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
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comments
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
Now you're making me scared whenever my manager writes something down on his notepad...
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.
^^^^
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.
Did Google not interview you or ask about design? Im confused on how you got pass the interview on this part