Your first job at Tiktok is likely your last job at Tiktok
Pros
Good benefits. They are not the best in tech, but surely better than traditional companies. Opportunities to learn. Most colleagues are very nice. Pay is not breath taking but fair enough. Get to know some very interesting people.
Cons
Your first job here is likely your last job. Promotion is very rare. There is lateral move though. Most people stay 1-2 years and don't see the value to stay longer. It is not a company that you want to stay for the long term unless you have something truly special (e.g. no more than 50 people in the world can do what you do, then they make sure they take care of you... until they don't need you any more). A LOT of management issues. Why do others keep saying "no WLB" and "crazy hours"? That is because what takes 1 hour at Google will take 1 week at TikTok/Bytedance. The HQ staff in Beijing simply have different kind of understanding of how the business world works. I am not saying one is better than the other. I am just saying they are VERY different and it takes a tremendous amount of efforts to align, and unfortunately, all decisions of some significance have to go through Beijing. Staff in Beijing does not experience the same cultures in America. Therefore, they sometimes say things that Americans will frown upon (what? did he really just say that?). They don't have bad intentions. They just don't have the same culture. They just don't know what is not culturally appropriate here in the US.
