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FAQ on Leaving Google

(social.clawhammer.net)
462 points mrled | 6 comments | | HN request time: 0.292s | source | bottom
1. starchild3001 ◴[] No.39037452[source]
Hey, current Googler here. I joined in 2017. For those who are looking from outside to those who reminisce past Google, I have an update for you: Google is still a f'ing amazing workplace. It's easily the best company I worked for in my 24 yrs of post-college career. Amazing colleagues. Incredible learning opportunity. Super fun projects. Really good pay. Your mileage may vary. This is my N=1 impression as an ML expert currently working on Ads. Best of luck!
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2. ◴[] No.39037832[source]
3. ◴[] No.39038000[source]
4. tdb7893 ◴[] No.39038060[source]
So I agree the pay is good but for me (and most of my friends it really wore me down over time) that place really wore me down over time. I was already planning on leaving but I was shocked at how happy I was to be laid off from there, people kept messaging me concerned and I needed to explain to them that I felt fantastic.

I loved the office (I was also in the Chicago office, the best office at Google! Though it might lose that title without Ben Sussman to lead it) and my team was so amazing but the shifting priorities and reorgs really sapped my motivation, especially recently as cost cutting created more organizational churn. Objectively it's a good place to work, I always told Nooglers that this job in this particular location is one of the best jobs to have ever existed and I honestly think in many ways that's true. I think if you're pretty resilient to corporate bullshit (I thought I was but over time it got to me) or if you can get a good project I do sincerely recommend it as a place to work. On the other hand for me it is also true that it was slowly sapping my joy of engineering and leaving me with no motivation besides collecting a paycheck and that really sucked for a bit.

5. bigbuppo ◴[] No.39052287[source]
So you implement stalking technology, but it's okay because it's for ads?
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6. starchild3001 ◴[] No.39074083[source]
That's a gross mischaracterization. There's no stalking. It's your data kept in a server that no human eyes can see, and algorithmically matched with the best ads possible. That's the kind of ads I know, served respectfully, where user can choose to turn off their history, and stop this from happening. Opinions are mine. Not that of my employer.