You also need to understand what these so-called "benefits" cost you. Sure to work at Google means I can take one of their shuttles, but it also means I would have to live a lifestyle I dread: being someone who lives in a great city and commutes to a soulless suburb.<p>My favorite was always the companies who try to convince you to work later by offering you some half-assed dinner. I worked at a "Netscape startup" (because in the valley we like to brag what failed company our founders come from), and every night for 6 months they ordered some awful thai food for dinner, in order to try and convince everybody to put in an extra 2 hours.<p>And then you need to ask existing employees if the benefits are real. I had lunch with three of my friends in Google's SRE when GOOG was trying to convince me to work with them. Their response on the benefits:<p>- Daycare: bullshit, 1-2 year waiting list
- Shuttle: Only if you don't mind working a crazy schedule and being at the whim of the shuttle schedule
- 20% time: too over-worked to take advantage of it
- Google tech talks: So what, they're free on Google Video<p>Valuating an offer is a complicated process. That's where "Show me the money" or "fuck you, pay me" is an effective mentality when a future employer is trying to con you into taking less than market rate. It's a sale, you convince them why you're worth the number you write on the piece of paper, or they convince you why you're not.<p>Do you want to work for an employee who thinks your work is worth less than you believe it's value to be?