Finance @ Google ? Good or Bad Idea?

Water Cooler Careers
#1

Hi my AF fellows,

Lately I’ve been thinking applying for a finance analyst/business analyst position at Google, do you guys think it is a good career move? If it is, do you think Google value CFA holders?

Give you some background of myself, I gradudated 18 months ago from a non-target state school, majored in BS of Finance and Accounting, worked as a Financial Analyst in a Fortune 500 consumer manufacturing company. I just recently got promoted to Assoicate Business Analyst. I would like to work for Google or some of most well known company in a year or so, and I would like to know what could I do to better market myself during this period, possibly CFA?

Thanks!! Any advice is welcome!

#2

If you can get it, go for it. I dont know if they value the CFA charter but working for Google never seems as a bad idea

#3

I’ve heard at Google, you have to be a software engineer to get any respect, and everyone else just gets sh*t on and treated like the equivalence of back office in finance

#4

Target for Apple. I heard they have their own FX trading team and risk management team to manage their exponentially growing FCY balances.

#5

Why would it be a bad idea? Worst is that you don’t get it, but it wouldn’t have any adverse effect on you.

Depends what you really want to go on from there.

#6

I think that’s a little extreme, Iteracom. I have about half a dozen friends in the NYC office through 2 friends who have worked there for a couple of years. While it’s true that the programmers (especially in their core search division) are definitely the top of the pecking order, I wouldn’t say that everyone else is crapped on - people recognize that search is the core moneymaker for GOOG and that the engineers working on it day-to-day are brilliant, but just because you work for Android or Maps or YouTube doesn’t seem to mean you’re instantly worth less or worthless, so to speak. I’m an outsider, so maybe I’m wrong, but that’s my impression.

To the OP: I’d say go for it. If Google did the type of work that I enjoy (the don’t, sadly) I would apply there in a heartbeat. I agree with the other posters though - I’m not sure if CFA will get you any mileage there.

#7

Google also has a foreign currency management desk. So do lots of other companies. I don’t think this is what the guy is applying for, though.

#8

I would go in any second

#9

Are you for real? Everybody wants to work for Google.

What’s your Plan B? Private Wealth Manager for Bill Gates?

#10

If it matters, I think finance people have an overall better compensation package than most people at Google, especially if you normalize for talent and education.

#11

But you get snakes in the office.

#12

+1

#13

i’m sure there is a trading desk with a fixed income and FX traders making “wall st. money”

#14

Well Thanks for all the replies.

I guess I didn’t explain myself well enough…To me, applying isn’t just clicking the apply button…it includes a great deal of effort…getting the right contact in Linkedin…understand google business model (bought a couple books), just preping those google interviews alone is a challenge! So It does take great amount time and effort, not just “apply”

I heard Google underpay its finacial employee vs. the market average.

#15

It’s still good to have on the CV and if you network properly, you can make a lot of good contacts.

#16

When you negotitate salary, try to get one of the self driving cars for your commute every morning.

#17

its nonsense to relate the programming part and the finance function. I know companies that operate like two different worlds - between the core software function and the treasury/finance dept.

#18

This is what Joey from Friends would call a “moo” question.

Any job that google posts is going to receive 500++ applications.

Unless there is something really remarkable about your background that you haven’t told us about, the chances of your application making it even to the stage of a human screener looking at it, are remote.

Worrying about the interview, or the subtleties of the actual job, at this point is a waste of time.

#19

Yeah get an offer first then wonder.

If nothing else, seems like an awesome place to work and even these jobs will likely attract good candidates due to the name

#20

Hi

I know right now I don’t have anything remarkable for company like Google to hire me, but I do want to prep myself within in a year or two to get there though.

So is anything that you would suggest to do/learn/complete that could help me better market myself??

Thanks!!!