For many professionals, landing a job at Google is seen as the ultimate career milestone. It is often associated with high salaries, prestige and the opportunity to work with some of the brightest minds in the industry. But according to an Indian woman working at Google in the US, the reality is far more nuanced.
In a street style interview shared on Instagram by content creator @albeli_ritu, Priya, an Indian professional working at Google in the US, spoke about what it is really like to work at the tech giant. Responding to a question about life at Google, she said her perspective has changed significantly over the years.
‘It felt like I had achieved everything’
Asked how it feels to work at Google, Priya recalled that when she first joined the company, it seemed like she had reached the pinnacle of success. “When I joined Google, it felt like I had achieved everything in life. You work at Google, you have a good salary. What more could you want?” she said.
However, she added that working at the company also means being surrounded by exceptionally talented colleagues, making career growth increasingly competitive. “You are constantly surrounded by very, very smart people. If you want to grow inside these companies, you really have to go above and beyond,” she said.
(Also Read: ‘Lonely, expensive, ruthless’: Indian woman says she ‘cannot romanticise America anymore’)
Work-life balance at Google
Priya said that employees can have a comfortable work-life balance by doing what is expected of them, but ambitious professionals often choose to put in extra effort to grow, especially amid the current atmosphere of layoffs in the tech industry. “It depends on your goals and what gives you job satisfaction,” she said.
She also clarified that working 10 to 12 hours every day is not necessary but acknowledged that there are periods when employees voluntarily put in longer hours. “There are days where you are putting in 10 to 12 hours and there are days where it’s chill. You have a lot of flexibility,” she said.
According to Priya, flexibility is one of Google’s strengths. “If someone says there is no flexibility at Google, that’s completely wrong. There is a lot of flexibility. But after a point, growing further also becomes very difficult,” she said.
Priya also reflected on how her outlook evolved after living in different cities, including London, Chicago and New York. She said that she even questioned whether moving to the US had been the right decision because life in India had been going well.
However, now based in New York, she said that the move was worth it. “I think this is the best thing that I could have done with the opportunities I have,” she said.
