Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020 • Hacker News Board

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#71

Post by SmirkingRevenge » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:46 PM UTC

mtnGoat wrote: post #28

All I have heard are nightmare stories from everyone I know whom has interviewed at a FAANG(or the likes). It's crazy how disrespectful(and frankly insulting) these companies are to candidates, under the guise of trying to get the best. I would assume the best aren't sitting around on their hands for months waiting for offers, nor are they overly willing to be jerked around.

The top tier big tech companies are generally drowning in applicants, even though they are growing like crazy. IIRC, google gets several million candidates per year. They're picky because they can be.

(Things are quite different for other not-so-sexy companies that need engineering talent.)

For those who decide to go for a FAANG job - maximize your time. Prepping for an interview at one, preps you for the others, with minor differences.

So try and set up interviews with them all around the same time, while you are well practiced. Throw in a few smaller companies somewhere in there too, with different interview styles. Schedule on-sites for your least-desired opportunities first, and consider them warm ups.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#72

Post by _throwawayyyyyy » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:46 PM UTC

falcolas wrote: post #44

The biggest WTF I got out of this was: Writing code and tests in a Google Doc. I can't think of a much less friendly environment to write code in, except perhaps Notepad. I did it once (for an intra-company interview), and it was nasty to deal with. The WTF in second place was a blind requirement to know the mechanics behind a somewhat niche game that was big two years ago.

one of my in-person interviewers at Google forgot they had to do this - I spent like 38 minutes of our interview whiteboarding and then he said, "oh crap you're supposed to do this on the computer" - i furiously typed for a few minutes to try to replicate what i'd done.

when i later talked to HR there was no mention of this in the interviewer's report.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#73

Post by izacus » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:47 PM UTC

untog wrote: post #3

I'd be curious to know if this is typical. As someone that's never interviewed at Google but idly wondered at moments if I'd ever work there this sounds hellish. Not necessarily the exercises themselves (although they seem to have nothing to do with what any developer does day-to-day), but the sheer number of them and the amount of preparation required. I already have a full time job, I don't want to take on another…

Let's look at it from another perspective (and this holds true for most FAANGs): A month of serious work and preparation can land you one of the most paying jobs on the world which will make you a millionare in a few years if you play it right.

Most people (especially if they didn't win the birth lottery by being born in CA, USA) go to schools and colleges for YEARS and YEARS to come even a few steps towards what you can get at Google and FAANGS by working for a month or two to prepare for the interview.

Take a step back and consider just how damn pampered we are in this business when doing exercies for a few weeks before interview for a 250.000$+ job is too much for you.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#74

Post by munificent » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:48 PM UTC

mtnGoat wrote: post #28

All I have heard are nightmare stories from everyone I know whom has interviewed at a FAANG(or the likes). It's crazy how disrespectful(and frankly insulting) these companies are to candidates, under the guise of trying to get the best. I would assume the best aren't sitting around on their hands for months waiting for offers, nor are they overly willing to be jerked around.

Well, the non-nightmarish stories aren't as interesting and don't get told as often.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#75

Post by downerending » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:49 PM UTC

thedance wrote: post #30

The best way to get a job at google is to get some high ranking insiders to refer you and then show up at the interview and do your best. The yammering about how to ace the coding interview overlooks that without a referral you are at a severe disadvantage.

I had several pretty ranked insiders as references (one whose name you know), and it didn't seem to help me at all.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#76

Post by vanusa » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:49 PM UTC

munificent wrote: post #68

vanusa wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My "lunch interviewer" complained about the bureaucracy and said he was looking for another job after being there for ~18 months. Actually (with that) he wasn't being an asshole; he was doing you a favor. In revealing to you, quite candidly, just how disappointing the Google experience evidently is for a considerable portion of engineers.

Bias up front: I work at Google. > evidently is for a considerable portion of engineers. I only see evidence that the experience was disappointing for a single Googler, the lunch interviewer, not "a considerable portion" of them. The interviewer's data point is certainly valid, but it's not clear to me how much you can generalize it.

I only see evidence that the experience was disappointing for a single Googler, the lunch interviewer.

Obviously it is to be taken into account together with a whole slew of data points -- not just in the form of online postings, but from close acquaintances who have worked there over there years.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#77

Post by aglavine » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:50 PM UTC

I failed my interview with Amazon, but I blame me. The interviewers were mostly nice amd helpful. I missed a few questions. It was a learning experience.

Sure the interview process can improve, but I didn't find it a mess as some people here mention.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#78

Post by _throwawayyyyyy » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:51 PM UTC

5cott0 wrote: post #69

I wonder if the trend of not respecting swe candidates time is actually big tech testing our tolerance for frustratingly incompetent, opaque bureaucracy?

they can put you on 'salary' to get you to work unlimited unpaid overtime, not give you specific days off so that you can have 'unlimited' (no) vacation, fire you at will any day for any reason, and make you go through a vicious gauntlet of dystopian interviewing for the privilege.

i think it's obvious that we're already pretty tolerant

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#79

Post by mtnGoat » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:51 PM UTC

munificent wrote: post #74

mtnGoat wrote: post #28

All I have heard are nightmare stories from everyone I know whom has interviewed at a FAANG(or the likes). It's crazy how disrespectful(and frankly insulting) these companies are to candidates, under the guise of trying to get the best. I would assume the best aren't sitting around on their hands for months waiting for offers, nor are they overly willing to be jerked around.

Well, the non-nightmarish stories aren't as interesting and don't get told as often.

well this is absolutely true. negative voices tend to be more vocal.

All the G engineers I work with have been there a while, so they went through different processes.

Re: Google interviewing process for software developer role in 2020

#80

Post by drewg123 » Mon, Feb 24, 2020, 5:51 PM UTC

adpirz wrote: post #15

Point blank: is it all worth it? Googlers and Xooglers alike, is going through all of this worth return? If it depends, what does it depend on?

Xoogler here: Yes. I'm mid/late career, and came into Google in 2013 and left in 2015 after more than doubling my pre-Google salary. IMHO, it has been worth it for the salary alone.