On this lovely Monday we were able to go to Google for a site visit. Not many people can say they have visited any Google headquarters before, and I am grateful that we got to tour such a large and profound company on this trip. Upon first glance, the building was way less intimidating than Microsoft. With no major signage, no absurd colors or dynamics on the outside (at least during the day) it was hard to tell that the building and its surrounding buildings were related to Google. I was shocked to hear of how many buildings Google owned and operated in the area, given its 8000 employees. At Microsoft there was more of a flow and dynamic of the employees, yet at Google it was clear that many people had already clocked out for the day by the time our tour started. During the Google tour, we walked around two buildings among various floors; although, all that we really saw on this tour were the “cool” benefits of being employed by Google. In contrast, at Microsoft, we were informed of the products, strategies, and futuristic plans of the company, especially on this side of the Atlantic. It was interesting to see the differences in the site visit, as both felt like recruiting events to me, but one showed off the crazy benefits outside of the work, and the other showed off the benefits of the work. I felt at Microsoft I was able to understand more of where our tour guides started and how they ended up at the company, but at Google, it was more of just like “yeah, I work here now!”

Overall, I enjoyed both site visits and am glad that I got to participate in them. I learned a lot about both corporations and what I would be like to be involved in a giant Fortune 500 company.