As I understood it, the author didn't really claim that working at such a company makes you a god or super hacker, just that it might give you such a reputation

As I understood it, the author didn't really claim that working at such a company makes you a god or super hacker, just that it might give you such a reputation among certain circles (not you, but others perhaps) - which many people will derive confidence from. Seems like a reasonable statement. The article seems to be less about what some objective truth about good jobs is but more about how people perceive themselves, others and their goals in life.