4 ms·

If I'm perfectly honest, the reason I haven't applied to companies like Google is because their process scares me. I studied at a modest university and achieved

by EnderMB 16y ago

If I'm perfectly honest, the reason I haven't applied to companies like Google is because their process scares me. I studied at a modest university and achieved a good degree, but the kind of horror stories I hear make me firmly believe that I received a terrible education, because the level of employees they seem to attract (Jon Skeet, anyone?) are a class apart from myself. It didn't help that the university next door, a top ten institution, was regularly visited by the likes of Google.

alecco 16y ago
Don't let them make you feel like that. What matters is what you make and how you interact with people around you. I've met geniuses who don't make anything interesting out of their lives. They just play mind games and show off. Nobody really likes them or their "high standards." Usually they just criticize everybody and everything in some way or another, instead of helping out. And they are often lazy, covering themselves by stating things are not "challenging" or worthy of their highness. They remind me of those rich guys with sports cars. They wouldn't win any race. What matters is how you do with what you have. The house of cards of arrogants falls down if enough people just ignore them. Like the typical high school hotness scenario. My ideal hiring test: - What do you code for fun? - How do you help people around you? - Favorite non-fiction books? - Would you like to come over for a hackathon next saturday? Edit: I know one counter-example within Google, though. YMMV
dtby 16y ago
I attended a "modest" university. I am not Internet famous. I am old. Google will not leave me alone for all of the times I have told them "I am not interesting in working at your company." I think they assume I am kidding. It's my experience that if you really want to work there they probably want you.
bane 16y ago
I'm personally more concerned with the huge time-waste of the interview process, then getting a rejection after all that. (I'm also concerned about their discriminatory hiring practices -- selecting principally from specific schools rather than looking at individual candidates)
lukesandberg 16y ago
I very much felt the same way at the beginning of the process (and throughout the process). But you've got to remember that the worst thing that can happen is they say no. And saying no doesn't necessarily say anything about you, interviews can get derailed by any number of things none of which imply that you are unqualified. I have blanked on obvious things, i have coded horrible mistakes on whiteboards. That doesn't mean i was unqualified though. Google never visited my university either, but i got approached for an interview (linkedIn ftw) and i accepted it because saying no, or not applying is like turning down free lottery tickets. you might not win but it doesn't hurt.

by EnderMB 16y ago

alecco 16y ago

Don't let them make you feel like that. What matters is what you make and how you interact with people around you. I've met geniuses who don't make anything interesting out of their lives. They just play mind games and show off. Nobody really likes them or their "high standards." Usually they just criticize everybody and everything in some way or another, instead of helping out. And they are often lazy, covering themselves by stating things are not "challenging" or worthy of their highness. They remind me of those rich guys with sports cars. They wouldn't win any race. What matters is how you do with what you have. The house of cards of arrogants falls down if enough people just ignore them. Like the typical high school hotness scenario. My ideal hiring test: - What do you code for fun? - How do you help people around you? - Favorite non-fiction books? - Would you like to come over for a hackathon next saturday? Edit: I know one counter-example within Google, though. YMMV

dtby 16y ago

I attended a "modest" university. I am not Internet famous. I am old. Google will not leave me alone for all of the times I have told them "I am not interesting in working at your company." I think they assume I am kidding. It's my experience that if you really want to work there they probably want you.

bane 16y ago

I'm personally more concerned with the huge time-waste of the interview process, then getting a rejection after all that. (I'm also concerned about their discriminatory hiring practices -- selecting principally from specific schools rather than looking at individual candidates)

lukesandberg 16y ago

I very much felt the same way at the beginning of the process (and throughout the process). But you've got to remember that the worst thing that can happen is they say no. And saying no doesn't necessarily say anything about you, interviews can get derailed by any number of things none of which imply that you are unqualified. I have blanked on obvious things, i have coded horrible mistakes on whiteboards. That doesn't mean i was unqualified though. Google never visited my university either, but i got approached for an interview (linkedIn ftw) and i accepted it because saying no, or not applying is like turning down free lottery tickets. you might not win but it doesn't hurt.