For most, a job at Google represents career success, but a Bengaluru-based software engineer, going by the name of Striver, recently gavethe inside scoop on life at the tech giant. The software engineer shared his three-year experience at Google on social media platform X, pointing out both the pros and cons of working at Google.
The Advantages of Working at Google
Striver stresses the company’s great work-life balance, where you see the company taking great care of its employees from food, gyms to spas, trips, parties, and so on. “The quality of design and even the architecture is just spectacular once you dive into it,” he wrote.
HAVE A LOOK AT THE POST:
Completed 3 years at Google today 😇
Pros and Cons 👇🏼
Pros 🔥
– Incredible WLB (Work-Life Balance): They take care of almost everything you can think of—food, gym, spa, trips, parties.
– The codebase: Once you dive into it, you’re in awe of the quality, design, and overall… pic.twitter.com/PlrAHmFavz
— Striver (@striver_79) December 6, 2024
He also appreciated the chance to work with talented people who make peers strive for excellence, which he described as “being surrounded by geniuses.” Another highlight was the impact of Google‘s work, which reaches millions or even billions worldwide.
Employees enjoy all sorts of benefits, from extra pay for being on call to spot bonuses for outstanding contributions, and internal tools that are highly advanced. Striver also mentioned that good documentation by Google makes it possible for employees to move around teams or even leave the company with no hassle.
Barriers to Google Employees
According to Striver, despite these significant benefits, there are disadvantages to working at Google. For instance, he states that large-scale operations with multiple layers of approval result in slow processes. Other limitations include limited personal growth because the teams work on pre-existing infrastructure rather than developing a new feature from scratch.
He also mentioned some issues with team-switching and promotions. According to him, work done in the previous team is usually not considered for promotions after transferring. This has created a vicious cycle where employees change teams soon after receiving a promotion, sometimes delaying career advancement.
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Mixed Reactions Online
The post garnered over 1 lakh views and sparked a range of responses. One user questioned Striver about his motivation to work at a big tech company, to which he replied, “I’m pretty settled and have things aligned, so I don’t want to switch right now.”
Although there were users who agreed with his listed cons, others alsocame forward with alternative experiences. One of them mentioned, “Work done in a previous team isn‘t considered for promotions—that‘s not accurate,” citing an experience when all previous contributions were considered for promotion.
Striver concluded by acknowledging the tough journey over three years at Google, stating, “Here‘s to growth, learning, and unforgettable experiences. Only my body knows how tough it has been to work and be on social media simultaneously”
