I loved the level of autonomy and ownership you got at Google. Even as an intern, you had significant scope and had influence on decisions that involved millions of dollars. People would defer to you for your opinions since you had ownership over your project area. When you were stuck, though, there was an incredible support system - both formal and informal, whereby almost everyone in the company would be filling to help you.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • New York City, NY
What I liked
The company atmosphere and the projects.
What I wish was different
Little control on what team you're matched on.
Advice
Ask questions.
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Engineering Practicum Intern
May - August 2018 • Sunnyvale, CA
What I liked
I liked how everyone at Google is very motivated and passionate about their work. I was given a lot of opportunities to learn new skills and everyone was always available to answer my questions. The project was very interesting and focused on security, which matched my interests.
What I wish was different
Honestly can't think of anything, every aspect of my internship was great!
Advice
If you fail at first, keep trying! I didn't get the internship at Google my first year, but instead of just wasting my summer I ended up doing research at a prestigious university, which looked great on my resume. Always show your recruiter/interviewers how much you care about what you do!
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • San Francisco, CA
What I liked
I loved the office, the work, and the city. I had an excellent experience.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been told more about the different parts of San Francisco and hadn't found housing in such a bad part of the city.
Advice
It can be intimidating to apply to and work at a big company, but in the end the experience is so worth it. You without a doubt should apply to a company if you want to work there, no matter how scary it may seem or underqualified you might feel.
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Software Engineer Intern
May - August 2018 • San Francisco, CA
What I liked
Great perks.
What I wish was different
More defined project.
Advice
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
I had a great experience there. My team was very supportive and interacted with me a lot throughout the internship. However, I've heard that this varies by team.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Software Engineering Intern
June - September 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
Be selective about your project! You don't have to pick the first one you hear back from.
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Software Engineering Intern
July - September 2018 • New York City, NY
What I liked
The team.
What I wish was different
More project scope.
Advice
Use your resources and talk to other employees.
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Engineering Practicum Intern
June - September 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
What I wish was different
Advice
I suggest that you reach out to as many Googlers as you can to learn about their experience working for the company, what they are working on, and what their team is like. Googlers are almost always willing to meet and talk to you!
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Engineering Practicum Intern
May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
Great host, got matched with a project I really liked, the other intern on my team was on the same level of Computer Science experience as me. They had lots of opportunities to bond with both other interns and people on your team. Everyone that works there is friendly and not intimidating. Felt like I actually made a difference with the code I wrote and submitted during my internship. Good pay and comes with a relocation bonus.
What I wish was different
Nothing!
Advice
Study for your interviews! And be open to meeting new people and don't be too afraid to ask for help when you need it. Asking for help makes everything go faster in the long run.
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Boulder, CO
What I liked
Amazing office atmosphere. Exciting work with an exceptional team of mentors.
What I wish was different
Wish I didn’t have to leave.
Advice
If you find yourself at a big tech company like Google, don’t be afraid to ask a ton of questions. There’s a lot of internal tooling to learn and it’s impossible to figure it all out without some guidance.
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Engineering Practicum Intern
May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
Good team culture
What I wish was different
A way to learn about different aspects of the company better
Advice
Grow your network while you're here!
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
a lot of responsibility
What I wish was different
not in california
Advice
apply early
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SWE (software engineering intern)
June - September 2017 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
Work environment, team culture, perks (free food, free bike, gym, shower, etc.), project
What I wish was different
I would have liked more intern events to get to know the other interns (there were plenty, but there are so many interns in the bay area that they have a lottery for getting into events, unlike in the NYC office, where all interns can go to all events). More transparency in host matching would be great also.
Advice
Know that it will take a few weeks to get up to speed on your project, so don't stress about that. Get to know your team and the other interns. Try out the VR demo rooms too!
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Engineering Practicum Intern
May - August 2018 • Kirkland, WA
What I liked
I liked learning lots of new skills, meeting people in the industry, and exploring a new city!
What I wish was different
Nothing!
Advice
I would tell future computer science interns not to underestimate themselves and to dive straight into the experience with confidence.
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Engineering Practicum Intern
May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA
What I liked
Google’s work environment is very supportive and friendly, which helped me feel comfortable asking questions during my internship.
What I wish was different
I wish I was in a smaller office- the number of interns in MTV can be overwhelming.
Advice
Take the chance to get valuable hands on experience in the industry and grow your network!
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Software Engineering Intern
May - August 2018 • Seattle, WA
What I liked
Working with amazingly talented people.
What I wish was different
I wish I had asked more questions and spent less time being stuck and self-conscious.
Advice
Ask more questions!
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Customer Service Representative
January - August 2023 • Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán
What I liked
They are friendly, welcoming, and passionate.
What I wish was different
Work schedules.
Advice
It was a fast paced environment so get used to learning chunks of information at once.
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Backend Software Engineer
May - August 2023 • Sunnyvale, CA
What I liked
I loved how the experience helped me become more independent and grow as an engineer. This internship exposed me to new technologies which I used creatively. Google is always innovating and I could definitely see that in those 3 months.
What I wish was different
I wish that I had been more transparent about my interests at the project matching stage. This could’ve helped me find an opportunity that fit my skills a bit better. Additionally, it helps to have a team with a couple of women especially in stand ups.
Advice
The best part of internships is exploring and trying everything you’re interested in. It’s the best way to decide what you would like to do for an extended amount of time.
