I Asked Googlers How To Get Hired
Summary
TLDRThis video features Google software engineers sharing insights on how to land a job at the tech giant. With over 10 years of experience, these engineers provide valuable advice on acing interviews, focusing on communication, strong technical fundamentals, and showcasing problem-solving approaches. They emphasize preparation through coding practice, such as using LeetCode and system design challenges, and discuss the importance of clear communication and teamwork. The video also highlights personal experiences, favorite perks at Google, and tips for navigating the hiring process, including advice for aspiring software engineers and product managers.
Takeaways
- đŒ Successful applicants at Google focus on communicating their thought process during interviews.
- đ©âđ» Many successful engineers emphasize strong fundamentals in coding, system design, and algorithms.
- đ Preparing with platforms like LeetCode and 'Cracking the Coding Interview' is a common strategy for interview success.
- đ Strong communication skills, particularly explaining technical concepts clearly, are crucial for both interviews and teamwork.
- đȘ Being able to break down and explain problems step-by-step is valued over complicated solutions.
- đœ Free food and global office opportunities are favorite perks of Google employees.
- đĄ Problem-solving for large user bases and considering scalability is advised when preparing for interviews.
- đ Traditional education paths, such as college and internships, are considered the easiest way into tech, but alternatives like boot camps are also viable.
- đ Tailoring your resume to showcase your best skills and achievements is critical for standing out during the hiring process.
- đ§ Product managers at Google bridge technical possibilities with business needs, requiring strong communication skills, especially with non-technical stakeholders.
Q & A
What do Google interviewers look for in a software engineering candidate?
-Google interviewers look for candidates who can clearly explain their thought process, communicate their approach to solving problems, and have a strong grasp of core technical fundamentals like data structures, algorithms, and system design.
What is one of the most important tips for preparing for a Google interview?
-One of the most important tips is to focus on practicing with problems related to data structures and algorithms using platforms like LeetCode and resources like 'Cracking the Coding Interview.'
What specific advice do Google engineers give for passing the interview?
-Candidates should focus on explaining their thought process, approaching problems step by step, and ensuring a solid foundation in the basics rather than focusing on overly complex solutions.
What should applicants include in their resumes to stand out?
-Applicants should present the best and most relevant accomplishments and skills on their resume. Since this is the only information recruiters have initially, showcasing their best work is essential.
How important is practicing coding problems before the interview?
-Practicing coding problems is crucial. Several engineers in the video mentioned that regularly solving practice problems helped them perform better during their interviews.
How can candidates approach solving technical problems during interviews?
-Candidates should start by clarifying the problem, then gradually build a solution. It's important to first propose a simple solution, test it, and then improve upon it if necessary.
What is the value of internships or early work experience when applying to Google?
-Internships and early relevant work experience, such as internships through Google programs or at other companies, are valuable for gaining practical experience and increasing the chances of being hired at Google.
How can non-traditional candidates break into Google?
-While the traditional college route is the easiest path, non-traditional candidates, such as those coming from boot camps or transitioning from other fields later in life, can still be successful if they develop strong technical skills.
What advice is given for product managers and women in tech looking to break into Google?
-For product managers, it's important to bridge the gap between technical and business requirements. Women in tech are advised to focus on their technical skills while also becoming strong communicators, especially when working with non-technical stakeholders.
What is one of the best benefits of working at Google mentioned in the video?
-Several employees mentioned that free food, including breakfast and lunch, is one of their favorite perks of working at Google. The international office locations are also valued, allowing employees to work from different cities while traveling.
Outlines
đȘ Cracking the Door to Google
The speaker reflects on their experience working in tech for 15 years, regretting missed opportunities at major companies like Facebook and Google. The focus shifts to an interview with software engineers at Google, revealing tips for aspiring candidates. They advise watching the video until the end, as engineers with over 10 years of experience share valuable insights into Google's interview process.
đšâđ» Google Engineer Interviews: Shivam and Kate
Shivam, a Manager of System Development Engineering, has been at Google for 3.5 years. Kate, a Software Engineer, has been with Google for under two years. They share their experiences, such as enjoying the free food and having opportunities to work from different offices internationally. Shivam joined Google through an acquisition, while Kate got in through Google's internship and conversion pipeline.
đ§ Secrets to Cracking Google's Interviews
Both Shivam and Kate emphasize the importance of clear communication during interviews. Kate advises candidates to explain their thought processes and approach problems methodically. Preparation strategies include practicing on platforms like LeetCode and reading 'Cracking the Coding Interview.' Shivam highlights the significance of mastering the basics before tackling advanced problems, ensuring the fundamentals are strong.
đĄ Expert Tips for Software Engineering Candidates
Shivam advises focusing on reliability, scalability, and long-term solutions over short-term fixes. Successful Google candidates should also be strong in algorithms, data structures, and system design. For resume tips, candidates should present their best qualities upfront. Another engineer, Jimmy, suggests that while traditional routes like college and internships are the easiest, other paths, like bootcamps, can also lead to success.
