Ads Quality

• Name: Aruna
• Title: Associate Manager
• Office: Hyderabad, India
• Office: Hyderabad, India
• Education: Masters in Business Management, Institute of Public Enterprise

Why did you decide to come to Google?

I was attracted to the opportunity of working with Search Quality. The complexities and problems that Google was trying to address were my areas of interest. The scale and reach of Search as a product was also very exciting. I was also impressed with the multi-talented people I came across during the hiring process which made me want to work with them. The work culture of an organization was one of the most important factors I considered before taking up a new job. I loved the people, place and Google!

Why do you like working at Google?

We have a wide variety of people across the globe. It's both personally and professionally satisfying to work with such a group. The freedom to work on things that you are passionate about is what I value here. Taking risks is something I've learned at Google and I've realized that some of the best ideas are born this way. I have learned many things in the past five years that I have been here which were beyond the scope of my job or product. I know that my opinions are heard and I can always express myself freely.

I also like the fact that my work on Search or Ads or Local Search makes a real impact on user experience. Above all, I've discovered a different meaning of Internet working at Google!

What is unique about your role?

As a part of Online Operations team, I have the opportunity to interact with various teams across the globe. I have worked with 3 products so far which in turn means working with 3 Engineering and Product Management teams. I found that there are a lot of opportunities for cross-team collaboration. This gives me and my team a chance to influence some of the product features and engineering applications to improve the overall product quality.

I was a part of a nascent team when I started at Google and recently I had an opportunity to start a new team supporting 2 products. The challenges associated with new teams are always exciting and always keep me motivated to push the process to the next level. In fact, after all these years, I still feel like I am working for a start-up because of the continuous innovation around existing products and new products.

What are your goals at Google – what are you working to achieve?

Recently I started working for the Ads Quality and Local Search Quality teams. Our aim is to maintain the quality of Google Ads and Local Search results. It's been a challenging but interesting experience to find automated solutions to handle our huge Ads and Local Search base globally.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

I've met professional snake catchers, wildlife photographers, musicians, former teachers, trained dancers, successful entrepreneurs, and bird watchers! I didn't know that you could meet them all under one roof until I joined Google!

Product Managers

• Name: Manik
• Title: Product Manager, Google Geo Products
• Office: Bangalore, India
• Hometown: Ludhiana, India
• Education: BASc in Computer Engineering, MBA in Finance and Marketing

Why did you decide to come to Google?

I came to Google for two main reasons. The first is I like to solve really big problems. Google gives me an opportunity to work on some of the biggest problems in the consumer Internet space. The second is I'm passionate about the Internet. I was an Internet entrepreneur, worked in a large tech company on their ecommerce systems, and wanted to work in a company that drives the agenda for the industry.

Why do you like working at Google?

The people here are extremely smart, and I learn something new everyday. It's also exhilarating to be solving really big problems. Finally, I like the trust the company places in employees and the independence we all enjoy.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

I worked on Google Maps for India, whose aim is to make maps in India that are as good as anywhere else in the world. I also worked on Google Map Maker, which allows users anywhere in the world to map their neighborhoods and build the most accurate and updated map ever possible.

What is unique about your role?

As a Product Manager, I have to focus on selling my ideas, which is really important as people at Google are very data driven and ask deep questions. I also need to be able to understand several verticals in the company, from Engineering to Legal to Marketing to Operations and Public Relations.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

Despite being really smart, people are very friendly, down to earth, and really motivated to fix problems our users face.

Sales

• Name: Juhi
• Title: Online Sales and Operations Manager
• Office: Gurgaon, India
• Hometown: Gurgaon, India
• Education: BA in History from Delhi University, MA in History from the University of Oxford; Leadership in a globalizing world from the London School of Economics

Why did you decide to come to Google?

