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I'm all for personal fulfillment, but this seems like it could apply to anyone working any job they don't like/love. There is nothing specific to Google in this

I'm all for personal fulfillment, but this seems like it could apply to anyone working any job they don't like/love. There is nothing specific to Google in this. Actually, there's very little specific in this at all. I guess somebody found it helpful though because it's at thirty points right now and it was at three ten minutes ago.

benesch 13y ago
The difference here is that a software engineering job at Google is widely considered one of the best corporate software engineering jobs in the world. There are thousands who'd love to be in her place; as she notes, the external pressure to like your job at Google is tremendous. That she had the courage to uproot her entire life, despite the pressure, is impressive. (Granted, you could replace "engineer at Google" with "position X at a top company in field.") Edit: As noted below, Elle wasn't a software engineer at Google, but an account manager in the media/marketing department. The point stands, I think.
- oinksoft 13y ago
  The technology may be great, but at the end of the day, you're still working for a company whose main business is selling ad space. Definitely not a surprise that many people find this less than fulfilling. The amazing thing is that Google has managed to sell an employment experience whose most outstanding feature is creature comforts to a host of smart people.
  - plywoodtrees 13y ago
    At the end of the day, you're still an animal whose main business is eating, pooping, and reproducing. It turns out there's a lot of scope for creativity and joy while keeping the organism alive.
  - cromwellian 13y ago
    The vast majority of Google engineers don't work on ads. The guys working on Google Maps, feel they are working for a mapping company. The guys working on Android feel they're working on mobile. The people working on search feel they're working on machine intelligence issues. Frankly, as a Google employee, I like that the ads business subsidizes research into other areas that are not economical yet or which people won't pay for. The fact that Google culture overall aligns my my views on intellectual property, progressive ideals, and just not being a douche-bag cancels out any "taint" that the money is made on (IMHO, tasteful) ads. I used to work at IBM T.J. Watson research. I had no love for the IBM consulting or mainframe business, but I never had to deal with it. Google's main business might be advertising, but that business is mostly automated, it doesn't take 20,000 engineers to run AdWords.
- danso 13y ago
  OP is not a software engineer, she worked in media/marketing department http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBZRzn1Mci8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBZRzn1Mci8
  - benesch 13y ago
    Good call—thanks!
- bcent 13y ago
  Agreed. Getting to 'the top' corporate job in your particular field, is quite the achievement. Finding yourself in that position ... realizing it's not what you want out of life. Then taking the leap of faith, to turn your entire life upside in an attempt to find the fulfillment you're looking for takes a lot of courage. I tip my hat to her.
- lvs 13y ago
  Writing is cathartic, of course, but I also didn't walk away with any better understanding of why she specifically quit her job at Google (or her college boyfriend, for that matter). I can read between the lines that Google has become a place that's finally lost that nebulous feeling of individual fulfillment. That I could easily imagine, but the article is really about "finding herself" and not really about Google.
yajoe 13y ago
Agreed. I'm very happy the OP is taking a risk, because, damnit, now is the time! I think the lesson is we all should be willing to ask "Are we truly happy with our lives?" and take the chance to answer without all of the external signals. There is more to life than a title! And, in my humble experience, titles only correlate with years working and not competence. If it weren't at Google, then... ... she'd be complaining about the sociopathic politics and "endless email" at Microsoft. ... she'd be thankful to have only 3 conference calls, all within normal working hours, at IBM. ... she'd be fearing the pager (dev) or Wednesday business reviews (non-dev in Retail) and admiring Jeff at Amazon. ... she'd be tired of the arrogance at Facebook (caveat: MANY great people at fb, but there are a few PMs who think they are the second coming...) ... she'd be cursing the exploitation of VC-istan at _[your name here]_ startup. (This post is from personal experience -- yes, I've worked at each company)
ryandrake 13y ago
Where does this expectation come from, that work should be about personal fulfillment? That you have to love your job, or it's not the right one? Maybe it's just me, but if I leave my job, it'll be because I'd like more money, or a shorter commute, the opportunity to own a home, or better future career prospects. I'm not going to have an existential crisis over it.
- noisy_boy 13y ago
  I think that expectation is a common product of the modern convenient life. If you have the genetic gift of intellect coupled with that, then it becomes more prominent. It also is due to a generation which is more independent/scattered with lesser ties (or familial/societal pressures, depending on how you look upon it). The above factors contribute to the third which makes this generation, more "sensitive". Combine all and the perspective of the article is quite expected. That probably also explains the resonation with the readers resulting in upvotes.
psbp 13y ago
I think its relevance to google is that a position at google is perceived to be a peak in achievement and fulfillment, which the author obviously didn't find.
- jamesaguilar 13y ago
  Maybe for engineers. I don't know if it has that rep for account managers.

