Getting hired by Google

I recently noticed that a fellow Googler posted some thoughtful tips about interviewing at Google, and -- now that I'm a bit more comfortable blogging about Work -- I figured I'd contribute to the conversation a bit by offering my own, unofficial tips.



Note the unofficial part. I work in Search Quality; aside from occasionally being asked to interview candidates (like most Googlers) -- I have nothing to do with our recruiting, recruiters, etc., nor do I pretend to speak for the HR folks. The stuff below is based on my own observations and opinions.



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Application and interview tips



Broadly: be interesting, be humble, demonstrate outstanding
competence in your direct area, briefly highlight your well-roundedness
(academically, workwise, and personally), and clarify how you are an excellent
fit with both the position you're applying for and Google overall. 



Admittedly, with an insane number of applications a year, it
is a bit of a numbers game.  Some
outstanding people get rejected.  And, though I haven't witnessed this
personally, I'm sure some jerks get offers.  Luckily, Google's been
overhauling its hiring processes, and I'm optimistic that particularly the
percentage of great people getting overlooked (in relation to the number of
apps) will decrease.



Some specific tips and notes:

• 
  Write a decent cover letter
  




• 
  Write with a tone that's professional yet warm... not stiff or dry.  Your (discernible) voice should come
  through.
  
  


• 
  Keep it to one page (max!) or less.  Maybe even a lot less.
  


• 
  Convince Google of the fits described above -- that's critical!!!
  




• 
  Your resume can be in PDF, Word, HTML, or text formats (unless otherwise requested, of course!)
  
  




• 
  But note that it will be ultimately
  printed out.  This means that reasonable pagination can be helpful
  and also suggests that a comprehensive 20 page document is perhaps not a
  great idea.  When you want your recruiter and interviewers to know
  more about your background & interests, links are your friends.
  




• 
  Respectful persistence can be appropriate
  




• 
  If you genuinely have another offer on the table, let your recruiter know!
  


• 
  If the recruiter promised to get back with you in [x] days, and in [x+1 or
  x+2] days you haven't heard back, politely e-mail them.
  




• 
  If you have a friend at Google who can articulately and sincerely vouch for
  you, that can work in your favor.
  




• 
  Your association / relationship with that person matters.  They'll be
  asked how they know you and
  how well they know you (and your
  skills).
  
  




• 
  Passion matters and is skillfully perceived.  You're probably wasting
  your time unless you really are
  excited about a particular position.
  


• 
  Getting turned down for one Google position does not mean you're ineligible
  to apply for another position down the road.
  


• 
  General interview advice that probably applies for pretty much any company:
  




• 
  Ask thoughtful questions.
  


• 
  Allow time for traffic and parking and finding the right building. 
  Google -- at least the Mountain View campus -- is a big place!
  


• 
  Dress one or two steps better than you expect your interviewers to
  be.  Less than that, and people may wonder about your judgment. 
  More than that, and people may think you're clueless or arrogant.
  




• 
  The "right" dress at Google probably varies by department. 
  Engineering folks tend to be more informally dressed than sales
  folks.  If you're interviewing for a senior management position,
  I'd probably dress a bit more formally than you would for an intern
  interview.  But the official advice also really makes sense
  here:  dress comfortably.  If you feel comfortable and
  confident, it'll show.
  




• 
  Get a good night's sleep the two
  nights before.  Sleep deficits are cumulative.  If you have a
  morning interview, make sure you're getting up early the two or three
  mornings before to get yourself ready to be mentally and physically alert
  during your interview time.  On a similar health note, drink and eat
  smartly the day of your interview.  Hunger pangs are distracting.
  


• 
  Invest in a good pen to take to interviews.  The heft and reliability
  can be a real-even-if-small confidence booster.  Taking occasional
  notes can help you remember info or questions for later, and also might
  indicate a sense of thoughtfulness and interest to your interviewer.
  


• 
  On the whole, think of interviews kind of like first dates.  You
  don't want to do all or even most of the talking.  You're there to
  impress, to learn, to help determine whether there's a good potential for
  a relationship.  First impressions are important.  Show you are
  caring and thoughtful by asking good questions.  Avoid having spinach
  in your teeth (floss beforehand!).
  
  

Possibly-little-known factoid:

No Googler -- not even Larry or Sergey -- can singlehandedly extend an
employment offer to anyone.  While candidates don't have to go through as
many interviews nowadays, most candidates -- regardless of level -- typically
interview with quite a few peers; team-fit is critical!



* * *


I expect to offer some more Google-thoughts in the future, but -- as a reminder -- this is my personal blog, and as such, I expect to generally blather on about anything I feel like discussing, ranting, dissecting, punning, lamenting, etc... which is more likely than not to be boring to the impatient sort.


Oh, and one last thing: please keep comments on-topic as a courtesy not only to me, but to the cool folks reading my blog. Thanks!




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Related entries:

- A blunt note to HR folks and interviewers

- How to evaluate your current job & career... and thoughtfully consider future options



and lastly, for a blast-from-the-past... some perspective & a bit of cranky ranting...



- What do you do? (self = job?) And how are you?