Answer: There is some neat stuff happening at Google, but the typical employee is doing the boring maintenance that any large business requires. As a bonus insult, they're ridiculously overqualified for grunt work and they didn't think that was what they signed up for.
For a typical software engineer at Google, it's like being a janitor at NASA. Some neat stuff is happening there, but you aren't a part of it.
Also, if you have a couple of years at Google or Facebook, future employers/investors will automatically assume you're qualified, even if you aren't. That opens lots of opportunities. It's also a big contrast from what a typical software engineer sees, where they're asked FizzBuzz on every job interview.
never thought of it as a dream company. just thought it more as something to put on my resume if it were to ever happen. unless im wrong, i thought this was already the mentality of most developer/hackers at this point.
It depends on whether you are a recent college grad or not.
A recent college grad will probably believe the hype.
An experienced candidate is more likely to see it as just another job and another step in a career. (hence the preference for recent grads over experienced candidates)
I've met many who've jumped ship from both companies and a common narrative is they were all just fed up with feeling like they were a cog in a machine.
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[ 108 ms ] story [ 246 ms ] threadFor a typical software engineer at Google, it's like being a janitor at NASA. Some neat stuff is happening there, but you aren't a part of it.
Also, if you have a couple of years at Google or Facebook, future employers/investors will automatically assume you're qualified, even if you aren't. That opens lots of opportunities. It's also a big contrast from what a typical software engineer sees, where they're asked FizzBuzz on every job interview.
A recent college grad will probably believe the hype.
An experienced candidate is more likely to see it as just another job and another step in a career. (hence the preference for recent grads over experienced candidates)