Career FAQs: Google
This post is part of a series of posts answering the questions that people on LinkedIn most commonly ask about my career. Other posts in this series cover product management, accessibility, and generative AI. Each post covers what it’s like working in that area and tips on how to get into it yourself.
Note: This post is written from my personal experience and does not represent Google.
What’s it like at Google?
The people are great. In nearly a decade at Google, most of the people I’ve worked with have been smart, friendly, and inclusive. Many managers have shown care for me as a whole person, beyond just what I could contribute to their team. More than a few people I’ve found to be truly brilliant, creative, and inspiring. Getting to meet and work with people like these is a real highlight of being at Google.
The office is great too. As you might have heard, there is breakfast and lunch (and dinner some nights, though most people go home before then.) I really appreciate the food team for their commitment to dietary inclusion, which is a personal issue for me. The office does have nice spaces for various forms of relaxation (board games, video games, massage, etc.) — though the game rooms are more likely to be occupied by touring visitors, since most Googlers are actually working. Personally one of my favorite perks is the walking desks; I’ve found walking really helps me focus on deep work.
When I’ve struggled, the cause has been less about the company and more about my personal fit with a particular role. I was pretty miserable on my first team, actually. I wasn’t interested in the project and the job responsibilities weren’t a good match for my skill set.
On other teams, I’ve experienced a lack of fit when eventually my growth felt limited. In total I’ve changed teams four times and job ladders once (software engineering to product management). Finding a new role internally took months, even years in one case, but ultimately for me it has been easier and more worthwhile than finding a role at another company.
The cadence of work varies a lot across teams. I’ve left teams I felt were moving too slowly. I have friends who left teams that felt too fast-paced and chaotic. Whether someone feels too pressured depends on so many factors — team culture, leadership, market competition, individual competence, and one’s own perception. Personally I actually like being under a bit of pressure. It energizes me and makes me feel that people care about my work. The key is finding a team where the culture fits your working style.
How can I get a job at Google?
You can find and apply to roles at google.com/careers. That site has lots more detail about the hiring process. If I am personally familiar with your work, I’m happy to put in a referral. I just need your email address.
My advice is not to agonize too much over submitting an application. Many Googlers, myself included, weren’t hired the first time they applied. It’s common for strong candidates to have their applications rejected — so it doesn’t say anything about you. If you’re looking for an internship, check the application deadlines; they’re very early.
When it comes to the interviews, it’s absolutely worth studying. Watch mock interviews on YouTube, and if you’re applying to be a software engineer, drill coding questions on a site like leetcode.com. If you can, do mock interviews with a partner. These all helped me a lot when I was interviewing.
Generally in tech interviews, you’re not expected to answer the whole problem immediately. Ask questions to understand the parameters of the problem, think out loud, break the problem into steps, solve them one at a time, and course-correct when the interviewer gives you new information.
Best of luck!
