I recently applied through a friend at Google – but for me, the application process already took away my hope.
Although being recommended by someone inside at least gives you a promised reply within two weeks (in comparison to no reply due to too many applicants [I applied once before for another job and the email I got stated very clearly that I shouldn’t get me hopes up regarding a reply]).
Here is what I learned during that process and some questions that came up.
- If you do not belong to the top of your class – chances are slim (I thought Google moved away from looking at grades – but my contact pointed out to me that my chances might be slim due to my poly grades; my University grades are way better though.)
- Googles does not need job reference letters – why not? They actually would have helped in showing that I for a fact am a hard/smart worker, get stuff done and am quite smart and liked.
- Keep the cover letter short – about half a page actually is enough. And really sharpen your content to fit the job description. How can you convey something about you in such a short letter?
- Lie?! I was not told to lie but make everything sound better than it (or I) was. Maybe that’s true for every company – but how am I supposed to feel good about myself and a possible interview if I oversell myself.
My family is really excited about this application but I actually won’t get my hopes up. The process already stressed me and made me feel very small although I know that I’m quite capable. I just felt quite left alone – stop being yourself and be someone better. I am sure working at Google is great but how does it feel like for someone that maybe got in and is not as smart as everyone else?
How much higher are the chances of being considered for a job interview if you got recommended vs applied through their site?
Google hiring team answers
I work at Google, and I sit on a hiring committee that reviews new college grad packets. So here are some facts for you:
- Grades are not a factor. I’ve never even seen a high school transcript.
- most important thing is to rock your interviews. Great interview scores will get you hired even if your transcript is just so-so. But a great transcript can make a difference if your interview scores are borderline.
- don’t be too discouraged if you don’t get hired the first time you interview. It isn’t necessarily a reflection on you. Google’s hiring process is really tough, and our philosophy is that it’s better to miss a few good candidates than it is to mistakenly hire a few duds. Many people reapply a year or two later and do get hired.
- you didn’t say what kind of position you were applying for. If it is a software engineering position, make sure you study up on basic data structures and algorithms before your interview, and especially tree structures. The are lots of websites out there with example questions.
- don’t try to BS your way through a question if you don’t know the answer, and ask questions if you are stuck. Pretending is an instant fail.