Why does every person having an interest in programming/computer science want to work for Google?

Because they are shiny and sexy and have a reputation for paying too much and having ridiculously rich benefits. Having said that, their interview process thoroughly turned me off, personally.  The interviewer reeked of thinking he was the "smartest guy in the room", while not even knowing what he didn't know. If thats any sample of google culture, it would take a 7 figure salary to get me to work there for any length of time.

Google have somehow gained a reputation to suggest that it's the most interesting place in the world to work, and that it pays some of the highest packages.  They are also one of the biggest and most profitable companies in the world.  The "don't be evil" thing has magically allowed them to NOT be considered Big Business (at least outside of the Bay Area.)  They have even got Hollywood to make a reasonably flattering film about them. The answer to the question is obvious: they have the best reputation as an employer in the world, and therefore the world wants to work there.

I for one, have no interest in working for Google. The premise of your question is flawed. 20 years later, I'd rather be in an operating room, saving someone's life by cutting their head open.

I think this phenomena is based on a misunderstanding of how the startup market works.  Google, as an establish company nearly 20 years old now,  is no longer a startup.

They race. Ray Kurtwiel keeps his senior officers fighting day and night to bring about the "Singularity". Watch Trancendant Man on Netflix, you'll see the vision driving Google is like the charisma of Citizen Caine, if not more flawed. Google Glass becomes contacts in months. With a HUD udectable to the sneering hipster-hater. Then? Faster. Every kid wants his hoverboard from "Back to the Future" or to have helped make it real... That means more than money. In fact, most Millennial Tech industry fan boys and girls want to SHAPE a fluid future more than they want a SS check. "That's a long wait for a train don't come."  So, I agree, the premise is wrong. The hierarchy of ideals is no longer of any similarity from Gen Y- Late Boomers. They can't change the world, Generation X; we did a great job hammering that thought home. No, instead they race, they endure and accept levels of existence below their parents in terms of financial stability. Why? To create a NEW world. They are troubadours, it will be a generation before their weary efforts break the damn and evolution changed culture. Online and off. Gilles Deluze: "What will ultimately be the distruction of our culture in the years to come; how we manage our banking system and Social Media." 1990. Perhaps Facebook is replacing "Google Cool" as we speak? http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/technology/a-new-facebook-lab-is-intent-on-delivering-internet-access-by-drone.html?referrer=

UPDATED COMMENT: This is an answer about Silicon Valley in general, which may not apply to Google in particular: People who don't want to work 70 hour weeks (there's a reason why the work environment of so many Silicon Valley companies are so lovely--they expect you to spend most of your waking hours in it). People over 35. Even if they do hire you, you'll feel rather Odd Man Out-y. People who have families and care about being with them. People who want to work on things that don't concern their Silicon Valley employer. People who are ready to put their long hours into a startup where they have points in the company and not just a nice salary. If I were a recent college graduate and had job skills Google needed, I'd work there--but probably not for more than five years. -------------------------------------- Note that my answer got two comments from people whose personal experience differed from my general Silicon Valley observations. You should read them. And they may be right. I know I'm right about Silicon Valley in general--I worked here 20 years as a high tech reporter and saw many companies. But I could be wrong about Google in particular. I know a few Google people, and I'm going to ask them if Google's the exception. I'll be really impressed it if is. One thing I'm sure of, though, is that Google isn't a start up. So if you're eager to go that way and want founder's stock, that's a reason to not work at any established company--though if you want to succeed, it's also a reason to get experience at a company that has made it, as Google has, so you aren't reinventing any wheels. There's nothing like a few years at an established company to learn the best practices in your field. Also, since Google is a big company, I wonder whether the hours worked varies by type of job and/or segment of the company. I'd love to see any comments about that aspect. --------------------------------------------------------------- NEW EDIT ADD: I have a friend at Google who's high up enough to be able to answer my question about long hours. Here's what he said about that and also about older Google employees: "Well, "Greyglers" is a loosely organized group of older Googlers,  not a generic term for older Googlers. There's no specific age  requirement for joining Greyglers, one should simply feel like he's old  enough to join. "Regarding long hours, it depends on specific person. Yes,  there are a lot of Googlers who work 40 hours a week, and I don't think  there's any discrimination against them. On the other hand there are  also people who work long hours and sometimes come to work on weekends.  But it's their decision - nobody is forcing them."

I'm not a CS and I have no interest in programming, but I still want to work at Google. They have some amazing hardware projects that most traditional engineering companies don't or wont do (like the street view cameras, Google fiber, or wind turbines)