I'm not a genius. Can I get a job at companies like Google by just working hard?

Yes, you can get a job by working hard. You don't have to be a genius to get a job at Google, or pretty much anywhere.

The most important thing to be successful at a job, in my experience, is precisely what you say, working hard. That doesn't mean you spend all day moving bricks if you're supposed to be programming, it means you focus on your work, you learn relevant related things, and you keep an eye out for new opportunities. You develop a reputation for doing what you set out for do, and for identifying problems early, notifying your colleagues / managers as appropriate, and addressing the problems.

That doesn't take genius, just a good work ethic.

Getting the job in the first place is a bit trickier. The hardest part is getting an interview.

If your goal is to work at a software company like Google or Facebook, you'll need to do some planning to maximize your chances of getting and passing an interview. Attend a university the companies you care about recruit from. Get a relevant degree. Try for internships each year. Sign up for campus interviews when they visit your campus.

Keep in touch with people who share your goals: you can help each other later by referring one another for jobs in the company you're in, which will help move them to the front of the line.

So yes, work hard, succeed. Don't worry about being a genius, I know geniuses who were never able to get a job anywhere more interesting than a hotel desk.

But No. Not just by working hard.

But thankfully - it DOESN'T take a genius to work smart :)

So here's how:

1. Google 'How to get a job at Google'
2. Put all links into a spreadsheet
3. Put together 30 links
4. Read said 30 links
5. Catalogue data
1. How to get an interview
2. How to prepare for the interview
3. How to crack the job interview
4. How to improve your current resume  with life experience
5. How to network your way into Google
6. If you do all of the above you'll probably know more about it than anyone on this thread
7. If you work fast all of the above shouldn't take more than one day. Maybe two.