< 8 month noogler(?) on pip 🥺

Google
onlyleets

Go to company page Google

onlyleets
Feb 23 276 Comments

Hi,

Long story short, I am a self-taught Software Engineer. I got into Google purely through pounding leetcode to the point of getting good at coding competitions. While grinding leetcode for 4 years I worked at a few small < 8 people companies to “build my resume” but didn’t learn anything at all. When I cracked the interview here I got over-leveled due to my “spectacular” algorithm problem solving performance.

Once I started and shortly after onboarding, I was almost immediately put on a large high priority project with a tight deadline in which my mentor was leading. With my lack of domain knowledge and getting used to the processes, my performance quickly nose dived.

I asked my peers for help. One team mate initially helped me through a video pair-programming style. We did this ~20-minute style help for 3 days until I got wind from my mentor that that was not okay at my level. My manager then pulled me off the project and the team mate who helped me took over. Everyone on my team found out that did not have the domain skills required for that project nor what they expected of me given my interview results.

From that point on everything went downhill. My relationship with my mentor and my manager went south. My mentor became my quasi-boss and tasked me with bugs in which they along with my manger judged me in weekly 2:1s to document all failures, areas that need improvement, and zero praise for any wins.

Fast forward a few months of documentation from my manager, I am now presented the pip.

Looking at the pip and the skills I built here so far, it seems do-able with ~75% confidence.

If I sign the pip can I get fired, during it, even if showing progress? Can I get fired even if I finish it and document my manager giving positive feedback?

Severance option is 5 months base-salary no negotiations. If I fail the pip, very likely termination and no severance.

Google is my dream company and I put in the effort although that does not always translate to results immediately. First cycle was CME. I want to fight for my job.

Any tips/advice/comments welcomed, I have 3 days to decide 🥺.

Yes, even hating trolls. I’m a leetcoder, I choose my name KEKW


Edit: Thanks for all the responses. I’d like to say I am not trying to argue that I am performing at the expected level nor that I think the pip is unjust. I think I just want folks to talk to as I am processing everything (not just work). Money comes and goes but dream jobs may not. I’ll update Friday when I decide and if I fight, it will be an interesting few weeks and I’ll share the results either way 🤝.

#Google #SWE #L4 #pip #tech #perf #bayarea

1111 PARTICIPANTS SELECT ONLY ONE ANSWER
VOTE VIEW RESULT

comments

Want to comment? LOG IN or SIGN UP
TOP 276 Comments
  • Are you L4? What were their expectations from you?
    Feb 23 25
    • Meta
      not mark

      Go to company page Meta

      not mark
      The difference between the two interns I have had is one would be sent a nudge like a wiki, code pointer, workplace group to take a peak at and the other for any bump in the road wanted a 20 minute VC where I laid out in very concrete steps what to do how to do it and when to do it.

      And that's an intern so I am happy to provide them that level of support, at L4? I would not be sacrificing my.own timelines to basically be a second software engineer vicariously through them
      Feb 23
    • Google
      Ya1z3df

      Go to company page Google

      Ya1z3df
      " it was jotted down in the 2:1s every week "
      Now you're making me scared whenever my manager writes something down on his notepad...
      Feb 23
  • New / QA
    SW Tester

    New QA

    SW Tester
    That's why leetcode = BS lol
    Feb 23 4
    • Uber
      lyft ceo

      Go to company page Uber

      lyft ceo
      I have different opinion on this. leetcode is good for software engineer and it's great way to interview candidate.
      Why? it's nothing but complexity. As an engineer all you need to do is to handle complexity which might appear in many ways, but in the end is about complexity which leetcode captures it very well. OP's problem is not he is incompetent, but he can't transfer his intelligence to the actual work, which is a complicated task itself. OP should not doubt himself, instead focus on the solution confidently.
      All the people you are dealing with now are going to die like a fly, take it as an experiment rather humiliation. If it's experiment, it's nothing but failure and retry until perfection. That's all the fun about corporate work. Play it like a game, fuck everybody like nasty bit ches, then die in peace.
      Feb 24
    • Amazon
      ktt78

      Go to company page Amazon

      ktt78
      that's why people from no name school = dumbshit
      Feb 25
  • New
    Woulda

    New

    Woulda
    If you can hack your way into Google, you can fight that PIP. Stay at Google
    Feb 23 1
  • Red Hat
    mnnmnm

    Go to company page Red Hat

    mnnmnm
    i assume you’re L4? also what things were you tasked with that you coudnt do? is it like configuration files, docker stuff, etc? i assume it wasn’t involving the source code of a repo from the sound of it
    Feb 23 11
    • Airbnb
      OHNU77

      Go to company page Airbnb

      OHNU77
      "Don’t go quietly into the night."
      ^^^^
      Even if you take the severance, you can still escalate this in a clear and thoughtful document on your way out. Since it's your dream job it's probably worth it to fight the PIP and document, too.
      Feb 23
    • CAPS
      ragsToCash

      CAPS

      ragsToCash
      "I have trouble with design both at a high level project and down to code"

      Did Google not interview you or ask about design? Im confused on how you got pass the interview on this part
      Feb 24
  • I heard that google does pip and fire, now it's more clear. For all that who think google is safe boat , get prepared for it
    Feb 23 6