When Can I Interview at Google Again

Google Onsite Interview Experience

Interviewing at Google SG for Nihon software engineer function

Note: I am willing to requite a inexpensive paid mock interview to anyone who requests it! Delight approach me at whatever social media :D.

Prelude

I previously practical for Google Japan Software Engineering internship and got an offer, just I decided to decline it because I've accepted a total-time offer at some other visitor.

I took a long time emailing my recruiter to hash out the possibilities. Trust me, writing those emails was terrifying. I don't want to be banned from Google as they might see me being fickle and greedy. In the end, everything turned out well. I'm glad that he's really compassionate and said that my decision to pass up the offering was perfectly fine. He even thanked me for my bravery and honesty (trust me, this made me feel so skillful about myself 😄).

Afterward I had formally sent my terminal decision, he sent me the following email.

Rangga,

Thanks for kindly sharing your thoughts. I'm pretty certain you lot have carefully thought about information technology and fabricated this decision so we volition respect.

Just to confirm, you are not even applying to full-time position of Google? If y'all want to, we can kickoff the process now :)

Thanks,

Seriously, Google is beyond generous. Instead of abandoning me, they actually offered me a full-fourth dimension position interview 😢. I asked if I tin can beginning working in late 2019, and my recruiter responded that I can get-go anytime as long as it is in 2019. Without hesitation, I agreed to go through the recruitment process.

Steps

Here are the steps for a full-time chore at Google.

Phone Interview (1 interview)
Onsite Interview (iv interviews on the aforementioned 24-hour interval)
Hiring Committee Review

Training

Aforementioned preparation described in my previous article. My recruiter actually did not inquire for a new resume. He used the resume I had sent for my internship application. And just like my internship emails, this is the provided Google interview preparation link.

Phone Interview

First, I filled a form sent by my recruiter regarding my availability, programming linguistic communication (C++/Java/Python), and interview language (Japanese/English). One day subsequently I submitted the form, a recruiting coordinator finally reached me. Merely this time, she wasn't from Asia, just from Ireland (doesn't make any divergence at all, just a fun fact).

And once over again, sorry, I cannot share the questions as the electronic mail has stated:

Every bit a friendly reminder, our interview questions are confidential, so delight keep things nether wraps.

I idea 10 days were long that I could acuminate my interview skills, just I was so busy finishing schoolhouse administration for graduation, and also partying, mainly eating at fancy restaurants 🌴. I ended upwards preparing naught… Still, I still picked up the phone call on the interview date, precisely at 8 am. Surprisingly, this is my kickoff female interviewer! She's really nice and she's the just interviewer who actually asked me to innovate myself.

Just like my previous experience, the voice is very, very unclear. Apparently, the situation was the same for her. She could not even hear me saying "sort" that I had to type it. We both ended upwards using typing for communication. I got three algorithms questions. Compared to my previous telephone interviews, those questions were actually very easy. I could solve every question with virtually no defoliation (except for the 2nd question). The interview lasted for 46 minutes, and for the outset time also, the interviewer did not requite the chance for me to ask questions (I never have any actually 😆). In my stance, Google's questions are not as terrifying as many take imagined. Some might be actually piece of cake.

Ten days later (27th July), I finally got an update from my recruiter.

Hullo Garmastewira!

Thanks for waiting while nosotros reviewed your interview feedback. We would like to let you know you did well in your first interview and we would similar to invite yous to iv onsite interviews at our Google part if you are currently based in Nippon (if yous're not currently in Nippon permit us know where yous are and then that we can have you become to the office nearest to your location).

Onsite Interview

FYI, I live in Indonesia. My recruiter asked if I prefer to do the interview via Hangouts or do it on site at Google's office. I hateful, every sane person would go for an onsite interview 😛. Going to a Google's role might exist an simply one-time experience.

I really hoped the onsite interview wouldn't happen at Google Tokyo or other offices that require Visa to enter considering my schedule was really tight (vacation in Korea, moving to Singapore). My best guess was that I'd practise the interview at Google Singapore as Google Jakarta does not employ software engineers. Three days later (30th July), and electronic mail came from another recruiting coordinator, and I was right. It'south Singapura! 🇸🇬

But like other companies who request onsite interviews, Google will pay the expenses for the flight and the hotel. Sadly, considering Republic of indonesia is very close to Singapore, Google but books one night for the hotel. Notwithstanding, it'due south ameliorate than zero 😃. They really gave several flights and hotel choices to adjust my best preferences. Here are my travel needs that I chose for the interview.

