Google's SWE interview process includes: 1) Phone/video technical screen (45-60 min coding), 2) On-site loop with 4-5 interviews covering algorithms, system design, and behavioral questions. Technical interviews use a shared doc for coding, focus on data structures/algorithms, and emphasize clean, working code. Prepare by practicing 200+ LeetCode problems, studying system design patterns, and preparing STAR-method behavioral examples. Google values collaborative problem-solving, so think out loud and ask clarifying questions.

Google expects strong proficiency in: data structures (arrays, trees, graphs, hashmaps), algorithms (sorting, searching, dynamic programming), complexity analysis (time/space), and clean coding practices. Master common patterns: two pointers, sliding window, BFS/DFS, backtracking, and greedy algorithms. Practice coding in your preferred language without IDE assistance. For senior roles, also prepare distributed systems, concurrency, and architecture design questions.

Google system design questions focus on scale: 'Design Google Search', 'Design YouTube', 'Design a distributed file system', 'Design URL shortener at Google scale'. Key concepts include: horizontal scaling, load balancing, database sharding, caching strategies, CDNs, and microservices. Always consider Google-scale requirements (billions of users), discuss trade-offs, and think about consistency, availability, and partition tolerance.

While you don't need deep knowledge of Google's internal systems, understanding their approach helps: MapReduce/Big Data processing, distributed computing principles, machine learning at scale, and cloud architecture patterns. Study Google's published research papers, understand their engineering blog posts, and be familiar with GCP services. Show interest in solving problems at Google's scale and complexity.

Google SWE compensation (2024 data): L3 (new grad): $130k-170k base, $250k-350k total; L4 (mid-level): $150k-200k base, $300k-450k total; L5 (senior): $180k-250k base, $400k-600k total; L6+ (staff): $220k+ base, $500k+ total. Total compensation includes base salary, stock (GSUs vesting over 4 years), and bonus. Strong benefits, learning opportunities, and potential for rapid career growth in technical or management tracks.