As a journalist in my roles before Google, I understood the content side of the media industry really well – editorial direction, audience strategies, procuring content, etc. As a next step to career advancement, I wanted to understand the publishing side of the business – revenue strategies, customer acquisition, retention, and loyalty. Google was the next logical step because to my mind Google is a media company that rides on the back of super strong technology. I reasoned that the AdWords role at Google would give me the opportunity to learn all this and more.

Why do you like working at Google?

The best part about working at Google for me is that I get to work with really smart people. I love the fact that I'm forced to exercise my brain everyday to come up with better solutions because people question what I do. I love the fact that I feel challenged every single day.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

I have worked on several AdWords projects in my two and a half years at Google. Some interesting ones include transitioning global operations to a shared-services environment, standardizing global operations across Google support, recommending and implementing solutions to improve customer satisfaction globally, and executing on customer-retention programs.

What is unique about your role?

As a part of the AdWords global support team, I work in an environment that interacts with over 2 million Google advertisers globally! This is a business of scale, and the 3 things that guide my work are customer, product and scale.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?

Learning on the job! I have acquired a whole set of hard and soft skills by simply coming to office everyday and interacting with Googlers.

• Name: Naraen
• Title: Sales Manager, Google Business Solutions
• Office: Gurgaon, India
• Hometown: Salem, Tamil Nadu, India
• Education: B.com (Hons)

Why did you decide to come to Google?

Without doubt, Google is a dream company to work for. As a fresher, I had multiple offers from various companies but I chose Google because I truly believed that technology can change the world and I wanted to be a part of the revolution. What better place to do that than Google? I still remember the day when Google was going to visit my college campus. I was so excited about it that I missed an inter-college cricket match to attend the interviews. It was probably the best decision I ever made.

Why do you like working at Google?

I love being around passionate and smart Googlers. I learn something new everyday. I have seen myself grow from strength to strength in the past few years mainly because of the interactions I’ve had with my peers. Also, I love the culture and the perks! The work culture is just incomparable to any other company. It is flexible and not dictated from the top. The lava lamps, free gourmet food, and massages are all part of the Google culture to make our work environment fun and exciting.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

The coolest project I’ve worked on was selling advertising space on YouTube during the live webcast of IPL. This landmark deal turned out to be wildly popular and was the world’s first sporting event to be streamed live online. We were pleasantly surprised to see the enormous success of the event when the IPL channel became the most viewed sports channel on YouTube with almost 55 million views.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?

This is probably the toughest question to answer. The perks at Google are just never ending, from multi-cuisine food to Nexus One mobile phones, we have it all. However, my personal favourite is the fact that Google encourages professional growth and learning and development for all employees by offering ways to help you further your formal education. We have the opportunity to choose and study fully-paid part-time courses from multiple business schools and universities like INSEAD, IIM, etc.

What are your goals at Google – what are you working to achieve?

Even though there has been massive growth in Internet usage in our country, online advertising spend is still a very small percentage of the total Indian advertising industry. My goal is to make Indian companies understand the power of the Internet and how they can use it to drive business through their website much more effectively than traditional forms of advertising.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

Before I started my career, I heard many of my friends working in different companies grumble about Monday morning blues. Surprisingly, I look forward to Mondays ever since I started working at Google. :-)

• Name: Taru
• Title: Associate Manager, Automotive Online Sales
• Office: Gurgaon, India
• Hometown: Rohtak, Haryana, India
• Education: Bachelors in Hotel Management with Interior Decoration Specialization, MBA from Symbiosis

Why did you decide to come to Google?

The decision was super simple and I made it in no time! I have always loved Google products, and who wouldn't like to work for a company with such innovative and audience-friendly products?

Why do you like working at Google?

There are multiple reasons for me to come to work everyday with same enthusiasm and passion. First, the people I work with are top business school pedigree and I get to learn so much from this talent pool. Second, I love my role in Google and I am challenged to do different and high-impacting things in my role. Third, there is no comparison of the culture that exists in Google. I have worked for other companies but there is no company like this. No wonder we are rated the best company to work for in India!

