not my impact on humanity as a whole. I get more satisfaction from a larger impact on a product that affects less people than less impact on a product that affects many more people.
One way of looking at it is your_impact = your_contribution * number_of_users. If you work for a mega corp chances are your contribution is small so you would be better off in a small(er) company.
The more I work as a programmer the more I agree with points 1 and 2. With Coronavirus I'm having the change to work remote 100% of the time and I'm enjoying so far. It's likely that's something I'm going to pursue in the future.
1. Do not work for a company where tech is not their primary product. If you are only a cost center, you will be treated like a second-class citizen.
2. Work for a smaller company. Your work is so much more impactful when you are not part of a mega-machine.
3. Work only remotely. The quality of life increase that comes with working remotely is massive, and I am not willing to give that up.
Of course this is not always going to be realistic. For one, working for a company that sells tech does not mean that you will be treated well, but it is more likely. Smaller companies, and remote only tend to pay a bit less (and definitely less than a FAANG), but still more than plenty to live a great life.
Who knows where life will lead me, but I will try to stick to these points.