đ Career Path to Google: Jimmy and Nul
Jimmy, with five years at Google, shares how he transitioned from another company. Nul worked at MathWorks before joining Google after passing the interviews. They emphasize that communication skills and practicing with mock problems are critical for success. They advise candidates to start with simple solutions, ensuring clarity before attempting more complex solutions.
đ Advice for Aspiring Engineers
Both Jimmy and Nul stress the importance of mastering fundamentals and staying up to date with new technologies like AI models. GPT Bot, the sponsor of the video, provides tools to create AI bots tailored for specific business needs, showcasing how AI is transforming industries. They advise aspiring engineers to be persistent and constantly improve their foundational knowledge.
đ©âđŒ Women in Tech: Breaking into Google
Ken, a Product Manager, shares her journey from working in startups to transitioning into tech after going back to school. She highlights the importance of communication, especially for technical practitioners working with non-technical stakeholders. Ken emphasizes that bridging the gap between business and technology is crucial for turning ideas into successful products.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄCracking doors
đĄInterviewing
đĄSoftware Engineers
đĄGoogle headquarters
đĄExperience
đĄSystem Development Engineering
đĄFree food
đĄInternship
đĄAcquisition
đĄBasics
đĄReliability
đĄScalability
Highlights
Software engineers at Google stress the importance of communicating your thought process during interviews.
Candidates should be prepared to work on basic skills such as data structures, algorithms, and system design.
Google values candidates with strong fundamentals in computer science, as they can build on advanced topics from a solid foundation.
Practicing coding problems on platforms like LeetCode and using resources like 'Cracking the Coding Interview' is common preparation advice.
Successful interview candidates often think about long-term solutions and scalability when designing systems.
Building solutions iteratively and communicating them clearly is a common trait among successful Google engineers.
Traditional college degrees with internships are still the easiest route into Google, but non-traditional paths such as boot camps are also viable.
Candidates should focus on presenting their best skills and experiences on their resume to stand out during the screening process.
The transition from startups to Google often involves acquiring strong technical skills and adapting to larger-scale challenges.
Women in tech and aspiring candidates should focus on developing strong technical communication skills, especially when working with non-technical stakeholders.
Having international mobility and the ability to work from different Google offices around the world is a valued perk for Google employees.
Internships at Google can serve as a strong pipeline for full-time roles, with programs like the STEP program offering a structured pathway.
Engineers at Google recommend thinking about problems from the perspective of large user bases and designing for reliability and scalability.
Acquisitions, such as the Cloud Simple startup, are another way that engineers find their way into Google.
Google engineers suggest finding and pursuing your passion early, as technical skills can always be learned later.
Transcripts
I think the most important thing is the
better you are at cracking doors there's
no way to you know Google can reject you
so I've been working in tech for about
15 years something I regret I didn't
really do well when I look back is I
interviewed at Facebook and Google now
that you're on the other side
interviewing software Engineers what do
the successful ones do that's a good
question uh hey what's up today we're at
Google headquarters asking software
Engineers how they got into Google and
how you can too let's get into it and
make sure you watch till the end because
most of these Engineers have over 10
years of experience and interview
candidates like you every single day
today they finally reveal all their
secrets thanks to GPD bot. for
sponsoring this video hey what's your
name Shivam Shivam yeah nice to meet you
how long have you been at Google and
what is your title I'm manager system
development engineering I've been part
of Google for three and a half years hi
I'm Kate Kate nice to meet you um I'm a
little under two years and I'm a
software engineer at Google the I am an
engineering manager here I have been 2
years and then what is your favorite
benefit or Park food free food yeah
lunches breakfast I love it okay nice oh
I like that there are a lot of offices
internationally so when I travel I can
work from different cities and then what
has been your favorite memory so far I
guess my uh teammate hosted a really
nice team dinner recently um he's from a
grece so it was like all sorts of Greek
food Building Products so mostly I mean
everything is memorable according to me
like every day is memorable so and how
did you how did you get into Google so I
was part of a startup called Cloud
simple and it got acquired Google in
late 2019 mhm so got here as part of
acquisition so I studied computer
science in college um and then I
actually interned at Google uh first
through the step program it used to be
called engineering practicum and then I
became a software engineering intern and
I continued on as a student researcher
and then afterwards uh I decided to just
come back so I went through the uh
returning intern and like conversion
pipeline I got interviewed I qualified
and that's how I am what what did like
where did you apply what were the
interviews like they reached out to me I
was uh at a startup company uh before
Google and then after a year of
conversation I thought okay I interview
and I interviewed at Facebook and Google
got through both of them and chose
Google and now that you're at Google
probably interviewing prospective
googlers what do you look for and what
do successful applicants do um I think
the most important thing is to be able
to talk through your thought process as
you're interviewing so you need to make
sure to be able to convey what you're
thinking at each point and to commun
unate that clearly so that interviewers
can see not just like whether or not
you're able to solve a problem but also
how you approach a ambiguous problem got
it and then what did you use to prepare
like what types of stuff did you do to
get ready for the interviews um