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

Lots! My favorite project remains setting and scaling up the Gurgaon office. I joined the Gurgaon office as part of the landing team and my primary responsibility involved scaling up the office. I was interviewing candidates every day during that time and now I look around and feel I am responsible for hiring close to 50% of the existing population in this office.

Another exciting thing I worked on and am currently working on are internal awards and recognition projects. At Google, we give a lot of importance to rewarding the right behavior and meritocracy and therefore this project remains close to my heart.

What is unique about your role?

The most unique thing about my role is its sphere of influence! It's really exciting to see how my work impacts Google's bottom line, Google's customers, my team members, and even my peers sitting across geographies.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?

You name it and we have it! Gym, free food, international snack brands, massage coupons, the list goes on! However, the best perk to have in any company is to know that you are a part of this great group of people.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

To see pets in the US Google offices. I was amazed to see a Golden Retriever sitting on his owner's chair with a baseball cap and headsets on!

• Name: Varun
• Title: Account Manager
• Office: Gurgaon, India
• Hometown: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
• Education: BS in Mechanical Engineering from Kamla Nehru Institute of Technology, MBA in International Business from Indian Institute of Foreign Trade in New Delhi

Why did you decide to come to Google?

I always wanted to learn and know more about the fascinating world of online marketing. Google to me was the perfect gateway to this nascent and exciting world of opportunities. Google has clearly differentiated itself as a young, innovative, and fun loving organization that fosters creativity. I chose Google for these very reasons and besides all this you only work with the best of people.

Why do you like working at Google?

I strongly believe that as a Googler and an online marketer, I am shaping the contours of a new industry. As a Googler, I think of myself as an Internet evangelist who is helping advertisers realize meaningful value from their online investments. Besides, working at Google is fun! What I love about the work culture is that each employee is given his/her freedom to operate. There are no set rules, no hard processes, and no hierarchies. The organization believes in you and your capability and therefore you have the leeway to operate in your own comfort zone. Lastly, the quality of people that you work with is simply awesome. You get to learn and improve all the time.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

I have been fortunate enough to work on various exciting opportunities in the Direct Sales Organization. In 2009, I had the privilege of working with Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), the main opposition party in India. We launched the first ever online campaign for a political party in India which received accolades from all quarters besides generating a lot of PR for Google. I have also worked closely with one of the leading airlines in India helping them grow their business online. Of late, I have been working with the team on evangelising Youtube and Orkut to travel/e-commerce advertisers in India.

What is unique about your role?

It's a great mix of Sales, Marketing, and Relationship Management and therefore it gives me a well-rounded exposure to online marketing and business. Besides, you get to work on some cool products.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?

I am a great fan of the breakout areas in the office. One can always go and enjoy a quick game of Table Tennis or Pool and come back refreshed. Besides, the quality and spread of food available is simply unbelievable.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

The work culture is just awesome. Extremely flat and welcoming.

Software engineers

• Name: Aneesh
• Title: Software Engineer
• Office: Bangalore, India
• Hometown: Haridwar, India
• Education: Bachelors and Masters in CS

Why did you decide to come to Google?

I came to Google primarily because of the positive feedback about the projects and work culture from some of my friends working here. I also heard a great deal from media and marketing about the job experience and the brand value. On top of it, the perks are well known to everyone.

Why do you like working at Google?

The quality of people here is very good, both in terms of technical expertise and from the point of view of their involvement in products and taking initiative. The culture is also great, as everyone is encouraged to be a part of the whole process, right from coding to company-wide decisions. The amount of freedom is great with respect to choice of projects, working hours, etc. Due to vast amount of talent already present here, you cannot help but learn every single day.

What is unique about your role?

I am involved in the end-to-end development process. Not only do I write code, I am also involved in thinking of the user needs, designing the product, selling my ideas to Product Managers and other managers, and actually talking to users and understanding their pain and requirements and acting accordingly.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

I've been especially surprised at the transparency at all levels, and how management seeks involvement of all employees in a lot of decisions.

