... and rather than beginning to grate, the "Googleness" of it all is actually surprisingly pleasant. Yes, the colour-scheme can feel a little on the garish side from time to time and takes a little getting used to, and yes, the shoe-horning of bits of the word "Google" into everything ("Noogler", "Goobuntu" etc) is possibly a little more cringe-worthy than comic; but there's something quite reassuringly straight-forward and genuine about the place, and I think it all derives from the same thing: an almost childish sense of exuberance and enthusiasm, which is very hard not to get swept up in.
I mean, sure, they have their share of cynics, but it's different somehow - they're busy, constructive cynics. I haven't spotted a single Dilbert stereotype yet, not one. And I'm not trying to imply it's some sort of corporate ant-farm where everyone's the same - far from it. Everyone brings different attitudes and approaches to the job, and here they're actively encouraged to stand out and speak up. And they do.
Now I've got a desktop PC and have got most of the administrative trivia out of the way, I've been spending most of my time going through the countless "If you're new here, accustom yourself with x, y and z." tasks. I'm currently working my way through the introduction to Perforce, amongst other things.
I'm told that my first week hasn't been a typical one - what with one thing and another (especially the snow!) it's all been a bit backwards: today I had my introductory meeting with HR, and tomorrow I meet my manager. Just like any large company Google run big corporate induction sessions too: in a few weeks I'm off to Mountain View in California to attend a fortnight of "Noogler training"... and whilst the phrase still makes me wince I'm really looking forward to it!
The perks of the job are definitely not to be underestimated, I must say - not that this is exactly controversial, but having been sitting staring at a computer for hours, a nice massage really is just what you need: it really makes the whole day more pleasant. And I had a kangaroo steak for dinner this evening!
Tomorrow will be my first experience of TGIF - their weekly corporate 'break out the beer and pizza' feel-good sessions. And again, I'm quite looking forward to it. :)
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Pizza? Beer? MASSAGES? Let me get this straight - THEY pay YOU for this?
ReplyDeleteGlad it's panning out well, sounds like a great place. FYI the office really is feeling quite empty. Somebody needed a left handed desk recently so the porters came and took yours away - now there's just a big empty space! Despite the fact that the snow had melted and we'd been snow free since weds it has been snowing here for the last couple of hours and is now starting to settle again....