personally I did uh Elite code and then
um also uh cracking the coding interview
have you ever interviewed people like
while you read Google yeah and what do
those interviews look like do you have
any tips uh so mostly we focus on the
basic stuff
uh so we dig deeper into the core of uh
everything like you should be well wored
with Basics and we feel that your Basics
should be so strong enough so that you
can work on anything at the advanced
layer so that's what we focus on got it
and then last question do you have any
advice for someone aspiring to be a
software engineer and get into Google
think about reliability scalability and
and long-term Solutions rather than
focusing on shortterm and and small
Solutions so think about large user base
for a particular problem I think that's
what I would suggest yeah I guess I mean
the usual things you know data structure
algorithms system design I think you
just need to be better at it and crack
the interview I I think it's it's not
very secret anymore but the better you
are at cracking those there's no way to
you know Google can reject you any
advice on passing the resume screen like
how to differentiate yourself you're a
manager you might be looking at
applicants yeah yeah I mean just just be
yourself you know put it put your Best
Way Forward best face forward right uh
that's all they know about you they
can't know everything about you so put
the best things what you have in their
resume so that when somebody looks at it
they want to talk to you Jimmy Jimmy
nice to meet you 5 years I am a just a
senior software engineer uh my name is
nul I've been at Google a little more
than four years now so I'm a software
engineer how did you get into Google
well so at a college I actually worked
at another company called math works for
a while they make like mat lab and stuff
and then I was looking around like a
year and a half after that and then I
passed the interviews and here I am I
just started sort of started my career
at I was at Cisco uh it was like 2 years
out yeah I just needed a little bit of
change and move into genic software I
was like doing a lot of networking uh
stuff over there so I wanted to come
more into General software and now that
you're on the other side interviewing
software Engineers what do the
successful ones do comes down to
communication a lot being able to
explain your thought process and I I do
think that there's something to be said
for practicing at least in my experience
it definitely helped the interview
process to do practice problems on my
own beforehand so I would recommend
doing that for sure oh um I I like uh
candidates who kind of build the
solution like slowly uh you know like
not delve like obviously clarify like
the bigger perspective of the problem uh
but come up with the solution and see if
that works because a lot of the times
you don't need a complicated solution
and then last question do you have any
advice for people trying to become
software Engineers maybe at a big time
company like Google there's no specific
advice I'd offer other than I think it
is easier to go like the traditional
like College route I know that like a
lot of the boot camp stuff is Big these
days and that's a great way to do it too
the easiest path is through college and
through you know relevant inter
internship experience I'd say but I
would also say that's not the only way
to do it so I think there are people who
get interested in it when they're 35 or
later as well and I think that's great
too you can do it either way getting
into Google is more of like Basics again
okay the only thing that worked is like
having fundamentals right so that's like
one advise I think Google values like
fundamental the best Engineers stay on
top of the latest and greatest
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let's get back to some more advice from
Google software Engineers hi what's your
name hi Ken nice to meet you nice to
meet you how long have you been at
Google and what is your title I have
been at Google for about a year and a
half and my title is product manager in
vertex Cloud AI so I work on our AIML
platform been Google for almost two
years and what is your title uh self
engineer and how did you actually get
the job what did that look like uh so
applied during you know end of 2021 so
it's still pandemic so you know at that
time all the tech companies kind of like
over hiring yeah so a lot of other
people including me got hired during
that period how did you get into Google
and then maybe PM um so I've been
working in tech for about 15 years
originally I was working at startups um
actually more on the sales and customer
success side um and then I got kind of
burned out on that and went back to
school for computer science okay and
then um I transitioned over to product
about 5 years ago was at a couple
startups for a while and then uh went to
Google what has been your favorite
software rering memory so far you have
quite a lot of supports both in terms of
uh you can always reach out to your
colleagues whenever you need help or you
have a huge database of documents that
you can just search through and find
solution something I regret I didn't
really do well when I look back is that
finding your passion early on is always
beneficial technical skills all the
other things you can acquire them after
maybe you start late compared to others
but it's okay I think that good PMS are
really good at Bridging the uh
constraints and possibilities on the
technical side versus the business
requirements okay essentially sort of
frame that up in a way that the business
teams can actually sell it do you have
any advice for aspiring people trying to
break into Google especially maybe women
in Tech yeah I I think that on the
technical side actually the people in my
experience that are the most successful
tech technical practitioners are usually
also good at um working with
non-technical stakeholders I think this
is sort of an under heralded skill um
because if you are not a good
communicator and you're not good at
communicating with people that do not
know as much as you do as a technical
expert you're going to have a really
hard time translating those ideas into
like products that get shipped into the
world so it's like great to you know how
to code and be you know awesome at
technical things but um being able to
actually communicate those things to
people that don't know much about the
technology behind them is really
important hey what's up today we're
asking
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