Google, Inc.

Engineering Practicum Intern

May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA

What I liked

The work itself was enjoyable and challenging. My coworkers were welcoming and helpful throughout my internship. And of course, the Google campus is amazing with all the food, gyms, and other perks.

What I wish was different

I wish I had lived closer to Mountain View rather than staying in Berkeley. The commute was long, even though the Google buses provided very comfortable transportation.

Advice

Enjoy the experience and soak up as much information as you can.

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Los Angeles, CA

What I liked

There are tons of resources at Google, both technical and personal. The vast codebase, internal online search engine, and extensive documentation allows you to find answers to any questions you might have. And the perks such as food, gym, speakers and tech talks, etc. make it a great working environment.

What I wish was different

Google is a big place and easy to get lost in the cracks, so it is really up to you to advocate for yourself. Which can be difficult at times.

Advice

It's so important to ask questions and ask for help! At times you want to figure out something yourself or think you should know the answer to something, but after a genuine attempt its better to just ask.

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • San Bruno, CA

What I liked

It's a huge company, and of course has the resources of a huge company! Beyond the internal development tools (which were a dream --> there are so many tools to help you get your work done better and faster), there were always classes I could attend to learn extra skills, and the ERGs (basically, clubs for employees) were an awesome way to get to know people beyond my team and connect with people with similar interests. Also, I'm a big fan of SF.

What I wish was different

There aren't as many organized intern events as you might get at a smaller company. Mainly, we were left on our own devices to plan things among ourselves.

Advice

This holds for any software engineering internship, but I found it most helpful to remember that it's okay and encouraged to ask lots of questions - but do your due diligence first! Your manager wants to help you, and being stuck on the same problem all day doesn't get anything productive done. But you also want to show that you've put some effort into trying to debug on your own before running to your manager for help. To strike the right balance, before asking a question I would document what I had attempted so far, and lay out plans for what I might next try, and then ask my manager for his input.

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Engineering Practicum Intern

May - August 2018 • Sunnyvale, CA

What I liked

There were a lot of resources and chances to grow

What I wish was different

Advice

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BOLD Intern

June - August 2019 • Austin, TX

What I liked

Great people, great benefits, open work culture, freedom and resources to get work done

What I wish was different

More formal feedback given

Advice

Be extra proactive with getting feedback, not just your manager, but everyone you work with throughout the summer

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA

What I liked

My team was great, and very supportive. I learned a ton! Also the food was good.

What I wish was different

I really didn’t want to leave.

Advice

Find housing early! Most people I talked to had a horror story around finding adequate housing. I personally ended up Airbnb hopping for the first month or so.

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KSS Global Account Specialist

August 2019 • Tempe, AZ

What I liked

Easy, relaxing, great benefits

What I wish was different

hiring process would be a lot easier

Advice

1 page resume

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Engineering Practicum Intern

May - August 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

I had a great mentor, and got to work on some really interesting problems! I was working on engineering productivity (internal tools), which gave me a lot more flexibility on how I chose to design and implement my project.

What I wish was different

Advice

I highly recommend setting up lunches with as many other Googlers as possible - there are a lot of really different and unique projects, and a different team might be a completely different experience!

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Software Engineering Intern

June - August 2018 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

The work was challenging and I was given a lot to do.

What I wish was different

The scope of my project was probably a bit too large in fact, so I often worked pretty long hours.

Advice

Don't be afraid to reach out for help!

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Associate product manager intern

May - August 2018 • Mountain View, CA

What I liked

I really enjoyed the team that I was working on and there were a lot of other great interns that I met.

What I wish was different

My manager didn’t provide a lot of direction for me in the first couple weeks so I felt a bit lost in the beginning.

Advice

If you’re a computer science major and want to try a different experience from software engineering, product management is a great route!

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2019 • Mountain View, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Don't be afraid of learning new things and challenging yourself.

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Engineering Practicum Intern

May - August 2018 • Pittsburgh, PA

What I liked

Learned a lot and worked with a bunch of PhDs. My project had a lot of impact for the team I was working on as well.

What I wish was different

Advice

Go to all the intern events!

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software engineering intern

June - September 2018 • Mountain View, CA

What I liked

Awesome, Free food, great people. Google cares

What I wish was different

Zero disadvantages

Advice

Use all the resources!

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Software Engineering Intern

June - July 2018 • Mountain View, CA

What I liked

Real projects and responsibilities. Working with very experienced people. Learned a ton with access to many many resources.

What I wish was different

Better ability to connect with other interns and students from my university.

Advice

Never be afraid to ask questions.

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Software Engineering Intern

June - September 2018 • New York City, NY

What I liked

The culture, resources, people, and project were all fantastic. I had the opportunity to meet and learn from so many incredible people and technologies, while working on a complex, impactful project. I grew so much!

What I wish was different

I wish I had more opportunities to speak with other teams and understand the inner-workings of more niche products.

Advice

Be proactive! Google has so many wonderful resources, and your experience will be enhanced dramatically by your own initiatives to reach out to other Googlers, take part in volunteering & other programs, and be more involved with whatever you're interested in.

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Software Engineering Intern

May - August 2018 • Cambridge, MA

What I liked

people were great

What I wish was different

project was okay

Advice

make sure you get a feel for how well the project is scoped during project matching

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Engineering Practicum Intern

May - August 2018 • San Francisco, CA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

Never stop asking questions and talk to as many different people as possible! The more people you talk to, the better your network is the more opportunities you’ll have in the future.

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