Taro Logo

Can't complain too much. Not perfect, but better than alternatives

Software Engineer
Current Employee
Has worked at Google for 1 year
October 20, 2023
Mountain View, California
5.0
RecommendsPositive OutlookApproves of CEO
Pros

Good work-life balance (depending on the team). Well-known brand, which opens up opportunities. Good pay, especially considering the work-life balance. Intelligent, friendly co-workers and a culture of helping others. You probably won't get in trouble with your manager for taking time away from your tasks to help someone else (although I hear it's become more political at higher levels). You will learn a lot, especially if this is your first job out of school. Mostly stable (although there have been some cutting of teams).

Cons

Decline in quality of in-office perks (due to recession).

Mandatory in-office 3 days a week policy.

Old products, limited opportunities for meaningful impact.

Although its relatively stable, its position in the future is threatened by emerging competitors like TikTok and OpenAI.

Most of the resources are being funneled away from certain teams and into LLMs.

Not very diverse, although this is a critique of the whole industry, and Google is admittedly better than other companies and at least offers identity-based employee resource groups.

Advice to Management

Do some soul searching and think hard about the future direction of the company and how to reinvigorate stale products. Have empathy for employees and avoid layoffs, especially now that the economy is beginning to recover.

Additional Ratings

Work/Life Balance
4.0
Culture and Values
5.0
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
3.0
Career Opportunities
4.0
Compensation and Benefits
5.0
Senior Management
4.0

Was this helpful?

Google Interview Experiences