How To Land a Job at Google
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How To Land a Job at Google
1–10 of 19 posts
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#2This always seemed like a sensible approach - so I tried it. I'll let you know if it works...
http://www.appidio.com/apps/scrybe/
(To save you the click through, it's a project of mine that combines Google Scribe with an Android keyboard. It's definitely alpha quality, but the concept is there.)
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#3This always seemed like a sensible approach - so I tried it. I'll let you know if it works... http://www.appidio.com/apps/scrybe/ (To save you the click through, it's a project of mine that combines Google Scribe with an Android keyboard. It's definitely alpha quality, but the concept is there.)
Good attempt. What I would add, if you are really into landing a job, is add a byline that says "I'm a recent graduate" (rather than say I'm jobless), and make sure the product name you are targeting is in the title. This way, you maximize your chance that someone who works on that products eventually finds your page, and your bio will automatically make them think: "hum, why doesn't he work for us?"
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#4I don't think this is the best advice for everyone:
"How would I become a VC? By being one: pull some of my own money, invest it in startups, and build my track record. That’s how. I can’t imagine any other way."
I can definitely imagine another way - the way I suppose the people that went to the event being discussed ("how to become a VC.") might have in mind: learn the ropes from someone experienced, learn what's needed (lots of legal, economical and technical stuff I didn't even know existed before reading stuff like the A VC blog http://www.avc.com/ ), learn from their mistakes and successes (and no, I don't think the Internet is a good enough substitute for the actual experience).
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#5I don't think this is the best advice for everyone: "How would I become a VC? By being one: pull some of my own money, invest it in startups, and build my track record. That’s how. I can’t imagine any other way." I can definitely imagine another way - the way I suppose the people that went to the event being discussed ("how to become a VC.") might have in mind: learn the ropes from someone experienced, learn what's n…
How do you propose to learn what's needed, without actually doing the job? VC jobs have a crazy applicant ratio above 100 to 1. So even if you are super-qualified, with the best MBA, your chances are still below 1% to land that job.
The alternative, kind of what Jeff Clavier did, is just ignore the traditional ladder and just do it.
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#6I don't think this is the best advice for everyone: "How would I become a VC? By being one: pull some of my own money, invest it in startups, and build my track record. That’s how. I can’t imagine any other way." I can definitely imagine another way - the way I suppose the people that went to the event being discussed ("how to become a VC.") might have in mind: learn the ropes from someone experienced, learn what's n…
How do you propose to learn what's needed, without actually doing the job? VC jobs have a crazy applicant ratio above 100 to 1. So even if you are super-qualified, with the best MBA, your chances are still below 1% to land that job. The alternative, kind of what Jeff Clavier did, is just ignore the traditional ladder and just do it.
A problem with this is, most people don't have the money to just start investing in startups. This is one reason why startups tend to need VCs in the first place. It's not like the only thing holding people back from investing in startups is willpower.
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#7I guess telling Google what they should be doing differently might work, but I wasn't really prepared in my interview to give them advice. Still got accepted, though.
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#8Earlier quoted context omitted.
How do you propose to learn what's needed, without actually doing the job? VC jobs have a crazy applicant ratio above 100 to 1. So even if you are super-qualified, with the best MBA, your chances are still below 1% to land that job. The alternative, kind of what Jeff Clavier did, is just ignore the traditional ladder and just do it.
A problem with this is, most people don't have the money to just start investing in startups. This is one reason why startups tend to need VCs in the first place. It's not like the only thing holding people back from investing in startups is willpower.
I don't think a 20-year old, fresh out of college, wants to become a VC. So that particular advice was more targeted at mid-level managers, with some cash in the bank, and the desire to become a VC. Do you know any VC who is less than 30?
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#9Earlier quoted context omitted.
A problem with this is, most people don't have the money to just start investing in startups. This is one reason why startups tend to need VCs in the first place. It's not like the only thing holding people back from investing in startups is willpower.
I don't think a 20-year old, fresh out of college, wants to become a VC. So that particular advice was more targeted at mid-level managers, with some cash in the bank, and the desire to become a VC. Do you know any VC who is less than 30?
Speaking personally, this probably has to do more with resources (money, experience, people) and less with desire.
Re: How To Land a Job at Google
#10This always seemed like a sensible approach - so I tried it. I'll let you know if it works... http://www.appidio.com/apps/scrybe/ (To save you the click through, it's a project of mine that combines Google Scribe with an Android keyboard. It's definitely alpha quality, but the concept is there.)
Good attempt. What I would add, if you are really into landing a job, is add a byline that says "I'm a recent graduate" (rather than say I'm jobless), and make sure the product name you are targeting is in the title. This way, you maximize your chance that someone who works on that products eventually finds your page, and your bio will automatically make them think: "hum, why doesn't he work for us ?"
Making sure a PM on the product reads your blog post isn't about optimising the title and having buzzwords like graduate. Think about being in the PM's shoes and where you would be looking for coverage and posts and so on on your product.
Hint: Writing a cool, insightful blog post, teardown or even nifty mashup (youtube instant?) that appeals to both the HN community as well as being hand crafted to subliminally read 'Please hire me, Google' would more than get you noticed.
The premise in the main post is very sound. If you want a product job at Google, put yourself in the shoes and start thinking product.