The Pixels, the Process, and the People. From Excited to Overwhelmed (and Back Again) ~ My First Week at Google

I was excited, of course – it was the dream job, after all! I'd worked hard to get here, and I was eager to jump in and start contributing. But I quickly realized that going from college projects and smaller companies to a place like this was way more challenging than I'd expected. Instead of feeling productive right away, I felt like I was "drinking from a firehose" – a phrase my manager used a lot early on, and it totally captured how I felt.

It wasn't just how much information there was; it was what kind of information. I figured I'd be in hardcore technical discussions all the time – algorithms, architecture, the latest coding tricks. And yeah, those happened, especially in code reviews. But what really surprised me was how much we talked about other stuff: user experience, making the code clean and easy to maintain, how to work together as a team, and even just talking to each other clearly.

It hit me pretty fast that my technical skills, while important, were only part of the picture. Suddenly, even a small project felt like a huge deal. The number of things to keep track of, the focus on quality, safety, and making sure everything is reliable, and constantly working with different teams meant I had to totally rethink how I approach development. It was a lot to take in, for sure.

One of the best things that's helped me through all this has been the focus on mentorship here at Google. From day one, they encouraged me to find mentors – not just one, but a few – who could give me advice, answer my million questions, and help me figure out how things work here. This mentorship culture has been amazing. My mentors have helped me figure out what's important to work on first, understand the background behind different projects, and even given me tips on how to talk to different teams. They've also been great to talk to when I'm feeling stressed or frustrated – a safe place to admit I'm struggling without feeling like I'm being judged. Honestly, I don't know where I'd be without them.

So, where am I now? Well, I'm still learning, every single day. I'm realizing that what I'm going through isn't unusual; it's just part of being a new grad at a big tech company. And while it can be a lot sometimes, I'm learning to deal with all the complexity, to ask questions, to get feedback, and to be patient with myself. I'm also starting to see how important those "soft skills" really are – communication, teamwork, and being able to think critically – things that I maybe didn't focus on as much before.

I'm not exactly conquering the tech world yet, but I'm making progress, and a lot of that is thanks to the great people I'm working with. I'm excited to see what's next, and I'm determined to keep learning, keep growing, and keep making myself useful to my team. I'm starting to see that these challenges aren't roadblocks; they're opportunities for growth. And honestly, I'm looking forward to what's next.