Working for Google – Career Guide 2021

Working for Google

Working for Google – Google is considered World’s Most Attractive Employer, and its headquarter in California, the USA, is often ranked in Business Insider’s Best Companies To Work In America list. When people talk about great working culture, Google’s name is always mentioned. But is it so?  Let’s explore the workplace culture and discuss the pros and cons of working at one of the biggest, most influential companies worldwide. Most of the jobs at Google have no specific minimum work qualification like a college degree. Google lays a lot of emphasis on self-reflection as to how much you think you fit for a particular role at the company.

Pros of Working for Google

Probably the reason why Google is one of the most sought-after companies for working professionals is because of the work culture it provides for its employees through various perks being given out. Perhaps many of these perks are no benefit for the tech giant, but they believe what helps employees ultimately helps the company. Let us take a look at these perks. 

  • Exposure 

One of the most amazing aspects of working at Google is that you are constantly surrounded by brilliant and driven people who challenge you professionally to become better each day. Your network gets stronger day by day, which eventually helps you in your career development. 

  • Free Food 

Quite a few companies offer food perks, but they are nothing like Google’s. All the cafeterias and on-site cafes at Google’s offices offer free meals to their employees. Googlers are also allowed to take whatever snacks they want and even keep them for later. They even offer free cooking classes to employees to promote communication and teamwork.

  • Health and Fitness 

Apart from the free healthy meals, employees also have access to on-site gyms and free fitness classes and what’s even better is that the Gyms are accessible at any time. High fitness levels boost the morale of the employees and increase efficiency. There are also onsite massage therapists available who help employees stay mentally fit. What’s the need for a spa when you have an on-site therapist. There is even an onsite medical staff for employees, rather than taking out your time to visit one outside office hours. 

  • 80/20 Rule for Self-Development  

Google offers an 80% work  20% play policy to its employees. They can use their 20% time to invest in projects or passion projects that they believe will help the company. Gmail is one such example. They can develop a skill or pursue a hobby. Google also encourages its employees to read and also spend their time on research and development. 

  • Organizing Events, Presentations, and Lectures 

Google sometimes organizes events so that its employees can meet some inspirational figures. These figures share their success stories and experiences with employees. Employees also attend tech talks- lectures, and presentations. Google promotes the culture of sharing knowledge and ideas. You can absolutely learn new things.

  • Employee Death Benefits and Family Benefits 

If a Google employee dies whilst being employed with Google, 50% of the employee’s salary is paid to the spouse or partner for the next 10 years. An employee’s wife cried while listening to the death benefit policy. Now you know why. All of the dead employee’s stock vests automatically. There is an additional $1000 per month for the dead employee’s children till they are 19 or 23 if they are full-time students. Most Googlers qualify for this perk. A mother gets a maximum of 6 weeks of maternity leave to take care of her newborn child. They also offer 7 weeks paid paternity leave and 18- 22 weeks paid maternity leave, though they continue to get bonuses from their stocks. They even throw a little cash bonus for new parents, and if that was not enough, parents are free day careers for children.  

More Benefits!

Google offers an on-site Rec room which consists of foosball, ping pong table, pool table, arcade games, onsite volleyball, rock climbing, and roller hockey. They even have a swimming pool to get a quick swim. Google’s offices are ‘Dog friendly.’ Have you ever heard of something as an onsite launderette? Well, Google offices have one where you can do your laundry so you can have a relaxed time at home, and the service is free too! Google has a TechShop, which provides Googlers 24*7 tech support to tackle their day-to-day problems and queries. 

Cons of Working in Google

When people talk about Google’s working culture, they probably only discuss the perks, but there are many downsides too of working in Google. The topmost employer is actually not suited for everyone, which the mere fact can prove that almost 2,000,0000 people apply for a job at Google each year. And here’s why it might not be the best place for you.

  • Too Much Stress: Many Google ex-employees on Reddit and Quora narrated their experience of working in Google as stressful. It can take a toll on your mental and physical health, and your sleeping habits may suffer. One ex-Google went to the extent of saying that he used to work a staggering 70 hours per week when he was in Google. 

  • Promotion is Tough: Yes, you heard that right. You can find yourself working on 3, 4, or even 5 failed projects in a row, though in some cases, you get remunerated with bonuses for working hard even if the project was canceled. But usually, bonuses are tied to successful projects, so many people find themselves without promotion or bonuses for the first 3 or 4 years.

  • Lack of Motivation: In the first phase of one’s career, when you start to lay the foundation of a professional and driven attitude, joining a company like Google can give you a sense of complacency. It is a dream job for many professionals worldwide. Once you land a job in a company like Google, the chances of maintaining that self-developing attitude become much lower. 

  • Supervision is Minimal: If you are a young professional who has just joined Google, the last thing you can expect is supervision. You have to be very self-driven to succeed and submit your projects on time. There is not a very effective training program, just a bunch of orientation. And if you have any technical questions, you see people are so busy around you. You stop asking them those questions because many of them do not respond nicely. And the chances of making wrong technical documentation becomes higher. 

  • Experience Does Not Count: Even if you have joined Google with a previous experience of 10 to 15 years, you are still considered a Noogler who is just out of school. Another thing is that a lot of work experience that you gain at Google is Google-centric and is pretty much useless in other organizations. 

  • Engineer-Driven Company: Although Google pushes for diversity and takes adequate steps to combat hidden prejudices and to make the environment better, it lacks a very crucial form of diversity, which is the diversity of thought. At Google, the customers are out in the hands of engineers who may find it hard to understand these customers. They can solve the technical problems of a product and leave behind product development. That’s why many of Google’s products are not on par with their competitors’ products because the product was not updated or designed according to the customer’s needs. 

What is the hiring process at Google?

Now let’s take a look at the hiring process at Google 

  1. Self-Reflection – At Google, they want to know how well you know yourself. Being a Googler is not just about skills but also passion. 
  2. Job Searching – You may need to find out which role suits you best at Google, and you can even apply to multiple job openings
  3. Resume – They want you to submit your updated resume and create a resume especially designed for a job.
  4. Apply Online – You can go to Google’s career search tool and find jobs that are tailor-made for you. 
  5. Interview – If they feel you are suitable candidates for a job, you will get a call for an interview. Online assessments, short virtual chats, project works, and In-depth interviews are all part of the hiring process.
  6. Decision and Offer – After taking everything into account, you will be hired if the recruiter feels suitable for that role.

Conclusion 

People usually talk about the perks of working at Google but do not look at the downsides. If you are working for a Tech Giant like Google, you must be ready to handle the responsibilities that come along with the perks. And it depends on person to person if they are suitable for a job at Google. After going through the experiences of so many ex-Google employees, it can be said that If you are starting and aiming at your long-term career growth, then a company like Google might not be the best option for you. Still, at the same time, the experience that a person gains at a company like Google is scarce, and if given a chance, one should definitely go for a Job at Google. 

Frequently asked Questions

  • Is getting a Job hard at Google? Google receives almost 2 million job applications every year. So definitely, it is tough to get hired at Google. Research has shown that it is more likely to get into Harvard than get a job at Google. 
  • What is the lowest salary at Google? The lowest salary at Google varies in different sectors. But generally speaking, the lowest salary at Google is $51,000.
  • Are Google employees happy? In the CareerBliss 50 happiest companies for 2020, Google ranked No.1. Google scored 4.251 out of 5 in BlissScore. 

Also read Google Software Engineer Levels and Salary | Complete Guide

 

Working for Google – Career Guide 2021

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