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Why I won’t work for Google

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Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#161

Post by coldcode »

jw2013 wrote: post #155
etfb wrote: post #30

The primary reason I won't work for Google is because I'm nowhere near smart enough. But I like to tell myself that the ethical shortcuts they've taken in pursuit of the almighty dollar are a good secondary reason. It's just that I don't need a secondary reason, so yay, consequence-free ethics!

>The primary reason I won't work for Google is because I'm nowhere near smart enough. But as long as the hiring process keeps the same as of it is now, it can be hacked not that difficultly by keep practicing on coding exercises (e.g. http://oj.leetcode.com/ ). All of my friends spent several weeks working on the coding exercises got into Google (for those cared to apply). Several of them are really not that "smart"…

If that's true then Google's hiring process is as broken as everyone's. If below average people are hired by your process then it's the process that sucks. Of course if you keep doing that then eventually your company will suck too.

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#162

Post by etherael »

etherael wrote: post #76
politician wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Consider the massive power wielded by SpaceX with respect to the purchase of Russian rocket components. They prevailed by applying the right amount of pressure at the opportune time (viz a viz Ukraine). In principle, this accomplishment could be replicated.

They're advancing the interests of the state in the all important "great game", effectively increasing their power. All due respect to SpaceX, the state needs to die, not be further empowered. Not a valid strategy. Also, they engage in good old fashioned direct bribery; http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00411116

The state must die is not a call to violence, I mean to say the institution of political authority must be annihilated, not the people that currently hold that authority.

I wish all individual humans within those institutions long happy productive lives after they stop threatening everyone outside those institutions with violence.

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#163

Post by raverbashing »

jccalhoun wrote: post #141
raverbashing wrote: post #138

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you actually experience that or you just heard about it?

I have heard of people that have applied for jobs at google multiple times and had interviews a couple times over the years before they got a job there.

Did they got to an on-site interview?

Because one thing that has happened is recruiters leaving you hanging on, so, they'll ask for some info, then no further communication (even if you ask)

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#164

Post by threatofrain »

sidcool wrote: post #117
reikonomusha wrote: post #52

There are more reasons to not work for Google, including their (sometimes?) rather poor interview process.

That comes as a surprise to me. Poor interview process? They have the world's best engineers at their disposal, don't they? A poor interview process would point otherwise.

Industrial / Org psychology is a rather new sub discipline. It's still hard to beat a metric like general mental ability in predicting job performance across a variety of jobs.

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#166

Post by jorgecastillo »

Quite frankly if we put in a balance everything good and bad Google has ever done, the positive things they've done outweigh the negative things by a ton. I think that of all the tech companies Google is the most awesome. Seriously I am glad I don't have to pay an Apple tax or a Microsoft tax to develop mobile apps. I am grateful that Android is OSS just for that Google will always have my sympathy.

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#167

Post by QuantumChaos »

67726e wrote: post #98
mehrdada wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The primary reason I won't work for Google is because I'm nowhere near smart enough I think plenty of people tend to vastly overestimate Google's (or Facebook's, ...) hiring bar. I know quite a few people who would be happy to work there and (I believe) can easily beat the hiring process, but they self-eliminate themselves from the game, so I definitely recommend to folks not to make a prejudice about whether they…

Honestly, I used to think the same way. I am a college dropout that has about 3 years professional experience (thoigh I have been programming since I was a kid) and I suddenly have a Google recruiter coming after me and trying to get me to interview. I have worked with a guy who now works at Google and some people who interviewed at one time or another. They say the same thing as the parent post; Google hires good pr…

Think about the sociology of this: would you really expect a Google employee to say "Yes, we are almost all geniuses"?

There is a lot of social pressure to attribute one's success to hard work (except of you're a White male ;-) ), luck, good mentorship, experience, meta-skills etc. rather than intelligence.

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#168

Post by Selfcommit »

smikhanov wrote: post #119
67726e wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, I used to think the same way. I am a college dropout that has about 3 years professional experience (thoigh I have been programming since I was a kid) and I suddenly have a Google recruiter coming after me and trying to get me to interview. I have worked with a guy who now works at Google and some people who interviewed at one time or another. They say the same thing as the parent post; Google hires good pr…

Did you actually interview with them? I have Computer Science education, 10+ years of industry experience, am very familiar with most of the Cormen book and have been programming since I was a kid. I was interviewing with Google twice (after their recruiters reached out to me) and haven't made the bar. Don't think that the fact of recruiter getting in touch mean anything -- they are playing their own numbers game.

Is this the book you reference?

http://www.amazon.com/Introduction-Algorithms-Thomas-H-Corme...

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#169

Post by joeblau »

nutjob2 wrote: post #23
joeblau wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He may make enough money freelancing that he doesn't need to work for any corporation. If you're good at what you do in the Software space, you can command very strong 6 figure salaries and only have to "work" part of the year to maintain a very comfortable lifestyle.

Who do you think freelancers work for, exactly?

I only freelance for companies smaller than 15 people. Like the other person said, it could be anybody from an individual to a small team to a large corporation.

Re: Why I won’t work for Google

#170

Post by desipenguin »

mgkimsal wrote: post #126
67726e wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Honestly, I used to think the same way. I am a college dropout that has about 3 years professional experience (thoigh I have been programming since I was a kid) and I suddenly have a Google recruiter coming after me and trying to get me to interview. I have worked with a guy who now works at Google and some people who interviewed at one time or another. They say the same thing as the parent post; Google hires good pr…

I had a Google recruiter call me after "finding my resume". They then asked me to send them my resume. I told them to Bing my name to get the latest copy of my resume. Not heard back from them since. :/

nasty :)
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