Is it a mistake to go for an L6 at Google?
I have 12 yoe across Walmart and Apple I was a pure IC for 6 of those years and lead teams for another 6. My largest team was 13 people. I worked directly with executives and was solely responsible for million+ dollar impacting projects large scale distributed systems from inception to launch. My Google recruiter steered me towards a L5 position. After reading the posted requirements for L6 and seeing 8yoe, I got pissed. The recruiter said I was likely to get the L5, but if I insisted I could go through the L6 interview. One reason I am looking to leave my current company is that i was told it was a senior position (and paid like one) but was actually leveled with recent college grads and under people with half my experience. I don't want that to happen again. #google
Go for L6
tc or
Friends of mine at Walmart offered me "more than 450k" to come back. I'm working on competing offers. ( I don't want to pull a favor from a friend just to get an offer I know I don't want.) My current company is hard to evaluate because the stock isn't publicly traded. I have a lot of it though.
I once saw a technical director from a large company come in as L6. If you think you will get L6 with just 12 yoe, you are kidding yourself. And you will indeed see L6 people with 12 yoe, the ones who joined G a long time ago and rised through the ranks. But you can certainly get the same salary as those L6s. Because G might give you a salary that is one level up, but it is cautious with the leveling.
I'm fine with being leveled under brilliant people with less experience and I have an plenty of directors step down to IC roles that compare to an L6. I have never worked at Google. I don't know what it's like. I can't kid myself if I don't know what reality is. It's why I'm asking here. I guess maybe I'm asking if the mythos around the Staff position real? Everywhere has the *same* mythos about any of their positions that requires more than 5 yoe. Nowhere else is it real. Everywhere has a few brilliant people at a good level and then some ok people who got one good project and got promoted. Then most of these mystical positions are filled with people who were friendly with the right people and were close enough to some big dollar project once to whine their way into a promotion or two. Is it really as real as people act like it is at Google?
Google has quadrupled in the past 10 years, and it keeps growing. So I am not sure how the promo bar has evolved and would keep evolving. All I would say is that G is very cautious about levels. But it should be able to provide a good salary hike to you.
That experience definitely sounds like L6 work
Thank you. I really appreciate that :)
It's never a mistake to right-level. Companies that look to down-level you not because of the role and responsibilities, but because of your previous compensation, get away with it because too many people give in. "We have VPs and Directors from other companies working as line managers!" That's not a good thing at all - for the employer or the employee. Kudos for not falling into that trap!
I know someone who has 11 years exp and all at Google and is now at L7. So it might also be about how much you spent in Google vs out.
@op in a similar boat. are you planning to do virtual onsite, if so, can you share doing it virtual instead of waiting? Wouldn't virtual and overall offer rate be harder these days?
Why would it be a mistake to pursue a higher level if you can? Seems like you’re not being considered for the higher level. Is that right?
The recruiter said I was likely to get the L5, but if I insisted I could go through the L6 interview. Edit; I updated my post to clarify that.
Oh, yeah definitely pursue that. Although 12 YOE outside of G usually get L5 offers