Four Googlers shared their stories and experiences working with the tech giant during a conversation hosted by Let’s Detroit, the Detroit Promise, and Detroit Drives Degrees on February 3, 2021. Here are a few takeaways we learned from the panelists:
- Practice telling your story. The panelists each shared interview tips related to telling your story. They recommended writing down a list of all of your experiences related to how you’ve grown your skill set and what you learned along the way. Practice reciting these stories to yourself or record yourself to keep the stories concise. During your interview you’ll have a “briefcase” of stories to pull from that will be communicated clearly.
- Be curious. One of the things all of the panelists liked about working at Google (in addition to missing the office food) is that they’ve all been able to keep pursuing their many interests at work. Googlers are encouraged to be curious and stay open to learning new things and incorporating their interests in their projects. Many of the panelists have had several different types of jobs and roles at Google because they remained open to exploring new opportunities.
- Don’t sell yourself short. If working at a major company like Google sounds intimidating, don’t let that keep you from exploring the possibilities. Each of the panelists described their experiences submitting multiple applications and several interviews before finally landing their first job at Google. They recommended pushing yourself out of your comfort zone to talk to Google employees and the power of informational interviewing to build relationships with employees who will help put in a good word for you during your application process.
- Stop obsessing over perfection. In the Google workplace culture, team members are encouraged to work their hardest to produce good work for their clients, but not stress over perfection. Many of the projects at Google rely on problem solving and constantly seeking feedback for improvements. Go for good!
Download the complete notes for more details about current opportunities, interview tips and additional resources, and follow @detroitpromise and @letsdetroit for similar upcoming events!