Flying: Singapore Airlines, BDO-SIN (Bandung-Singapore). Departing on 26th June in the morning.
By default, you lot should club a return flight too. I didn't volume 1 considering I'd stay in Singapore (rent an apartment and first working).
Hotel: 1000 Hyatt Hotel Singapore (Room Type: Google Recruit Room).
This would be my second time staying in a v-star hotel 😅. Also, it'due south intriguing to know what a "Google Recruit Room" would actually expect similar.

Google also provide reimbursements for travel and food, only y'all need to pay for yourself first and keep all the receipts. There are details on how y'all tin receive your money based on your residence and depository financial institution account. Funnily, they offer car rental and Google strongly prefers this compared to reimbursing taxi rides. I'm not sure if yous need an international driving license every bit I chose not to book i.

1. Trip to Singapore

Subsequently an exhausting yet incredibly fun trip to Korea, I finally moved to Singapore!

I actually brought my mom likewise. She will help me moving to Singapore. We brought two giant suitcases; both should weigh at least 45 kg 🌓. I actually wanted to order a GrabTaxi, but we are very unsure about where the taxi should pick us. So nosotros used the Aerodrome's taxi service to become to the hotel. In the end, the airport'southward taxi is only $two more expensive than the price Catch listed.

We arrived at the hotel at around three PM. We directly went to the bank check-in staff. Weirdly, she has a very smooth American accent. I guess this is the norm for a hotel staff? 🤣 We were and then escorted to this and so-called "Google Recruit" room, but it was basically a "King Bed Deluxe" room. What I found very cool was there was this welcome message on the Goggle box upon my arrival. On a side note, I found out that I didn't get a breakfast. If I wanted to, I needed to pay an additional $threescore 💸.

I remember information technology was around 4 PM that my mom and I were freshened up again. We only visited Far Due east Plaza to eat "Ayam Penyet Ria" and ION mall to swallow dinner later. I spent some fourth dimension to review some of my notes earlier going to sleep. Within xx minutes, I got sleepy already (reading textbook is the fastest way to get to sleep for me). I just hoped that everything would become well the next day…

ii. Start and 2d Interview

I used the taxi service in front end of the hotel to take me to Google'due south office. I arrived super early, twoscore minutes before the interview begins. Anyone who arrives there tin see the "Google x Welcome" sign clearly, merely I was personally quite confused on finding the role's entrance. I waited for some time at the reception. Fortunately, my interviewer likewise came early fifteen minutes before the interview, so I actually got a much more fourth dimension for the showtime interview.

I did my interview in a defended coming together room (I call up it might fit ten people in the room). Nosotros offset introduced ourselves. He asked several questions virtually my opinion most Singapore. I said the climate is much meliorate than Jakarta, merely he argued that Singapore is way much more boiling than Jakarta (which I finally concur now). FYI, he'south Canadian. This office is definitely so various.

I was given a laptop to type the lawmaking. I used a code-sharing application, similar to Google Docs, but dedicated for coding as I can cull what programming language highlighting I want to utilize. I call back information technology is built by Google itself for the purpose of interviewing. The interviewer needed to practice something like like logging in on my laptop commencement (I call up), and the code document was synced on his laptop and mine. Time to code!

The question is quite simple. I answered and gave the complexity assay smoothly. I notice that he actually typed what I was saying. When I talked to fast, he said "agree on, and so you said Thirty right? Slower please, I need to type your thought process for the feedback". After that, he asked many follow-up questions (no need to code), and I call up I managed to answer them well. There'southward this one follow-upward question coding question before the time ran out (10 minutes or so), merely I failed to answer 🤢.

