My google phone interview experience for Software Engineer

Summary

The speaker shares their experience with Google interviews, highlighting two failed attempts in 2019 and 2021 before eventually landing a job in one of the major tech companies. They discuss how to apply through Google's careers site, the importance of referrals, and the structure of Google's phone interviews, which focus on resume review and algorithm-based coding questions. The speaker also provides tips on resume building, interview preparation, and problem-solving strategies, emphasizing the importance of practice and being prepared for difficult questions, especially in tech giants like Google.

Takeaways

• 📱 The speaker shares their experience with Google's phone interviews, having failed twice but later succeeding at one of the FAANG companies.
• 📝 The speaker emphasizes the importance of a well-structured resume and suggests applying at careers.google.com with a referral, which significantly increases chances of being noticed by a recruiter.
• 👥 Having a referral guarantees a follow-up email from a Google recruiter, as resumes referred are manually reviewed instead of being processed by AI.
• ⏳ The phone interview typically lasts 45 minutes to 1 hour, with 15 minutes focused on resume and behavioral questions, and 45 minutes for coding problems.
• 🧑‍💻 Collaboration with the interviewer during coding problems is crucial, but excessive questioning might signal a lack of understanding.
• 🧠 It's essential to explain time and space complexities after solving the coding problem, something the speaker failed to do in their first attempt.
• 📅 When scheduling an interview, candidates can select a date up to two months ahead, allowing time for adequate preparation.
• 🤖 Google interview questions often focus on algorithms and data structures, with questions sometimes being more complex than those on LeetCode.
• ⚠️ The speaker shares their second interview experience where they received a particularly challenging problem that the interviewer admitted was difficult to solve in the given time frame.
• 💡 The speaker advises candidates to practice extensively on platforms like LeetCode, focusing on Google-specific problems, as their interview questions tend to be more complex.

Q & A

What is the first step to apply for a job at Google according to the script?

The first step is to go to careers.google.com and apply for a position. You should also have a well-formatted resume, as explained in the speaker's previous videos.

How does having a referral help in the Google application process?

Having a referral from someone working at Google greatly increases the chances of your resume being seen by a recruiter, as they are more likely to read it and follow up with you.

What does the speaker mention about Google's use of AI for resume screening?

The speaker mentions that, based on what they heard, Google typically does not use AI to read resumes. Instead, recruiters manually review them, especially if there’s a referral.

How long does a typical Google phone interview last?

A typical Google phone interview lasts between 45 minutes to 1 hour. The first 15 minutes are spent on behavioral questions, and the remaining time is dedicated to coding questions.

What was the speaker’s first Google interview experience like?

The speaker’s first Google interview, which took place in 2019, involved a depth-first search coding question. They were able to solve it using recursion but did not provide the best solution and forgot to explain the time and space complexity.

Why did the speaker believe they failed the second Google phone interview in 2021?

The speaker failed the second interview because they were given a very difficult question, which even the interviewer admitted would be hard to solve within the 45-minute time frame. The speaker couldn't find even a brute force solution and was overwhelmed by the complex time complexity.

What are the speaker’s key tips for Google interviews?

The speaker’s tips include: crafting a well-formatted resume, applying regularly, using a referral if possible, taking as much time as needed to prepare for the interview, and practicing problem-solving skills, especially around time and space complexities.

How should one approach choosing a date for a Google phone interview?

The speaker recommends selecting an interview date that gives you sufficient time to prepare, potentially scheduling it a month or more in advance. Recruiters are usually flexible about the dates.

What is the importance of problem-solving skills in Google interviews?

Problem-solving skills, particularly around data structures and algorithms, are crucial for Google interviews. You need to be able to solve complex coding problems, think critically, and explain time and space complexities.

What does the speaker say about the difficulty of Google interview questions compared to other companies?

The speaker notes that Google questions are generally more complicated than those from companies like Facebook, Amazon, or Microsoft. Google interview questions require deeper thinking and tend to be more challenging.