Ask HN: Ex-Googlers, why do you write "Ex-Google" on your profile?
To naive me it sounds like "I got fired from a company once". Or "I used to sleep with Kate Moss". Kind of icky.
(1) If it's an important-enough part of their self-image, people tend to say that they were born in $State, graduated from $College, were in [$Fraternity|$Sorority], attend $Church, are a fan of $Sports_Team, etc.
(2) If's a prestigious-enough past association, people tend to mention that they knew $Senator back in high school, have met $Governor at a few ($VIP-type) charity events, etc.
(3) In an internet-sized social space, where ~0.000% of people could "just happen to know" each other, "IAAExG" is an extremely quick summary of where a person falls in the human and hacker social orders.
Reading between the lines here I'm getting the sense that you think being fired is a huge red flag that should be a career stopper. To me, this, and scrutinising gaps in someone's resume feels archaic and a little bit sad. People leave companies for many reasons, reasons that in the past weren't quite understood. Mental health issues, addiction, changing priorities, motivation burnout, culture fit.
Leaving a big company like Google doesn't mean you automatically got fired - not everyone considers tech giants to be the end game. I worked for a short while at Apple and hated the silos. I had no insight into how my work was helping the mission and I couldn't give feedback to my managers or team. Even worse, I wasn't convinced my work was being used for anything, so I left. Am I unhirable now? I'm still going to use ex-Apple to get work that fits me better.
All of this seems like a red flag for a hiring manager, though
Anyway, stereotypes.
I used to have my email/LinkedIn in my HN profile and once I even got an interview offer. People also network when they have like-minded interests.
If you are competent enough and worked in other places, then the largest probability is that you left the company by your own accord. It doesn't matter if a company is prestigious or not. It's not fun and games. It's work. People leave.
But the funny thing is that even Recruiters don't really care about whether you were fired or not. If you worked for one, two, three years? That's a positive sign, even if you're fired. Unless someone only stayed for the probation period, they're good.
Recruiters filter by such things, and it does carry some weight. Companies like to recruit folks from Big Tech.
Those folks laid off from Google weren't bad performers. Lay-off means that they are laying off people regardless of their performance as a change in their strategy, towards making shareholders happier.
Furthermore, you should stop being envious of silly stuff and focus on your life.
Sure, if a whole team or department is let go. If 10% of a team is cut though it won't be by random dice roll
being the bottom 10% of the top 10% means you're what, 91%.
Slightly edited ChatGPT-generated text is below.
Availability bias occurs when people rely on information that is readily available to them, often overlooking or neglecting information that is not as easily accessible. In the example you provided, individuals may focus on the information that is more readily visible, such as those former Google employees who explicitly mention their association with the company on their profiles, while ignoring those (possibly the majority) who do not mention it. This bias can lead to distorted perceptions and judgments based on the information that is most easily recalled or observed.
You do realize people quit their jobs way more often than they get fired right?