PayPal

• 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, and more.

Background: I have been here less than 6 months and joined remotely during the pandemic when offices were not a thing. I'm so unhappy and disappointed.

I've never started a job and had it not go well—this is new to me. Moreover, the ways that this job is not going well are 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 it.

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 Documentation is scattered in Confluence and mostly outdated.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 another suggestion is 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, 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.

It seems too broken to fix, but please choose managers wisely. A great team has a great manager.