“Growth, Learning And…”: Bengaluru Techie Shares Pros And Cons Of Working At Google

A Bengaluru-based software engineer recently took to X to share his experience of working at Google for three years. Raj Vikramaditya, known as ‘Striver’ on the microblogging site, shared a list of pros and cons of working at the tech giant. In the pros column, he listed advantages such as work-life balance and extra perks. In the cons column, however, Mr Vikramaditya pointed out a few challenges, such as multiple layers of approval.  “Here’s to 3 years of growth, learning, and unforgettable experiences! Only my body knows how tough it has been to work,” he wrote in his post. 

“Completed 3 years at Google today. Pros and cons,” Mr Vikramaditya said as he detailed the highlights of his experience. “Pros –  Incredible WLB (Work-Life Balance): They take care of almost everything you can think of-food, gym, spa, trips, parties,” he explained. The techie further praised Google’s codebase. “Once you dive into it, you’re in awe of the quality, design, and overall architecture,” he said. 

In the pros list, Mr Vikramaditya also mentioned that if you are working at Google, you’ll always be surrounded by geniuses. “Being around such talent pushes you to stay sharp and constantly improve,” he wrote.

https://twitter.com/striver_79/status/1864904728267886610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Other advantages of working at Google, according to Mr Vikramaditya, include the impact, extra perks, internal tools and documentation. 

“Impact: The work here reaches millions (or even billions); Extra perks: On-call pay, peer bonuses, spot bonuses-there’s always something extra; Internal tools: The tools are so good that similar tools in the outside world are standalone startups, often run by different companies; Documentation: Everything is well-documented, making transitions easier when people switch teams or leave,” he explained. 

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In the cons column, the techie mentioned only three points. According to him, the process of approvals is slow. However, he acknowledged that at a company as big as Google, multiple layers of approvals are necessary to avoid risks like lawsuits. 

The second disadvantage he mentioned is “limited scope”. “Most teams don’t get to work on end-to-end features. Much of the infrastructure is pre-built, so unless you’re on a core team, the learning curve might not be as steep,” he explained. 

“Team-switching and promotions: Work done in a previous team isn’t considered for promotions after switching, leading to a dynamic where people often switch teams right after a promotion. This can result in slower promotions in some teams,” he wrote in the third point. 

Mr Vikramaditya shared the post on Friday. Since then, it has accumulated more than 90,000 views and several likes. In the comments section, users shared various reactions. 

“Congrats on completing 3 years at Google! The pros you shared are truly inspiring, especially the WLB and impact on billions. Curious-how do you manage to stay motivated and navigate challenges like approvals and limited scope? Also, hats off to balancing work and tuf/tuf+-that’s no small feat!” commented one user. 

“Hearty Congratulations @striver_79. You are an inspiration to many out there like me. All the very best and keep continuing doing what you are best at!” said another.