Copy

There are some moments in life that you'll never forget, and for me one of those moments was learning that I landed a job at Google.

That morning is still crystal clear in my memory: I had an early call with the recruiter scheduled -but because the interview process was so long, I really thought it was going to be a status update ... not, you know, news. I took an early morning Soulcycle class to shake off the nerves and was walking around the Seaport waiting for his call, and when my phone rang, I picked up and the first thing I hear is: “Do you have a pen ready? You’re going to want to write down your offer details.” I put the phone on mute and screamed. Literally, I think I scared some runners. It was one of the best moments of my life. 

As I was interviewing, I thought the reality of me actually getting the job was such a long shot that it actually kind of took the pressure off and allowed me to just be myself, which probably helped me in the long-run. I’m not kidding: it was a 5 round process and I took my first interview from Rockaway Beach and my last from a public library in Nashville while I was on vacation with some girlfriends (hi Kelly and Bree!). 

The further I got into the process, the more I fell in love with the team I was interviewing with, and hearing the news felt like winning the lottery. 

My friends, it’s *crazy* to reflect on the past three years. I’m someone who’s quick to say “that feel’s like yesterday!” when certain milestones approach, but trust me when I tell you that September 17th, 2018 feels like a lifetime ago. I have grown, shifted, learned, evolved, in more ways than I can count, so today I thought it’d be fun to share a few reflections on things I’ve learned during my time at Google so far. 

I hope you enjoy <3 

Be a self starter 
The accomplishments I’m the most proud of over the past three years were projects that I ran with completely on my own volition, or in partnership with someone who was just excited to try something new as I was. 

There’s no one telling you “hey, go do XYZ thing!” (aside from the core responsibilities of your role)—instead, you’re very much encouraged to identify opportunities to do things differently and honestly, just try. At first this took some getting used to, but I’ve built so much confidence by following my inclinations, pressure testing ideas ranging from how to better engage with clients to how to bring inclusion to the forefront of our work, and seeing where they lead. 

Not everything is a success, but that’s ok. Flexing this self-starter muscle has benefited me in so many other areas of my life beyond work, and I’m really grateful for that. 

Be visible, and advocate for yourself 
Ok, THIS!!! Learning how to showcase my work and advocate for myself has been a huge theme over the past few years. At Google your manager isn’t really seeing the work you’re doing day-to-day, so you have to get really comfortable talking about the impact you’re making, asking for help, and sharing your success stories with your team. It’s been really valuable to figure out what it means to do this in a way that feels authentic, and I think this is a skill EVERYONE should practice!!! ESPECIALLY US LADIES! 

Ask for what you want 
In the line of advocating for yourself, I’ve also made it a point to ask for what I want. This has been a huge exercise in getting out of my comfort zone and speaking up for myself—and in doing this, I’ve been able to attend Grace Hopper (a women in tech conference that at one point felt very out of reach), take on a rotation, identify opportunities for change, and so much more. Sometimes the answer is no, but again the exercise of asking - and maybe more importantly, articulating why I’m asking for that thing, has served me well. 

Thinking user first does not just apply to product-facing roles 
Google has “three respects”: respect the user, respect the opportunity, and respect each other. I love all of these so incredibly much, especially putting the user first. You might think that something like this only applies to people in roles like UX or product design, but I treat my clients like users too—asking myself “how does this project bring value to them, or make their day better, or influence change” makes the work feel a lot more meaningful. I think anyone can adopt this mentality regardless if you work in a corporate environment in a coffee shop by just asking yourself how you can make an impact on the people you’re serving. 

Be Googley 
And lastly,I’ve learned what it means to be Googley. It’s a term that might seem silly, but at it’s core it’s all about being a good person and showing up. All of us are presented with paths that seem easier but require shortcuts, and this philosophy encourages doing the right thing, even when it’s hard. It complements one of my favorite sayings: “be the sun, not the wind”, and I try to adopt it in my personal life, too. 

Sometimes, I feel conflicted about working at Google. You know, The Social Dilemma, the simple fact of working for one of “The Big 4” - but today, I feel proud. Getting there was such a huge milestone in my life, and I can say I’m blown away by the growth I’ve been able to experience there. 

So anyway, cheers to working hard and showing up even when things are tough. Because that’s what #brightsiding is all about, isn’t it? 

Love, 
Bogs 

I had fun digging through some old pictures for these :)

Clockwise from top left: Me at Grace Hopper in 2019, Google's Proudest Mom, The GALS at Google for a pre-pandemic dinner, and my favorite: Sam on one of the Google scooters. 

Idk guys, I feel like if there's any day to treat myself ... it might be today. If you disagree, feel free to talk me out of these groovy clogs

     

Instagram
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can
update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.