• Name: Gupta
• Title: Software Engineer
• Office: Bangalore, India
• Hometown: New Delhi, India
• Education: BTech and MTech in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi

Why did you decide to come to Google?

After my graduation, I wanted to see what was the best the technical world could offer me so I decided to give Google a try. The best has just been getting better ever since.

Why do you like working at Google?

The best aspect is the work itself. Everyday I work on products that millions of people use and on technologies that are bleeding edge. Also, unlike other companies, Google involves me right from the very early stages of the project which helps me make and take part in important design and planning decisions. The cool perks like free office transport and free food make sure that I can fully focus on my work while at office. Google also encourages me to go to other office locations to better collaborate on complex projects. This also helps in getting to know my teammates better.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

Initially I worked on some SMS-related products. Then I have worked on Orkut for some time and for nearly 2 years now I have been workin on mobile offerings for different Google products.

What is unique about your role?

Working on mobile products gives me a nice opportunity to work with a great mix of advanced Google technologies and external platforms to work on.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?

My favorite benefit is definitely the very healthy, nutritious, and tasty food that we get everyday in the office. Google makes sure that I never have to worry about my meals even if I stay late after hours. The evening snacks are just a delight.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

The biggest surprise for me is the sheer number of pranks that get played. This is just a small part of overall Googliness I feel around me everyday. In the first few days I was tricked into believing that one of my colleagues was a dietician for the office. The sessions that followed are too embarrassing to disclose here.

• Name: Sriram
• Title: Software Engineer
• Office: Hyderabad, India
• Hometown: Chennai, India
• Education: M.Tech in Computer Science from the Indian Statistical Institute

Why did you decide to come to Google?

Information is key to everyone. More and more of our day-to-day activities are made better by Google. In 2007, search, email, and maps were the major Google products that I used. The immense opportunities and market potential that innovative Google products could have in an enterprise led me to Google.

Why do you like working at Google?

At Google, each engineer is given his or her due respect. Management empowers engineers to be innovative and creative, leading to decisions that wouldn't be possible in other organizations.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

I have worked on the Google Search Appliance unification feature, where we could get multiple Google Search Appliances to work in unison. The Search Appliance engineering team at Hyderabad pretty much took a concept to production, solving complex platform, security, and performance problems. This had a significant impact in the overall Search Appliance business.

What is unique about your role?

The role is much beyond engineering. With an emphasis on innovation and creativity, we have to constantly engage with stakeholders to identify potential problems and target and solve them in a prioritized manner, thereby having a significant impact in the product.

What has been the most amazing experience or day you've had at Google thus far?

Every day brings in good experiences. You have to see tomorrow to decide if today was the best.

What are your goals at Google – what are you working to achieve?

Solve both simple and complex problems that have significant impact on the society. We actively engage with the problem domain and identify areas that can have significant impact and work towards addressing them.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

It's not a surprise that you work with the smartest minds. The surprise is that Google addresses every problem or issue at a scale not imagined in other organizations. Engineering productivity, education, collaboration, and development processes are all tailored to scale across Engineering.

Software engineers in test

• Name: Antara
• Title: Software Engineer in Test
• Office: Hyderabad, India
• Hometown: Bangalore, India
• Education: BE in Telecommunication Engineering from R.V College of Engineering in Bangalore

Why did you decide to come to Google?

I was attracted by Google's reputation of having a fun and open work culture and I saw a lot of potential for my career growth in the Engineering organization. It was an easy decision!

Why do you like working at Google?

The opportunities! Google has a plethora of opportunities just waiting to be tapped into. You recognize a problem, work your way through it, and get it solved. In the process, you get to work with smart people, get exposed to google's technology, and get great insights into Google's business. All in all, it's an environment where I can take risks, be transparent, and enrich my experience.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

In the years I've been here, I have got a lot of exposure to various Google Apps and Enterprise projects. I have enjoyed being the Test Lead for Google Calendar and I'm looking forward to our engagements with testing our Enterprise stack.