Time'due south out, and the second interviewer was already in front of the door. I had a hard time to say his name properly equally he has a Chinese name (I can pronounce Pinyin correctly now, though 😛). Unlike the first interview, he actually offered me if I desire to apply the whiteboard. The whiteboard is really the unabridged wall of the room 🤣. I do adopt the whiteboard, so I chose information technology. This was my best interview attempt out of all the 4 interviews. I only did the design and pseudo-code on the whiteboard. I wrote the code on the laptop but similar the first interview. I feel very good with what I did on this interview.

iii. Lunch

After finishing my second interview, I was escorted by another Google employee. I thought he would be my 3rd interviewer, but he actually wasn't. He was only just a lunch escort 😂. He guided me to the cafeteria. The way to the cafeteria was quite confusing. At that place are simply too many (fancy) stairs at this office. I think I cannot go back from the cafe to the interview room without guidance…

And hither is the cafeteria!

Google'southward cafeteria is simply H-U-G-E. As my lunch company said, "you can swallow very healthily or the opposite here". It feels similar the nutrient stalls that y'all will discover at a huge wedding. There are salad, Indian food, grilled lamb chop (you lot can lookout man the chef burns the lamb alive), and of course, my all-time favourite, dim-sum!

While eating, I ask a lot of questions about him working at Google. The person who escorted me was from Portugal and moved from Google Switzerland. He said at Google, it is quite easy to move from i part to another ane. I asked a lot about what he has done, Google projects, each part'due south differences, etc. Conversely, he as well asked me questions, but more than about my coding language preference, what open up source projects I similar, etc. I directly ask him whether there will be an assessment of my answers and attitude at this lunch break; he said "admittedly no" 😂. He actually did one time give a negative lunch break feedback that might touch the candidate'south interview results because the person was extremely impolite.

After lunch, he asked me whether I want a tour of the office or just getting a java. The office was confusing enough for me, and so I chose to just chill waiting for the tertiary interview ☕️. I thought we will become to a java cocky-serving machine, but Google actually has a dedicated coffee barista. This office'due south level of awesomeness is beyond words…

iv. Third and Fourth Interview

After a fun dejeuner and role bout, it's time to get back to the interviews!

These last ii interviews didn't end up well though. It's pretty much the same as how the showtime ii interviews take gone. I solved the question on the third interview, although I took a long time to think, thus resulting only in one question. Then, my last interviewer is a woman (again!). I wouldn't say her questions were hard, but I totally bombed (in a bad way) the interview 😢. I could experience she was non impressed with what I did. I just realized the question was really easy after the interview is done (a very common example of doing interview…).

Finally, all the interviews were done. She escorted me to the office's archway. I took the lift going down and gave my thanks. And so, I ordered a GrabTaxi dorsum to my hotel, and that was information technology.

Results

At first, I didn't hope besides much, merely the idea of getting accepted would be really cool. I waited for the results for three weeks, and no answers were given notwithstanding. And so I decided to ping my recruiter, and in ane hour, he sent me this email respond.

Hello Garmastewira,

Thanks so much for waiting through the process while we discussed. Today I'thou reaching out to y'all to share the result later your interviews.

Through the careful consideration and discussion with interviewers, unfortunately we have decided not to motion forward with your application for the Software Engineering role at Google Japan.

Please empathise that nosotros committed and advisedly reviewed your profile and reached the conclusion that you are not ready to bring together Google at this moment. That said, this is not the terminate of our interaction and nosotros were non merely matched as of now.

I'thou really hoping to come across you to apply Google near future again.

My heart sank really deep. Apparently, I nonetheless didn't well enough.

I felt stupid for turning down the internship offer. I blamed myself for declining it. I mean, putting Google on my resume would be super cool, even simply equally an intern. Still, maybe I but need to try harder side by side time. I should be grateful already that I was given the opportunity to do the interview onsite. Too, the visitor that I will work for is extremely cool and generous already.

I heard that I tin attempt to interview again at to the lowest degree one year afterward the last endeavor. Perchance I'll try again adjacent year 😄.

To Conclude

I believe that interviews are quite a luck-or-no-luck matter. You know you are well prepared. But sometimes, the questions are surprisingly too difficult that yous never face such cases. Sometimes, the questions are easy, but your brain is not ready at the time. Sometimes, the interviewer is just too harsh. Who knows?

The best thing that you lot tin can practise is to prepare well. And pray difficult. 🙏 No affair what happens, failure is always a good thing as it will motivate y'all to do better the next time.

Cheers for reading this story, I promise it helps and inspires some readers. Expert luck to everyone who will/is doing the interview!

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Source: https://ranggarmaste.medium.com/google-onsite-interview-experience-1bc4af2880ea