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That's maybe a bit harsh, but I'm pretty much with you. It's passed the tipping point where it's inevitable it takes on the mold of a soulless megacorp. its rea

That's maybe a bit harsh, but I'm pretty much with you. It's passed the tipping point where it's inevitable it takes on the mold of a soulless megacorp. its really obvious that so many people just "need" to get into Google because it's validation for their ego. "I told you I'm a special snowflake genius!" Google is awesome, and I'm at Google, so you know I'm awesome...yada, yada. The inauthenticity is palpable; you just know these same people wouldn't be busting their ass to work on the cutting edge in No-Name software shop because they wouldn't have that big shiny feather in their cap.

40acres 10y ago
I think this is a shortsighted view. I work for a pretty influential tech company as a Software Developer, I've interviewed with Google twice and have failed both times, but I look at interviewing with and potentially being hired at Google as a great challenge and opportunity rather than something to validate myself. I'm 25, and I think I speak for a lot of folks my age when I saw that Google is the 'Bell Labs / IBM / whatever big influential company that makes a mark on you as a young adult" company of our time. Now I know that may not be the case now, but when I was deciding that being in technology was what I truly wanted to do (teenage years), Google was coming out with Gmail, and was the 'key' to the internet with search, and bought YouTube/Android, and was everywhere, so I really saw them as a pillar of modern day technology, and to a sense I still do. So whenever I get a call from a recruiter I can't help but be excited. I know their hiring practices are not perfect, but they are still a company who I look towards with bright eyes.* * Albeit less bright as time goes on.
- judahmeek 10y ago
  Nothing you said contradicts preordained's claim that a lot of Google's current hype is due to ego validation. In addition to having the highest average salaries in tech, Google has purposely made their hiring process very stringent, not because the techniques that they use more accurately predict job success rates, but because by making their job openings harder to obtain (in proportion to applications), they increase the subjective value of those job openings in the eyes of potential candidates. It's premium branding, plain and simple, and the fact that Google employees have to justify the effort and time they put in to get hired in the first place partially explains why Google is rated so highly by current/past employees. I'd be really curious to learn how much Google spends in man-hours for each hire in comparison to other tech companies.
- hex_3934252261 10y ago
  I'm 25, and I think I speak for a lot of folks my age when I saw that Google is the 'Bell Labs / IBM / whatever big influential company that makes a mark on you as a young adult" company of our time. Google is not Bell Labs. It is not a research lab. It is a large software corporation. In a research lab, you get the autonomy to work on whatever project you want, and are expected to be starting projects after a few years. Young people get a lot of mentoring. It's a collaborative environment. Google isn't worse than IBM or Goldman Sachs, but it's not Bell Labs. It's a decent place to work if you're established and can get placed at Staff SWE or better. It's not the best place to grow to that level if you're not already there.
- tekromancr 10y ago
  Posting here because a sibling comment (throwaway username starting with hex_) is dead, but the content seems reasonable.

40acres 10y ago

I think this is a shortsighted view. I work for a pretty influential tech company as a Software Developer, I've interviewed with Google twice and have failed both times, but I look at interviewing with and potentially being hired at Google as a great challenge and opportunity rather than something to validate myself. I'm 25, and I think I speak for a lot of folks my age when I saw that Google is the 'Bell Labs / IBM / whatever big influential company that makes a mark on you as a young adult" company of our time. Now I know that may not be the case now, but when I was deciding that being in technology was what I truly wanted to do (teenage years), Google was coming out with Gmail, and was the 'key' to the internet with search, and bought YouTube/Android, and was everywhere, so I really saw them as a pillar of modern day technology, and to a sense I still do. So whenever I get a call from a recruiter I can't help but be excited. I know their hiring practices are not perfect, but they are still a company who I look towards with bright eyes.* * Albeit less bright as time goes on.

judahmeek 10y ago
Nothing you said contradicts preordained's claim that a lot of Google's current hype is due to ego validation. In addition to having the highest average salaries in tech, Google has purposely made their hiring process very stringent, not because the techniques that they use more accurately predict job success rates, but because by making their job openings harder to obtain (in proportion to applications), they increase the subjective value of those job openings in the eyes of potential candidates. It's premium branding, plain and simple, and the fact that Google employees have to justify the effort and time they put in to get hired in the first place partially explains why Google is rated so highly by current/past employees. I'd be really curious to learn how much Google spends in man-hours for each hire in comparison to other tech companies.
hex_3934252261 10y ago
I'm 25, and I think I speak for a lot of folks my age when I saw that Google is the 'Bell Labs / IBM / whatever big influential company that makes a mark on you as a young adult" company of our time. Google is not Bell Labs. It is not a research lab. It is a large software corporation. In a research lab, you get the autonomy to work on whatever project you want, and are expected to be starting projects after a few years. Young people get a lot of mentoring. It's a collaborative environment. Google isn't worse than IBM or Goldman Sachs, but it's not Bell Labs. It's a decent place to work if you're established and can get placed at Staff SWE or better. It's not the best place to grow to that level if you're not already there.
tekromancr 10y ago
Posting here because a sibling comment (throwaway username starting with hex_) is dead, but the content seems reasonable.