Dilemma: invest time in Google or career?

IBM
CA

Go to company page IBM

CA
Jul 13, 2016 19 Comments

I'm reasonably happy with my senior SWE role, salary and long term opportunities at my company, but Google is a dream and I'd drop it all for it.
But I want to be realistic about my chances. I'm NOT a CS major, so it would take me quite
some studying to master the data structure, algorithms, etc.
So here's the dilemma, do I invest the next 3-6 mo studying CS basics for a Google interview or I spend my time growing my career at my company?
Anyone in similar situation?

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TOP 19 Comments
  • Google
    Zaphod

    Go to company page Google

    Zaphod
    3-6 months won't matter for the long term. Do an ok job at your company and study for the job you want. Also, don't get fixated on Google. Google is great but there are other top tier companies that are great too.
    Jul 13, 2016 2
    • Some people would consider IBM a top-tier company.
      An offer from Google, for me, would be different; a validation. I wouldn't care as much about the money as I would just knowing that I got an offer from arguably the most in demand company.
      Jul 13, 2016
    • Google
      Zaphod

      Go to company page Google

      Zaphod
      I used to work at IBM and definitely don't think of it as top tier. I can understand why getting an offer from Google would make you proud, but remember that Google prefers false negatives to false positives and there is a degree of randomness in any company's hiring process so I'd consider an offer from FB, Uber, Netflix, or Amazon to be just as significant.
      Jul 13, 2016
  • Any old companies will shrink over time and this means uncertain job security. Further, by the time you get laid off, you wont have relevant skills to find a job and will have hard time at ramping up at the new job. Better to jump the ship to a growing and young company not just for short term money but for your future particularly for fast changing industry. For that matter, MSFT is not a safe place either. Therefore, I would study hard and try to love to other big names.
    Jul 13, 2016 0
  • Yahoo
    $e=mcc$

    Go to company page Yahoo

    $e=mcc$
    Invest in Google. Follow the herd.
    Jul 13, 2016 0
  • Apple
    ARkk56

    Go to company page Apple

    ARkk56
    What is ur comp at IBM?
    Jul 13, 2016 4
  • Apple
    ARkk56

    Go to company page Apple

    ARkk56
    Just curious op, what is ur major then? Hard to imagine self taught swe :) no offense
    Jul 14, 2016 3
    • Google
      Zaphod

      Go to company page Google

      Zaphod
      Why is self taught hard to imagine? A lot of the best SWEs I know either dropped out or never went to college.
      Jul 15, 2016
    • IBM
      CA

      Go to company page IBM

      CA
      OP
      I'm a EE. Google found me via the FooBar coding challenge last year. I had a phone then but did not do well. They called me last week offering a new chance.
      Jul 15, 2016