u/michaelnovati replied ·
I would take the Amazon Apprentice role assuming you get it because doing well, converting full time will be an easier path to entry level FAANG. I work with a good number of bootcamp grads, and you might spend a year at the mom and pop shop, then have to spend time studying and preparing for FAANG interviews and the actually interview. This is still a good path, and you'll likely get and SDE I or SDE II role at that point in time and financially might even come out ahead, but if your goal is to get to SDE I in about a year, the apprenticeship is a more sure pathway and more in your control to perform well on the apprenticeship.
A compromise might be to ask the mom and pop shop if you can work as a contractor in that month in between. And if you don't get Amazon you can convert back to full time. Might not work if they don't have the budget, but worth a shot.