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Ask HN: Should I join Google

8 points by anon314 ↗ HN
Recently Google offered me a job.

I was ecstatic as I was frustrated with the work at my current company and intrigued by the scale of the problems worked on at Google. This was my third attempt having interviewed previously while in Grad School without success.

The Google offer is also a decent bump in compensation with a raise, GSUs, and bonus. However, the commute to Google is almost three hours round trip compared to the one hour I drive now.

When I told my company they came back with a comparable salary and significantly more options that could potentially be worth 3 to 6 times the GSUs. Also, they offering me a new role in management.

If I was single I would jump at the Google offer and rent an apartment nearby and work on problems of a scale I haven't before.

I am in my late thirties and married with a young child I like to spend time with. I am willing to make some sacrifices to advance my career but not sure whether it is better to move to management with my current company and potentially make more money on my options or if it is wiser to join Google and work there for three to five years and build my resume and experiences potentially sacrificing time with my family.

10 comments

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shahedkhan30
I thin you should message Google back telling them about this issue, and that you have received a raise from your current company, this will alert Google, and will lead them to countering their first offer.
jakeludington
Do you love what you do at your current company? Does being in management afford you more ability to do what you love? Will working at Google allow you to do what you love?

It should just be about the money. And you'll likely find those extra 2 hours commuting will come from time you would have spent with your kid.

Brewer
Hopefully you meant to say that it should be about more than just the money.
coryl
3 hours of commuting a day isn't practical. You won't last. Maybe your options should thus include moving?
anon314
This will be challenging because I have a house now and housing prices anywhere closer are almost double my current.
PonyGumbo
I did it for years. It's like any other drive you do on a routine basis - you eventually just tune out, and then it seems to go by quickly. Get satellite radio and a Valentine One.
coryl
Wow. I can understand the need to commute for 3 hours a day if the person really needs the money/is in a financial situation. But this guy is potentially working at Google, and to me, the general tradeoff for 3 hours of your life every day isn't worth it. I guess its down to personal wants though, I hate commuting for work.
matrix3456
So why you applied for a position at Google? You just want to have such an exprience or you really want to work at Google?
anon314
I was kind of bored in my current job, and Google contacted me to interview.

At first I was hesitant because of my failure the first two times I interviewed and the fact that I now have a house far from the office. Both times before, I thought I had actually done very good.

I decided to go through the process, though, because I would really like to work at Google all things being equal. In the end they offered me much better compensation and stock than my current job. However, my company countered with a new role, more money, and options.

In the end, I have decided to take the Google offer and at least try it.