I have started in Google since 2005, and the experience so far has been very good. Here are my top 5 reasons that I enjoy working here:
1. 20% Time
Google allows all of its employees to take 20% of their working hour to work on any projects they're interested in. This is very important because it gives us chance to do whatever we are passionate at. I see a lot of quality work that came out from the 20% time, both from me and my colleagues.
2. Tech Talks and Training
Google offers a lot of really interesting talks and seminars to its employees. You can learn from the seminars the most state-of-the-art ideas on design pattern, agile development, testing methods, or even softer topics like the birth of Silicon Valley from either internal or external speakers.
3. Perks
Everyone heard of the gourmet meals at Google. And there're also really beach volleyball fields, 30'' monitors, and a Macbook Pro or a ThinkPad. They once in a while organize campus-wide offsites too, taking the entire staff to Disneyland and all sorts of fun places.
4. Smart Coworkers
Google values technical caliber a lot, and there are a lot of smart people in virtually every field. I am not just saying they are smart in coding, but also in other intellectual subjects. I can email Googlers for whatever questions I have and I can expect a decent answers. This is both an amazing and humbling experience.
5. Make Impact
I think coders and engineers don't want to earn a living, they want to make impact. This is the fundamental reason I work at Google. We're creating products that reach millions of people and improve their lives. Our search is for sure the best search engine around, and there're products that are becoming the best in the market, such as Gmail, Calendar, and Reader. Google may not pay you the best money, but I think the opportunity to make high impact to the community more than compensates that.
