Software Engineer 2(L4) at Google

Introduction

So are you thinking of landing to your dream job as a Software Engineer at

oogle? You are at the right place :)

Well, here we will provide you with a complete roadmap of your dream job.

In this article, we will be going to discuss the different levels of SE in Google, the process to become a Software Engineer at Google, what are the skill sets required, roadmaps and important links that you can also refer to.

About Google

Google is a multinational firm based in the United States that focuses on Search Engines, Cloud Computing, and Artificial Intelligence. It began as an internet search company and has since expanded to include more than 50 Internet services. Google not only provides the greatest services, but it also encourages and maintains a healthy work atmosphere by motivating and retaining its employees. 

Can’t wait to be a Googler? Don't worry, Coding Ninja is here to assist you at every step of your dream.

The best way for a person to apply for a job at Google is directly through the Google website. It's simple: select your preferred field, enter your location, and then select the skills and experience that are relevant to the job you're searching for. All you have to do is to apply, and Google will sort jobs based on your choices.

It seems you are one step closer to your dream job. Now it's high time to plan and achieve it. Let’s do it. 😎  

Levels of Job in Google 

Like every other industry, tech has a precise job levelling system that defines the scope of tasks for each job level as well as the salary range to which it is assigned. A software engineer's duties, autonomy, accountability, pay grade, and independence typically increase as his or her level rises.

Levels are identified by the letter L followed by a number that denotes the role's seniority (from lowest to highest). The majority of Google's sourcing and hiring is done on a level 6 basis (or L6).A fresh graduate with a BS/MS but no prior experience is hired at the L3 SE role. It can take up to two years for someone to be promoted to L4. At Google, Level 4 software engineers must have a minimum of 2 to 4 years of experience or a Ph.D.

About the Job👩🏻‍💻

Google's software engineers create next-generation solutions that transform the way billions of people connect, discover, and interact with information and each other.  They create products that must be able to handle large amounts of data and go beyond web search. So they need engineers with new ideas in a variety of fields, including information retrieval, distributed computing, large-scale system design, networking and data storage, security, artificial intelligence, natural language processing, user interface design, and mobile; the list goes on and on. 

This is a challenging level to reach because an individual must have experience managing several innovative projects. This role is handled by someone with more than ten years of experience. The main job is to look for errors and solutions to improve a system.

To solve an issue, multiple teams collaborate under the direction of the primary software engineer. A principal software engineer at level 4 earns about $148,633 per year.

They are, however, allocated an entry-level position because they have 0 to 1 year of industry experience. There are total 5 rounds where each round is of 45 min the :

• Round 0 : Telephonic(Qualification, DS ALGO)
• Round 1-4 : On-site(DS ALGO/ Problem Solving)
• Round 5 : Googliness
• Fitment Call
• Google Hiring Committee Approval

Responsibilities of Software Engineer 2(L4) 

The main responsibilities of this position is to

• Design, develop, test, deploy, maintain, and improve the software.
   
• Manage project priorities, deadlines, and deliverables on a per-project basis.
   
• Software Engineer II is also responsible for the design and development of software applications. 
   
• Throughout the application development process, the L4 SE performs coding, debugging, testing, and troubleshooting.
   
•  A bachelor's degree is required to work as a Software Engineer II. Usually reports to a supervisor.

Skill set 👩‍🎓, the Salary💸💸 and the Benefits😎

The skills required for L4 SE are excellent coding skills and  problem-solving skills in an object-oriented language. Also excellent verbal and written communication skills are much needed.

The  qualifications required to get placed in Google as a level 4 Software Engineer are as follows

• M. Tech. (CS) from tier 1 institute.
   
• More than four years of experience in software development, or Prior Experience as Amazon SDE II role.
   
• Understanding Algorithms, Data Structures, Object-Oriented Programming, and Databases.
   
• Java, C/C++, C#, Objective C, Python, JavaScript, or Go knowledge.
   
• Web/mobile application development, Unix/Linux environments, distributed/parallel systems, information retrieval, networking, or systems/security software development are all desirable qualifications.
   
• Knowledge about how to develop accessible technology.
   
• Interest and ability for learning additional coding languages as needed.
   
• Ability to grab new programming languages as needed.
   
• Ability to think big about problem statements, recommend alternative technical approaches and build optimal solutions.

