Pros
The best aspect of working at Google was the relaxed environment. Google goes above and beyond to make sure its employees are happy and comfortable. The cafes are comparable to five star restaurants because the food is amazing. In general, Googlers are very bright and interesting. There area lot of quirky, nerdy types there but they can still hold a conversation. To sum it up, Google is like a playground for adults.
Cons
There is a class system at Google, which is probably the biggest determinant of peoples' experience at the company. Every employee wears a colored badge to indicate the class they’re in. The top class are the Googlers, the second are the interns, and then you have the temps, vendors, and contracts, which they call TVCs. The TVC group is the one you don’t want to be in. I must say that my time as a temp at Google was the most demoralizing experience of my life. I have never felt so mistreated and belittled at any other company. Google treats TVCs as disposable slaves who are just their to do their grunt work. My coworkers constantly reminded me that I was just a temp and not a ‘real Googler.’ They had an air of superiority and would give me heaps of work with deadlines that only a robot could meet. TVCs don’t get any of the much talked about perks and benefits, can’t attend any company events, and don’t even get access to many company tools that are useful for their work. There was so much disorganization and lack of communication that I didn't know what was going on half the time. I was so frustrated everyday. If you’re thinking of contracting as a means to get a full-time job, don’t even bother. The conversion rate from contractor to full-time is a measly 5%. If you just want to get the Google name on your resume, then be prepared to put up with a lot of crap. I had been so excited about the opportunity to work at Google, lured by the cache of the Google brand. I didn’t even mind doing some grunt work if it meant I could work at such an esteemed company. However, after the euphoria of being at Google wore off, I realized that I hated my job and wasn’t learning a single thing. The job description did not match the duties I performed. Everyday was the same mindless clerical work that had absolutely nothing to do with my intended career path. I worked so hard to meet their expectations, but they were quick to criticize every little thing. Ultimately, I decided that being at a big name company wasn’t worth it if I was miserable there. Less than two months after starting, I left Google with my self-esteem in shambles. I wouldn’t recommend contracting at Google unless you have absolutely no other options. Try to get a full-time position if you would like to be treated like a human being.