Reality Check: How Competitive Are Interviews at Google and Similar Companies?

Hello Grapviners!

I’m seeking some insights into the interview process for top companies like Google and how competitive it is nowadays. A bit about me:

• Graduated in 2022 from a decent college

• Joined a mid-level startup as a Software Engineer and was promoted to SDE-2 after about 1.5 years

• Currently looking to switch to a reputable large company with competitive pay

• Current compensation is between 24-26 LPA

• I was very active in competitive programming during college, though I haven’t kept up since starting my job (but I’m confident I can get back on track with some focused practice)

• Developed a decent understanding of system design over my 2.5 years so far

• I felt well-prepared for job interviews back in college, but I’m not sure how things may have changed since then

I'm hoping to get a realistic sense of what it takes to clear interviews at top companies like Google today. How have you all found the interview process recently for similar companies? Any advice on current expectations for coding, system design, or even the overall hiring process would be incredibly helpful!

Thanks in advance!