A Day In The Life Of A Software Engineer At Google
Jay, a Google Software Engineer and Tech Lead, prioritizes focused work, preferring the office for "deep work" coding blocks of three to four hours after a team stand-up. Despite this preference for uninterrupted time, the role involves frequent interruptions from "random chats, pings, and ad hoc meetings," highlighting the collaborative nature of a tech lead position.
Coding, Teamwork, Project Management, Remote Work, Problem-Solving
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Jay Zelenkov
Software Engineer; Tech Lead
Munich University of Applied Sciences, 2012
N/A
Computer Science
Technology
Product / Service / Software Development and Management
International Student, Honors Student, Took Out Loans, Immigrant, Worked 20+ Hours in School, First Generation College Student
Video Highlights
1. Jay's typical workday starts between 8-9 a.m. with a focus on emails and planning, followed by a team stand-up meeting.
2. He dedicates 3-4 hours to focused coding, demonstrating the importance of deep work in software engineering.
3. His role involves occasional interruptions, highlighting the collaborative and dynamic nature of the job, though he values the ability to maintain focused work blocks.
Transcript
What does a day in your role look like?
My day starts around nine or even eight AM. I'm an early riser and have my morning routine before heading to work. Google allows us to work remotely, from home, or hybrid.
I prefer going to the office because I feel more focused and productive there. I'm one of the few on my team who actually prefers this.
When I'm in the office, I usually spend my first hour dealing with emails and planning. We have our team stand-up at 10:30, which lasts about 30 minutes to an hour.
During the stand-up, my team of five or six people aligns on project next steps and shares updates or new discoveries. After that, I usually have about four or five hours for deep work, focusing on coding. This is typically three to four hours if you factor in a lunch break.
I wrap up my day by looking at what else needs to happen, like retrospective planning for the project's next phases. Throughout the day, I'm occasionally interrupted two to four times with chats, pings, or ad hoc meetings.
However, because my role is technical and not a product manager, I usually have the luxury of deep, uninterrupted work throughout the day.