At a career crossroads? Put your passion first

Charting my own path as a young girl wasn’t easy. Back then, I lived in a sleepy little town in Bangalore with few job opportunities. Most girls were encouraged to pursue medicine, but I was passionate about math and dreamed of becoming an engineer. I knew if I was going to pursue the career I wanted, I needed to make it happen myself.?

Over the next 28 years, my career path in hardware has been a series of adventures. I was one of the few women who studied hardware in my undergrad program in India, and I was the first female in my class when I moved to the U.S. to pursue my Masters. When I graduated, I moved to Silicon Valley to forge a career in hardware – a true life milestone and the first of many! I had been fascinated with hardware from the moment I first saw a microprocessor back in India, and here I was now working in microprocessor design.?

After 13 years with my last employer, I started pondering what was next for me.? Around that time, I was on a family trip to Mountain View, California, near the Google headquarters, when my daughter threw me a question, “Could you work for Google, Mom?” This excited me. I wondered, “Is this where my love for technology could take me next?”

One year later, I stepped onto the Google India campus in Bangalore as a Noogler.?

You may not always know where your career will take you, but there are a few ways to be sure you’re moving forward and following your passions. Here’s how I knew the Devices and Services Team is the place to pursue my dream of building next-gen hardware technology.

I found the place where innovation meets impact?

My passion for building best-in-class products has guided me throughout my career, and I was drawn to Google for its innovation. I had read about the Tensor processor and heard about the Pixel phone and its AI/ML capabilities - both technologies I had wanted to work on. When the opportunity to interview with Google arrived, I was excited to experience and explore new things.

I also feel deeply connected to Google’s mission of organizing the world’s information to make it accessible and useful for all.? This is one of the few companies focused on making life easier for people across the world. Making information available to everyone – even people in the most remote areas of India – has an immeasurable impact and brings us all closer together. When I joined the Tensor Processor group in April 2022 as a Noogler, I wrote a personal mission statement: “I want to make the Pixel the number one phone in the world.” Our team builds the chip that is the heart of the Pixel phone, and having the opportunity to build next-gen technology that makes a difference every day reminds me I’m where I belong.

Having the opportunity to build cutting-edge technology that makes a difference reminds me everyday that I’m where I belong.

I saw opportunities to help develop cutting-edge technology

Exploring new technologies and applications at Google after decades in the industry has been a highlight of my career. Working on the Pixel Devices and Services team at Google feels like a startup. We move fast, we pivot and we’re constantly innovating , while learning along the way.

For people interested in AI/ML technology, working with Pixel is a dream job.

For people interested in AI/ML technology, working with Pixel is a dream job. Google does everything for Pixel in house – we make the chip, the hardware and software – which means our team gets to own the complete physical design of the next-gen Tensor Processing Unit (SoC Mobile for Pixel). We create the physical design, send it to the foundry, test the chip, and work with software teams to integrate it into the Pixel phone.?

Our work enables Google to deliver a best-in-class Pixel phone with enhanced GhZ, power, performance, and time to market – and doesn’t stop there. Our Tensor G2 chip powers the newest Pixel products — the Pixel Fold, Pixel Tablet and Pixel 7a — and makes the Pixel Fold, our first foldable phone, faster and more secure than ever. We are incredibly proud to innovate and make an impact on a whole new scale.??

I discovered a sense of belonging through shared passions

At Google, people really care about what they do, and the company shows a lot of care for the people who work on the team. I quickly felt at home when I first joined as a Noogler. Now, I aim to inspire my team by reminding them why our contribution is is important and ensuring passion is part of our team’s DNA.

I aim to inspire my team by reminding them why our work is important and ensuring passion is part of our team’s DNA.

I’ve also connected with more women in the organization on new passion projects, such as a Women& - Women in DSPA. I’m a senior sponsor for the Women& initiative. Google India is a great place for women to build a career in hardware and make an impact. The work environment makes it flexible to explore one’s personal passions outside of work - which for me are exercise and travel. I aim for 15,000-20,000 steps per day and have been to 40 countries. Most recently, I traveled to Taiwan, where I got to visit the amazing Google office there!?

My advice to women charting their careers is the same I give to my teammates: make sure passion is in your DNA. Don’t worry as much about titles and positions, they come organically when you do what you love. When we share our passion with our team, it shapes the product and the impact we make together.?

Ready to kick-start your own journey at Google? Explore opportunities on the Devices and Services team at Google!.