Software Engineer • Current Employee
Pros: TLDR; It's amazing. Apply now.
Why Uber:
* There are just a few tech companies where you work on problems of such scale (petabytes of data, 50k+ QPS, etc.).
* There are even fewer companies where you solve problems in the real world. You're not helping people share cat memes; you're providing millions of partners from hundreds of countries with a livelihood.
Why Uber in Amsterdam:
* Impactful work: This isn't just another satellite campus. Uber Engineering in Amsterdam works on problems essential for the business.
* Work/life balance: Perhaps this applies to more places in Europe in general, but you're encouraged to pace things in a way you're comfortable.
* Phenomenal compensation: Almost 50-100% more than competing firms in Amsterdam. While this might be less absolute money than offers in SF or London, the cheaper cost of living in Amsterdam ensures you have a very comfortable life.
* Great benefits: Apart from regular things like insurance and gym membership, you also get about ~300 EUR of Uber credits a month. You can use them on rides or to order food from Uber Eats; you can basically get away with never cooking dinner.
Why Amsterdam:
* Beautiful city, amazingly located, especially if you want to strike off over a dozen travel locations from your bucket list.
* Everyone knows English and is very friendly towards expats!
* There's a tax benefit for High Knowledge Immigrants in the Netherlands that'll bring down your effective tax rate to about 25% (from 50%+.)
Cons: At present, growth opportunities (for positions beyond Sr. Engineer) seem limited as opposed to SF.