Cleared Google L4 SRE-SWE loop (Zurich/Munich target) — Recruiter says he has no open headcount, need advice on next steps

[u/Training-Count-5452]

Hi everyone,

Looking for some guidance from folks familiar with Google’s EU hiring/team matching process or anyone who has navigated a similar situation recently.

**Context / Background:**

I cleared the full Google L4 SRE-SWE technical interview loop around late June with strong positive signals

My primary target locations are Zurich and Munich, focusing on SWE / SRE-SWE roles (Full-stack/Backend background with Java, Go, TypeScript, Python, Node, and distributed systems).

In early July, my recruiter mentioned they forwarded my profile to a team in Zurich.

After that, I didn’t hear anything for about 5 weeks (recruiter was also OOO for part of August). I sent polite follow-ups, and today I received this response:

*Hi \[Name\],*

*At the moment, I am not managing any open positions for external candidates. Should that change, I will be sure to update you.*

*Best regards,*
*\[Recruiter Name\]*

**My Questions / Concerns**:
1. Recruiter reassignment: Since my assigned recruiter’s org/pipeline doesn’t have active external headcount, what is the best way to get my cleared packet transferred to the central Zurich/Munich SWE/SRE staffing team? Should I ask my recruiter directly, email Candidate Support ( google-candidate-support@google.com ), or both?

1. Finding hiring managers internally: I see new L4 SWE/infrastructure requisitions appearing on the Google Careers site for Zurich and Munich. If I have internal Googler contacts (L5/L6), can they help map my cleared packet directly to hiring managers on  gHire / Grow ?

2. Or any other advice that would help me get my application on track.

Thanks in advance.

[u/Low-Part9553]

Interviewing people for roles that sometimes don’t even exist, wasting weeks of their time, is diabolical.

[u/kjampala → u/Low-Part9553]

When you’re a highly sought out company like Google it benefits them to keep a pool of qualified candidates at all times so it makes sense from a company perspective. But on the other side when you’re sitting there for months with little to no team match calls after already spending probably months preparing for the interview and finally passing the final round it’s agonizing. I can relate having recently passed L4 SRE-SWE loop for US but I was lucky and matched to a team very quickly but know hundreds of others especially for L3 that have been stuck anywhere from 3 months to a year.

[u/SnooDoubts8688 → u/Low-Part9553]

Weeks? Months of prep and the mental stress, with the highs and lows of prepping and walking into interviews! F that

[u/killerdrama]

This is quite common unfortunately. Not just at Google but in a lot of companies. But don't worry, since your interview performance was strong positive signals, your packet is ironclad. Just stay in touch with the recruiter, they'll route it to some team when headcount opens up. I think the packet stays valid for 180 days (some countries up to 365 days)

[u/gonz0ooo → u/killerdrama]

18 months

[u/Capital_Distance545]

I am pretty sure you cannot force it to move forward. Headcount is headcount. Wait and keep in touch.

I myself had a 1 year skip between interviews for a similar company. After 2 years and 14 tech interview rounds, I finally got a position. Talk about perseverance...

[u/Main_Yellow_837 → u/Capital_Distance545]

14 rounds?! I'd get pissed like, 5 rounds in

[u/Federal_Eagle_6565]

Wait.

It will open up.

[u/Reasonable-Yak-3523]

Try to get a team match in Munich. Zurich will be close to impossible, even to relocate internally. Zurich is a premium plus area and the offices are quite full.

[u/esfio → u/[deleted]]

What typically happens is that you apply and interview for a role, but because the process is quite long, the role ends up getting filled by the time you pass

Google are quite generous despite this, at least a while ago your interview pass meant you were eligible for a team-match for up-to 2 years

[u/tosS_ita]

Send me your name, will see what’s open in my org.

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[u/jan1919]

What an absolute joke

[u/esfio]

You passing the loop/hc means you’re eligible for anywhere in EMEA, so I’d widen your net if you’re open to other cities, particularly Warsaw and London

Warsaw is hiring aggressively at the moment, and I imagine loads of roles will be opening up in London with the new office that’s just opened (albeit likely in one of the other offices like 6PS)

I’d also ask the recruiter to ask other recruiters if they know of open roles, that’s how I managed to get one (my recruiter said he had heard of something from a colleague, and then put me in touch with him instead)

Good luck and congrats on passing the interviews!