Google

• Working with smart, effective people:

The average intelligence level here is considerably higher than anyplace else I've worked, and the people tend to be very diligent. When I need assistance from another engineer or another team, I typically get quick and effective help. Office politics exist, but compared to anywhere else I've worked, they're not a problem.

• Compensation / perks:

I'm very satisfied with my compensation. The assorted perks are pretty valuable as well -- the food and fitness facilities are my favorites.

• Work/life balance:

From reading other reviews here, it seems that experiences in this area vary. But mine have been excellent. I rarely work over 40 hours a week, and when I do, it's because I personally feel engaged by what I'm working on, never because of pressure from my manager or team lead. I almost never check work emails during evenings or weekends, and when I come in to the office in the morning, I don't find that they've been emailing me during that period. I have actually gotten gentle pushback from my team lead when I asked if he could log in from home later in the evening to review/approve a change I wanted to submit.

• Impostor syndrome: The flip side of working with so many smart and effective people is that it can be difficult to recognize your own value. If you're used to being the smartest guy in the room and suddenly you're surrounded by people who are at or above your ability, that can be a bit of a blow to the ego. I eventually worked through this, but it took the better part of a year.

• Slow ramp-up: One of the drivers of impostor syndrome for me was that it took me a lot longer to find my footing and get effective here than at other jobs. Some of that is on me for not asking more questions, but I think more proactive support from leadership might have helped. The environment at Google is very unique, and there's a lot to learn before an engineer can get things done.

• Living in a bubble: The perks and so on make life at Google very comfortable. I can imagine that leaving that bubble will get difficult.