It is not easy to get a job with Google. They are named brand and are currently the biggest thing on the Internet. They have the power to control public opinion by simply moving the order that their web results show, plus they make a lot of money from their affiliate advertising, money that rivals most software companies. Getting a job with them may be difficult, but they are a global company with offices in most countries, which means there are quite a lot of jobs to be had (around 40,000 people are employed at any one time). Here are a few tips to help you snag one of those jobs. [1]
Your CV should Look More Like a Sales Pamphlet
The single page CV is not going to fly when you are selling your job skills to Google. There are a lot of people that want jobs with Google, and you can be sure that many of them are more qualified and more experienced than you.
You need to turn your CV into a sales pamphlet that rivals the ones you see for timeshare apartments. You need to label and point out all your qualities in a very overt way. The HR staff should see your pamphlet a think they are about to buy a luxury car (not literally obviously).
Leadership Skills Count for a Lot
Laszlo Bock, Google big cheese, says that Google looks for leadership skills. It is possible that he said it as a publicity statement because it makes the employees sound more like independent workers instead of factory-style robots. Still, it cannot hurt to point out your leadership skills in your CV and during your interviews. Let them know that you can lead a team as well as become a functioning member of a team. If you can highlight times when you have taken dual roles, then all the better, such as when you lead a team in one department whilst you were part of a team in another department. [2]
Your CV should be a Google-only CV
In other words, you are creating a CV that is just for Google. It is common for people to create a catch-all CV that they send to everybody, but this needs to be a CV you created just for Google and you need to let them know that fact. You don’t need to write an essay, just mention things such as “I would make a fantastic Google employee because” instead of “I would do well in the job because.”
Creativity Seems to Matter Quite a Bit
A lot of bigger companies say things like this, and yet in reality they are corporations that sanitize all that comes their way and is produced. Laszlo Bock said creativity is a big deal to the company, and whether it is true or not, you need to buy in to the idea. You need to mention how you are always finding creative solutions to problems, and how you come up with ways of reducing costs and increasing efficiency. Say that your current job role is a little restrictive and that you want to work for a company like Google because it has the tools and certainly the resources to help you work to your full potential. You do not have to show your creativity with things such as fancy banners and graphics; just tell them how creative you are. [3]
They Want to Know why you did what you Did
Laszlo Bock says that Google wants to know why you achieved what you did as well as how. Once you have described how, it may be a good idea to explain the thought process behind it all. This is easier in the interview, but since you are writing a large CV then feel free to take up a few pages detailing your success stories. Explain your reasons for your decisions so that they can imagine how you will react when you are working for them. [3]
GPAs are Worthless
This is another point that sounds like a corporate lie to make the HR process seem less elitist because it is hard to imagine them turning down a Yale(y) in order to take on the guy with the C grade point average. Still, Laszlo Bock claims that they do not take GPAs into account. It does make a sideways sort of sense because they do have a lot of people applying. They have too many Ivy League and high scorers applying and so could fill their entire staff force with them. With that in mind, it is possible that they are looking for something else beyond the GPA. [2]
Consider what your Degree Actually Means to You
Laszlo Bock has gone on record saying that you should consider what your degree actually means about you. For example, if you have an English degree then you can learn and follow the rules very well and are good at structured thinking. You should write in your CV what your degree actually stands for beyond the course content. [3]
[1] https://investor.google.com/financial/tables.html
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-to-get-a-job-at-google.html?_r=1
[3] http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-to-get-a-job-at-google-part-2.html