What is unique about your role?

As an Engineer looking at a product from a testing standpoint, I get to learn a lot about why a certain product (or feature) is built, how it's designed, and then derive what challenges it needs to be tested for. My role allows me to influence not just the product being built but the development process as a whole. I also get to interact with a lot of people since it's important for me to have a good pulse of the product.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

There IS such a thing as a free lunch!!! :-)

• Name: Rachit
• Title: Software Engineer in Test
• Office: Hyderabad, India
• Hometown: New Delhi, India
• Education: B.Tech in Computer Science from the National Institute of Technology in Kurukshetra

Why did you decide to come to Google?

As a new grad, I was looking forward to working in a company where I could lay a solid foundation for my career. Google was famous for building cutting-edge products which changed the lives of users. When started as an intern, I was astounded by this amazing work environment of taking on challenges while having fun. I had the freedom to experiment and learn from the results which was like a continuation from student life and made the transition very smooth. The unique culture, appreciation for ideas, and great peers made Google my obvious choice.

Why do you like working at Google?

The Googlers. I think this place is so amazing because of the people you get to work with. Some of the most well-known people in the industry who have made big contributions to the world of technology work here. It is not only my job which provides me challenges and opportunities to learn but it is also the great peers I learn from. I get to interact with role models like Peter Norvig and Craig Silverstein which makes my experience so valuable. I also always feel that I have an opportunity to make a big impact. I feel empowered to work on my ideas with freedom and passion. Google's culture is so unique and what it's really what makes it such an awesome place to work.

What cool projects have you worked on at Google?

I started my Google career working on Google Search Appliance which is a Google-in-a-box solution for intranet search. As part of the team, I built automation frameworks to test scalability and performance of the product. I got to be the part of introductory product launches of GB 7007 and GB 9009s and the final release for GSA Clusters. Presently I am working with the Gmail Test Engineering team focused on building automation to ensure good performance and user experience. I am also engaged with building tools to test the distributed backend for Gmail. For me the coolest part working on these projects has been the opportunity to impact millions of users by making these products faster.

What is unique about your role?

This role is very different in Google compared to other companies, especially in India. Google's products are used by millions of users and have a complex distributed system design. Therefore the automation to verify its quality need to work at scale and have to be fast. This provides a great technical challenge to the role. Products follow a launch and iterate model at Google which always needs us to be smart, innovative, and deviate from standard approaches to keep up with the pace. Thoughts have to evolve and adapt according to the stage of the product. This makes the whole experience much more rewarding and exciting.

What is your favorite perk/benefit about working at Google?

In the last 4 years, I have thoroughly enjoyed the team offsites. We have been to Thailand, Malaysia, and in 2010 the whole team went to Maldives for our offsite. I also got an opportunity to go to a Las Vegas offsite while I was visiting the United States. All of these were lot of fun. My favorite part of all of them was a hilarious skit which was done by a bunch of Nooglers in our Thailand offsite.

What are your goals at Google – what are you working to achieve?

From a technical skill standpoint, I want to go to the depths of performance testing and gain expertise in the techniques and methods in the area. With the diversity of products we have, I feel I have a great opportunity to fulfill this ambition in Google. I also want to use this chance to learn about the process of the development, launch, and improvement of paradigm-shifting products of Google.

What's been the biggest surprise about working at Google?

Definitely the Googlers and the Google Culture. After almost 4 years at Google, I sometimes still wonder how these two aspects make Google the great place it is. Once I was told by my mentor to go through the profiles of some Googlers and try and come up with a role model for myself. I studied a few profiles and the result was that I got a bunch of people who I want to be like. The Googlers are as inspiring peers as I can imagine to get in my career.