How to Get Hired by Google
I spotted this very timely, two-part article ‘How to Get Hired by Google’ for those of you considering applying to Google…or any other high-tech company for that matter. A half-hearted application is a waste of your time. I think this article will give you an insight into what’s required so that you can put in your best effort.
Some time ago I witnessed a very interesting conversation between a Google representative and three postgraduate computer students here at Victoria. The conversation was initially 4-way, then three-way, then two-way as the conversation became more and more technical and theoretical with only one student able to hold the Google representative’s attention. Why was that? He showed a real passion for his field, he was able to talk about his current research and wider research interests, he was able to respond quickly to conversational cues and their conversation just flowed and was a pleasure to listen to.
The representative later asked the student for his contact details. He was almost certainly invited for an interview. Unfortunately the other two students were not so lucky and would need to have then applied through the more usual channels.
What’s the lesson here? Opportunities are all around us. Prioritise meeting company representatives face to face – if they’re on campus to recruit or to talk about their business or as a guest lecturer – you make sure that you are there too. If you’re not a natural conversationalist then prepare and practice. A successful face to face meeting can lead directly to an interview even for those who aren’t great interview candidates on paper. But you’ll still need to meet the company’s performance criteria at the interview. I hope you enjoy the article.
