Uploaded April 2020 | Updated September 2026, 5 hours ago
Ever wondered what it's like to work at Google? In this video, I answer a bunch of your questions about life as a software engineer at Google and working as a Google software engineer.
Part 1 of this Q&A: youtu.be/TWsx9CouEZE
A Day in the Life of a Google Software Engineer: youtu.be/oHBFD8cfXho
How Often Do Software Engineers Write Algorithms: youtu.be/Pb9UNhfy1U4
0:00 | Introduction
0:28 | If I were the CEO of Google, what (if anything) would I try to change about Google’s culture in order to give those who work there an even better experience?
2:26 | Once you leave Google or Facebook, how hard is it to go back? Do you have to go through the interview process again?
4:21 | How much did I know going in the job vs. how much did I learn on the job (things like in-depth knowledge of technologies and frameworks)?
5:54 | How do you land a new job (without your current boss knowing) while being employed? Are there conditions in your job contract regarding trade secrets?
8:01 | Did I ever use the algorithms and design skills that we teach on AlgoExpert and SystemsExpert while on the job, and do Google engineers use the command line and Stack Overflow?
9:43 | What are some of Google’s “magical” internal tools in comparison to popular tools used outside of Google?
12:38 | Did I encounter software engineers at Google who were still “on the learning curve” (i.e., who weren’t geniuses)?
14:01 | How much time do Googlers have for one small-scale project?
14:23 | What did my work schedule look like and how much time did I spend coding?
14:35 | Would I say that the Perf (performance) process is more political than anything else?
15:36 | How easy is it to change functions internally (like from Software Engineer to Product Manager)?
16:56 | What if a Noogler performs terribly during the first few months at Google?
17:48 | What did I do for my 20% project (plus general insights about 20% projects)?
20:10 | Do most software engineers at Google have a good amount of work experience? Are there a lot of new grads and junior engineers?
20:57 | What does a Staff Software Engineer do?
21:02 | What are people’s social lives like at Google? How do people make friends, and are friendships formed in the workplace? How easily so?
22:16 | How do your seniors react if you ever commit buggy code?
22:23 | If you get an offer from Google, but you’re from another country or city than the office you’ll be in, does Google provide you with housing?
22:57 | The moment you’ve all been waiting for…
23:20 | Can you request equipment like a new laptop, extra monitors, luxury keyboards, etc.?
23:48 | The continuation of the moment you’ve all been waiting for… Given the same compensation and location, which would be better for early career: an L3 SWE role at Google or an E3 SWE role at Facebook?
25:46 | Conclusion
AlgoExpert: algoexpert.io/clem
SystemsExpert: systemsexpert.io/clem
My LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clementmihailescu
My Instagram: instagram.com/clement_mihailescu
My Twitter: twitter.com/clemmihai
Prepping for coding interviews? Practice with 90 video explanations of popular interview questions and a full-fledged coding workspace on AlgoExpert: algoexpert.io (use "clem" promo code for a discount!)
Ever wondered what it's like to work at Google? In this video, I answer a bunch of your questions about life as a software engineer at Google and working as a Google software engineer.
Part 1 of this Q&A: youtu.be/TWsx9CouEZE
A Day in the Life of a Google Software Engineer: youtu.be/oHBFD8cfXho
How Often Do Software Engineers Write Algorithms: youtu.be/Pb9UNhfy1U4
0:00 | Introduction
0:28 | If I were the CEO of Google, what (if anything) would I try to change about Google’s culture in order to give those who work there an even better experience?
2:26 | Once you leave Google or Facebook, how hard is it to go back? Do you have to go through the interview process again?
4:21 | How much did I know going in the job vs. how much did I learn on the job (things like in-depth knowledge of technologies and frameworks)?
5:54 | How do you land a new job (without your current boss knowing) while being employed? Are there conditions in your job contract regarding trade secrets?
8:01 | Did I ever use the algorithms and design skills that we teach on AlgoExpert and SystemsExpert while on the job, and do Google engineers use the command line and Stack Overflow?
9:43 | What are some of Google’s “magical” internal tools in comparison to popular tools used outside of Google?
12:38 | Did I encounter software engineers at Google who were still “on the learning curve” (i.e., who weren’t geniuses)?
14:01 | How much time do Googlers have for one small-scale project?
14:23 | What did my work schedule look like and how much time did I spend coding?
14:35 | Would I say that the Perf (performance) process is more political than anything else?
15:36 | How easy is it to change functions internally (like from Software Engineer to Product Manager)?
16:56 | What if a Noogler performs terribly during the first few months at Google?
17:48 | What did I do for my 20% project (plus general insights about 20% projects)?
20:10 | Do most software engineers at Google have a good amount of work experience? Are there a lot of new grads and junior engineers?
20:57 | What does a Staff Software Engineer do?
21:02 | What are people’s social lives like at Google? How do people make friends, and are friendships formed in the workplace? How easily so?
22:16 | How do your seniors react if you ever commit buggy code?
22:23 | If you get an offer from Google, but you’re from another country or city than the office you’ll be in, does Google provide you with housing?
22:57 | The moment you’ve all been waiting for…
23:20 | Can you request equipment like a new laptop, extra monitors, luxury keyboards, etc.?
23:48 | The continuation of the moment you’ve all been waiting for… Given the same compensation and location, which would be better for early career: an L3 SWE role at Google or an E3 SWE role at Facebook?
25:46 | Conclusion
AlgoExpert: algoexpert.io/clem
SystemsExpert: systemsexpert.io/clem
My LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/clementmihailescu
My Instagram: instagram.com/clement_mihailescu
My Twitter: twitter.com/clemmihai
Prepping for coding interviews? Practice with 90 video explanations of popular interview questions and a full-fledged coding workspace on AlgoExpert: algoexpert.io (use "clem" promo code for a discount!)
