Source: google.com
I’m sure most of the readership of this blog found us through Google. I don’t really need to look at our stats to verify that; everyone has done a something search. I mean, it’s not like AltaVista is an official verb.
Yup, pretty much everyone uses Google. It’s not going anywhere. So with a stable long-term outlook, plus some great employee perks, it seems like a pretty ideal place to get a job (even if, in my opinion, they missed a huge opportunity by naming their newest product Google Glass, and not Googly Eyes). Of course, the best places to work are also the most competitive, so how can you secure a design job with the California-based company?
Fabio Sasso, a former freelance web designer and blogger who now works as a senior designer with Google, offered insight into his experience with the application process over at Digital Arts Online.
NB: How do you get a job at Google?
FS: Google is hiring designers. We want to have more designers. The most important thing is to find a position that you like. Put together a nice presentation and portfolio that shows you can meet [the challenges of that position]. Go there. Be prepared. Present those key factors that we’re looking for in a way that proves you can do it, and you can get a job at Google.
Fabio Sasso (Source: digitalartsonline.co.uk)
Gee, he makes it sound easy. In reality, if you’re lucky enough to catch their Googly Eye, Google has a pretty demanding interview process that uses some tough, unique questions to gauge whether the interviewee is right for their culture. There are whole websites devoted to the Google jobs process, which is both heartening (you can go into an interview prepared!) and scary (a lot of people get rejected by Google).
NB: Tell us about the infamous interview process.
FS: It’s not simple. There are exercises to see if you can do the job. It’s a regular interview, but you have to be prepared. You have to be able to lead the interviewer through the process behind how you created something, not wait for them to ask you lots of questions. Cover as much as you can. Once you get approved by that, you have to go in front of hiring committees. It’s an arduous process. It takes three-to-four months.
Workspace at Google (Source: originalbuzz.info)
So what’s the takeaway? In the end, I don’t think applying for a Google job is much different than applying for a job anywhere else. Sure, it may be competitive, but you should put in the same amount of preparation applying to a firm down the street as you would at Google. The important thing is to always present yourself as the best possible candidate.
If you want to apply for a Google job, start investigating here.
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