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> Interviewing at Google took the same amount of my time as interviewing at Amazon. Both of which consist of a sequence of several interviews that can take a s

> Interviewing at Google took the same amount of my time as interviewing at Amazon. Both of which consist of a sequence of several interviews that can take a significant amount of time, time that could be better used applying to other companies. > Why would it not be worthwhile to peruse all options, especially when one of the options seems better than the rest? Because it's not better, not on the whole. The nice perks are only one factor - the competitiveness of the interview process must be considered as well. When my competitors, such as the guy who wrote TFA, are willing to go to fanatical lengths to do well in the interview process, it's not worth the trouble of applying. In fact, with lower competitiveness among applicants at other companies, I could demand a higher salary, and then use that salary to buy gourmet food/coffee and pay for Instacart to get the same grocery delivery services you get for free at Google. You shouldn't forget that a lot of those Google perks are fungible, given a higher salary. Actually, I would prefer the cash over the free coffee - I hate the taste of coffee and it gives me indigestion, so I don't benefit at all from free gourmet coffee at work.

eshvk 14y ago
I have been told that these "perks" make sense if you are a young (starving) grad just out of school for whom the idea of anything that is not Ramen or Cold Pizza is heavenly. However, when you get older, you find that cold cash can pay for things like diapers, child care and that additional car that your family needs. (Personally, I am not a big fan of the free food anywhere (I like eating healthy at home). I prefer getting paid more and getting to do my work without any drama. )
jrockway 14y ago
In fact, with lower competitiveness among applicants at other companies, I could demand a higher salary, and then use that salary to buy gourmet food/coffee and pay for Instacart to get the same grocery delivery services you get for free at Google. Google pays me more than I made at an investment bank as a contractor, so I don't really think I'm giving up anything. I get free food and enough money to pay someone to cook for me if I wanted. (The food at Google is pretty nice, though, so I don't have to do that. We have five different cafes in the New York office, so there's always something good regardless of your preferences. Even the strict vegans get multiple options!) But I disagree with your premise: I don't think firms with low-quality applicants will pay you more because you're a high-quality applicant. How will they recognize your value-add if they've never seen it before? (As for coffee giving you indigestion: the reason Google provides coffee is because people want it. If you want something else, they'll give it to you. The idea is to keep you engaged and focused on work, not to make Google appealing to coffee snobs. Though with Intelligentsia, Stumptown, and Gorilla coffee, it is pretty darn appealing! http://www.dearcoffeeiloveyou.com/the-coffee-lab-at-google-london-hq/ http://www.dearcoffeeiloveyou.com/the-coffee-lab-at-google-l...)

eshvk 14y ago

I have been told that these "perks" make sense if you are a young (starving) grad just out of school for whom the idea of anything that is not Ramen or Cold Pizza is heavenly. However, when you get older, you find that cold cash can pay for things like diapers, child care and that additional car that your family needs. (Personally, I am not a big fan of the free food anywhere (I like eating healthy at home). I prefer getting paid more and getting to do my work without any drama. )

jrockway 14y ago

In fact, with lower competitiveness among applicants at other companies, I could demand a higher salary, and then use that salary to buy gourmet food/coffee and pay for Instacart to get the same grocery delivery services you get for free at Google. Google pays me more than I made at an investment bank as a contractor, so I don't really think I'm giving up anything. I get free food and enough money to pay someone to cook for me if I wanted. (The food at Google is pretty nice, though, so I don't have to do that. We have five different cafes in the New York office, so there's always something good regardless of your preferences. Even the strict vegans get multiple options!) But I disagree with your premise: I don't think firms with low-quality applicants will pay you more because you're a high-quality applicant. How will they recognize your value-add if they've never seen it before? (As for coffee giving you indigestion: the reason Google provides coffee is because people want it. If you want something else, they'll give it to you. The idea is to keep you engaged and focused on work, not to make Google appealing to coffee snobs. Though with Intelligentsia, Stumptown, and Gorilla coffee, it is pretty darn appealing! http://www.dearcoffeeiloveyou.com/the-coffee-lab-at-google-london-hq/ http://www.dearcoffeeiloveyou.com/the-coffee-lab-at-google-l...)