The Difference Between Google Engineers and Other Software Engineers
I love this question because the media has painted this inaccurate picture of where the top programmers go. Most think that to be at the top of the industry, you must become a Google engineer. While I wouldn’t discredit developers’ quality as I believe you have to be pretty knowledgeable to get in. The reality is that Google’s technologies included acquiring 175 companies and 36 investments. This shows that any Google engineer is no better or worse than hundreds, if not thousands, of companies innovating new technologies.
I know several developers that couldn’t pass their technical interviewing process, but they are developing core technologies at companies that have caught the attention of Facebook, Google, and Amazon.
The key is to focus on being a passionate programmer and never stop learning. I wouldn’t use any company as a metric for what makes a high-caliber programmer because it’s all relative. Find your strength and build upon that. If you’re passionate about building utility apps, create the best ones. If you love complex algorithms, continue learning and practicing to make them more efficient. Your cohorts will be your metric of caliber. Just humble yourself and always try to be better.
Rey’s original reply can be found here on Quora.