I got offers from Microsoft, Meta, and Google. Here's why I chose Google.

Even though Meta originally offered a higher salary, Google was always my first choice.

• A recent tech grad received offers from Google, Meta, and Microsoft.
• Meta initially offered $210,700 in total compensation, but Google offered other appealing benefits.
• Eventually, they chose Google for its interesting work, company culture, and legacy as a tech giant. 

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a Google employee who requested anonymity to protect their privacy. Business Insider has verified their identity and offer letters. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I started school at a top-ranked school for tech about four years ago. When I first entered, I was undecided about my career path.

But by my sophomore year, I had my eyes set on FANG, also known as Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, and Google. My ultimate dream was to work at Google,

During my sophomore year, I started grinding on applications for the summer.

My GPA at the time was a 4.0, which definitely helped. But I also spent a ton of time doing Leet Code practice, which are algorithm brain teasers to test if you understand the fundamentals of theoretical computer science.

My hard work paid off and I was able to get an offer from Google, Facebook, and Amazon.

I ended up interning at Google for two summers, and the experience was everything I hoped for. I received great mentorship and worked on interesting projects that I learned a lot from.

When I finished my second internship, I received hiring committee approval, which allows former interns to get matched with a team full-time.

The issue was that it wasn't a guaranteed match — and if you don't get matched within a year, it expires.

I got full-time offers from Microsoft, Meta, and Google

I started off the job hunt process pretty confident. But a couple of months before graduating, I still hadn't heard from Google.

I sent several follow-ups asking about the matching process, but they had no updates for me.

So I started looking at other companies and ended up applying to at least 100 companies over the next few months. Once the market picked up, I started to receive a lot of DMs and cold emails from recruiters, including Meta.

I spent a couple of months interviewing and eventually received offers from Meta and Microsoft. Right as I was about to accept my offer from Meta, Google let me know that they found a match for me.

Meta initially offered a higher total comp, but Google had some attractive benefits

The offers from Meta and Google were most attractive to me so I was deciding between those two.

Meta gave me a better offer initially. It included $131,000 in base pay, 10% of my base as a bonus with the potential for an additional 10% based on performance, a $16,000 signing bonus, and $150,000 in stock options over four years. The total compensation came out to around $210,700.

The companywide performance bonus isn't given out every year, but if it does well, it will most likely be given out to its engineers.

Google originally offered me less in total compensation, but I was able to get them to increase the offer to $218,360 in total compensation, including a $138,000 base salary, 15% bonus, and $157,000 in stock options over four years.

Google also offered a $13,000 cash stipend for relocation, which made a difference. Meta's relocation package offered cash in lieu of some of the services they offered, like employment housing for 30 days, but the recruiter told me I could only cash out up to $5,000.

Google's front-loaded stock schedule also made a big difference in my first-year compensation, which appealed to me. At Google, I would receive 38% in the first year, 32% in the second year, 20% in the third year, and 10% in the fourth. At Meta, I would've received 25% every year.

Google also offered work for a month anywhere in the world, which was pretty cool.

Both have hybrid work structures, but Meta seemed stricter about it. The recruiter at Meta told me three days a week, in-person were required. At Google, it was a suggestion, and in the two summers I worked there, it wasn't enforced. Some weeks I didn't come in person at all and it wasn't an issue.

I would have chosen Google either way

If Google didn't increase its total compensation offer, I would've had a really tough decision to make. But I still would have chosen Google because the role itself was more interesting to me.

That, and it's the company I always wanted to work for.

Google made an impact on me early on. Before college and working in tech, Google was a name that stood out to me. It's a hallmark of company culture, and it started off bigger than the other tech companies that have emerged.

Google may not be the one leading the AI train, but I think they'll catch up. Google is the top search engine in the world. They have access to a ton of data.

After working at Google for two summers, I know how the company runs, and I believe in its vision.