The salary for the Level 4 software engineer role as per 2022 at Google for a fresher(Year of experience:0) can be broken down into the following components:

Google Offer (L4 - Application Engineer): 53.12 + one time 6.5L bonus

Base Salary: 28L

Bonus Salary: 4.2L

Stock Grant 1: 9.85L ($54K vested 4 years)

Stock Grant 2: 11.03L ($30K vested 2 years)

Joining Bonus: 6.5L

Current TC: 38L (27/3, rest stock)

( The figures presented above are subject to change by Google )

Some of the benefits and perks provided by the Google are given below 

• Health & Wellness, Insurance
   
• Insurance for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D)
   
• Personal injury coverage with a lump sum payment of up to three times your annual salary, up to a maximum of $2,500,000.
   
• Free food , Bikes on Campus, Company shuttle, Gyms on-site, and many more.
   
• Google estimates that 60% of its employees will be on-site for a few days per week, with 20% working from new office locations and 20% working from home. 4 weeks every year of work-from-anywhere. Google also has positions available where you may work fully from home.
   
• Google will match 100% of your student loan contributions up to a $2,500 annual maximum, with those contributions applied to your student loan debt.
  Check out this article Amazon Hirepro here.

Roadmap for Software Engineer 2(L4) Role at Google 📈🎯

We know that to be prepared is half Victory and if you really want to be successful a proper planning or a roadmap is a must. So in this section, we will cover everything you would probably need to know to land the SE L4 job role. So, hang tight till the end of this article.

Build Strong Foundation

• Start by developing a strong foundation. This is the most vital and crucial step since it has the potential to affect the entire direction of your preparation.
   
• You should also practice Competitive Programming coding languages like C++, Java or Python. frequently to improve your ability to solve difficulties quickly and efficiently. In this context, coding bootcamps and contests can be beneficial.
   
• Also visit the following you tube link for more information-

• "Python where we can, C++ where we must" is Google's hard philosophy. Furthermore, Go and Java are two prominent server-side languages at Google.
   
• Expertise in a variety of popular programming languages, frameworks, tools, and database systems and also data structures and algorithms concepts can help you land a high-paying position and promotion with a top tech firm.
   
• Investigate the technologies that your chosen organization uses, as well as their current initiatives and upcoming difficulties.
   
• It's beneficial to get knowledge about frameworks like as ReactJS, AngularJS, NodeJS, Django, Flask, and others, as well as database technologies like MySQL, Cassandra, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, and Redis.
   
• Arrays, Linked Lists, Stacks, Queues, HashMaps, Trees, Graphs and Heaps are some important topics you need to cover.
   
• Prepare for Computer Science topics such as OS, Computer Networks, and DBMS  by understanding the concepts intuitively rather than memorising the words. 
   
• From the perspective of the interview, OOPS is the vital topic one should know. Learn to code in any language you want using the OOPS paradigm, including Abstraction, Encapsulation, Inheritance, and Polymorphism.

For more information you can also visit this link or the  coding ninja library.

Practice for Interviews (~Last 6 Months)

 Are you still undecided on where to begin your preparation? Don't worry, we're here to assist you! So as of now it's time to practice for the interviews as you've already finished with the fundamentals of coding and have a firm handle on the topics. You should be prepared for a wide range of interview questions, from technical questions about system design, architecture, and data structures to situational and hypothetical scenario-based queries.

Interviews, like coding tests, require practice in order to ace them smoothly and do your best.

• You should Focus on solving Data Structure and Algorithms Problems.
   
• Make sure you cover 100 % of all the topics. 
   
• Learn and practice effective coding methods on a regular basis. You can go through design principles like DRY (Don't Repeat Yourself), naming conventions for functions and variables, etc. You can practice for the test by clicking here.

Get Ready to Nail the Google Interview(~Last 2 months) 🧑‍🎓🧑‍🎓

We hope that this article has given you enough information on Google's software engineering job levels to help you focus your interview preparation.

So now you feel that Time flies really quickly, especially when you are determined to achieve something. Don’t you think so? So let’s see what to do in the last 2 months to prepare for the interview.

• Firstly you need to gain confidence in all data structures and algorithms topics.
   
• Also work on the concepts that you find difficult and revise them.
   
• Within a tight schedule, practice a few machine coding problems with readable code and proper design. After you've tried the question on your own, go over the standard solutions and apply what you've learned to future challenges.
   
•  Don’t forget to revise the notes of CS fundamentals.

 To combat nervousness during the interview session, conduct mock interviews. It also boosts your self-confidence and improves your performance. This video outlines the 7 Best Ways To Do Well In Data Structures and Algorithms Interviews, which you should watch.

I hope this section helped you to get well prepared for interview. You can also check out these links to Google Interview Experiences and Ace the Interview: Top 11 DOs and DON’Ts for Freshers and Professionals.