benesch 13y ago

The difference here is that a software engineering job at Google is widely considered one of the best corporate software engineering jobs in the world. There are thousands who'd love to be in her place; as she notes, the external pressure to like your job at Google is tremendous. That she had the courage to uproot her entire life, despite the pressure, is impressive. (Granted, you could replace "engineer at Google" with "position X at a top company in field.") Edit: As noted below, Elle wasn't a software engineer at Google, but an account manager in the media/marketing department. The point stands, I think.

oinksoft 13y ago
The technology may be great, but at the end of the day, you're still working for a company whose main business is selling ad space. Definitely not a surprise that many people find this less than fulfilling. The amazing thing is that Google has managed to sell an employment experience whose most outstanding feature is creature comforts to a host of smart people.
- plywoodtrees 13y ago
  At the end of the day, you're still an animal whose main business is eating, pooping, and reproducing. It turns out there's a lot of scope for creativity and joy while keeping the organism alive.
- cromwellian 13y ago
  The vast majority of Google engineers don't work on ads. The guys working on Google Maps, feel they are working for a mapping company. The guys working on Android feel they're working on mobile. The people working on search feel they're working on machine intelligence issues. Frankly, as a Google employee, I like that the ads business subsidizes research into other areas that are not economical yet or which people won't pay for. The fact that Google culture overall aligns my my views on intellectual property, progressive ideals, and just not being a douche-bag cancels out any "taint" that the money is made on (IMHO, tasteful) ads. I used to work at IBM T.J. Watson research. I had no love for the IBM consulting or mainframe business, but I never had to deal with it. Google's main business might be advertising, but that business is mostly automated, it doesn't take 20,000 engineers to run AdWords.
danso 13y ago
OP is not a software engineer, she worked in media/marketing department http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBZRzn1Mci8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBZRzn1Mci8
- benesch 13y ago
  Good call—thanks!
bcent 13y ago
Agreed. Getting to 'the top' corporate job in your particular field, is quite the achievement. Finding yourself in that position ... realizing it's not what you want out of life. Then taking the leap of faith, to turn your entire life upside in an attempt to find the fulfillment you're looking for takes a lot of courage. I tip my hat to her.
lvs 13y ago
Writing is cathartic, of course, but I also didn't walk away with any better understanding of why she specifically quit her job at Google (or her college boyfriend, for that matter). I can read between the lines that Google has become a place that's finally lost that nebulous feeling of individual fulfillment. That I could easily imagine, but the article is really about "finding herself" and not really about Google.

yajoe 13y ago

Agreed. I'm very happy the OP is taking a risk, because, damnit, now is the time! I think the lesson is we all should be willing to ask "Are we truly happy with our lives?" and take the chance to answer without all of the external signals. There is more to life than a title! And, in my humble experience, titles only correlate with years working and not competence. If it weren't at Google, then... ... she'd be complaining about the sociopathic politics and "endless email" at Microsoft. ... she'd be thankful to have only 3 conference calls, all within normal working hours, at IBM. ... she'd be fearing the pager (dev) or Wednesday business reviews (non-dev in Retail) and admiring Jeff at Amazon. ... she'd be tired of the arrogance at Facebook (caveat: MANY great people at fb, but there are a few PMs who think they are the second coming...) ... she'd be cursing the exploitation of VC-istan at _[your name here]_ startup. (This post is from personal experience -- yes, I've worked at each company)

ryandrake 13y ago

Where does this expectation come from, that work should be about personal fulfillment? That you have to love your job, or it's not the right one? Maybe it's just me, but if I leave my job, it'll be because I'd like more money, or a shorter commute, the opportunity to own a home, or better future career prospects. I'm not going to have an existential crisis over it.

noisy_boy 13y ago
I think that expectation is a common product of the modern convenient life. If you have the genetic gift of intellect coupled with that, then it becomes more prominent. It also is due to a generation which is more independent/scattered with lesser ties (or familial/societal pressures, depending on how you look upon it). The above factors contribute to the third which makes this generation, more "sensitive". Combine all and the perspective of the article is quite expected. That probably also explains the resonation with the readers resulting in upvotes.

psbp 13y ago

I think its relevance to google is that a position at google is perceived to be a peak in achievement and fulfillment, which the author obviously didn't find.

jamesaguilar 13y ago
Maybe for engineers. I don't know if it has that rep for account managers.