My Google HR Response • Hacker News Board

Re: My Google HR Response

#11

Post by nodegree_throw » Mon, Jul 30, 2012, 10:48 PM UTC

jdelsman wrote: post #10

It's annoying that even if you have a degree in Theoretical Linguistics or something absurd like that, you can still get a software/hardware engineering job at Google. Google really need to think harder about their approach to hiring if they want to remain a powerhouse. What happens when, in the near future, the computer science graduating pool (i.e. the "bubble") becomes flooded with losers who don't know their ass…

I agree mostly. Hard to swallow that you are being ruled out because you don't (by choice) have a qualification that doesn't really determine aptitude. Blank's recent post comes to mind: http://steveblank.com/2012/07/30/lying-on-your-resume/

Re: My Google HR Response

#12

Post by nodegree_throw » Mon, Jul 30, 2012, 10:53 PM UTC

guyzero wrote: post #5

I don't know if this is really strictly true. There are a handful of people I know of who got hired at Google the "regular" way and they don't have CS degrees. One has an undergrad in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Pure Math, although he's worked as a software developer basically his entire career. I know people with Computer Engineering degrees who work there. And of course outside of core eng people are all ov…

Good stuff. They still have a degree though. I don't, by (foolish?) choice. Interesting that 'a degree' seems to be the approach rather than a specific CS degree though, thanks :)

Re: My Google HR Response

#13

Post by nodegree_throw » Mon, Jul 30, 2012, 11:05 PM UTC

ChuckMcM wrote: post #3

See the 'lying' thread. Yes folks hire non-degree holders, Google doesn't. When I was working there and talking/dealing with HR and the Google Hiring process I once tried to refer a non-degreed friend but they were having nothing of it. Basically at the time (2007 - 2009) they had a very firm "No degree, no job." And a more insidious, "if you get acquihired in and the job you are in would normally fall under this rul…

Just read the lying thread (presuming it is the one surrounding Blank's recent post). Very interesting, esp the top post.

Re: My Google HR Response

#14

Post by guyzero » Mon, Jul 30, 2012, 11:11 PM UTC

nodegree_throw wrote: post #12

guyzero wrote: post #5

I don't know if this is really strictly true. There are a handful of people I know of who got hired at Google the "regular" way and they don't have CS degrees. One has an undergrad in Electrical Engineering and a PhD in Pure Math, although he's worked as a software developer basically his entire career. I know people with Computer Engineering degrees who work there. And of course outside of core eng people are all ov…

Good stuff. They still have a degree though. I don't, by (foolish?) choice. Interesting that 'a degree' seems to be the approach rather than a specific CS degree though, thanks :)

Yeah, cold comfort, sorry.

Re: My Google HR Response

#15

Post by ChuckMcM » Mon, Jul 30, 2012, 11:14 PM UTC

j_baker wrote: post #6

ChuckMcM wrote: post #3

See the 'lying' thread. Yes folks hire non-degree holders, Google doesn't. When I was working there and talking/dealing with HR and the Google Hiring process I once tried to refer a non-degreed friend but they were having nothing of it. Basically at the time (2007 - 2009) they had a very firm "No degree, no job." And a more insidious, "if you get acquihired in and the job you are in would normally fall under this rul…

They've loosened up a bit. I was acquihired as an engineer without a college degree. And thus far, I don't think I'm getting "managed out", but perhaps they're just doing a bad job of it. That said, I don't know what they're doing for people who apply the "regular" way.

That is good to hear, I always felt it was pretty ridiculous. Presumably you've been slotted? That was the base mechanism which caused a ton of ill will.

Re: My Google HR Response

#16

Post by ChuckMcM » Mon, Jul 30, 2012, 11:17 PM UTC

nodegree_throw wrote: post #7

j_baker wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They've loosened up a bit. I was acquihired as an engineer without a college degree. And thus far, I don't think I'm getting "managed out", but perhaps they're just doing a bad job of it. That said, I don't know what they're doing for people who apply the "regular" way.

Interesting stuff :) I'm glad things are going good for you. I could understand it more if I just fired off my CV to them, but Google approached me ... though I suspect they approach a lot of people ... a lot.

I was asked by an engineer about using my contacts to 'get him into' Google, I suggested that he do three things:

1) Make sure he had a LinkedIn presence

2) Create a Github account and put one or more projects in it, preferably written in one of Java, Python, or C++

3) Register with StackOverflow and build up some karma.

Then let the trawler pick you up the next time it goes by :-)

Re: My Google HR Response

#17

Post by Zenst » Tue, Jul 31, 2012, 4:59 AM UTC

nodegree_throw wrote: post #2

Note: Google approached me after seeing my stackoverflow account and other things on the Internet. After a very nice email chat, I sent my CV and got rejected due to no CS degree ...

I do feel HR departments have too much control in hiring process's. Sadly education descrimination is one such area still fully allowed by law, despite the lesser paper educated person being more able to do the job.

Bottom line if they are letting alot of talent slip thru the nets due to this rigid policey then eventualy they will create competition.

One does wonder when you read all these stories of big companies formed by people who quite doing there degree's half way thru and then read about a big company insisting that all employee's have a degree. Just have to laugh and move on.

I was once at a interview were the HR people were assholes like that though the IT manager in a seprate interview was blown away with my skill's and demostrated abilities and offered me more than what I was asking for, I turned them down due to the experience I had in the HR interview prior to the technical interview and told them why as well. Took a lesser paid job at a company called RAND who I had also interviewed with that same day. Had HR not been so rude and downright insulting due to my age etc, then I would of taken there job offer. Retrospectivly though I did make the best choice in the end, which was comforting.

Re: My Google HR Response

#18

Post by Zenst » Tue, Jul 31, 2012, 5:03 AM UTC

Quality of the degree - is that a issue or do they just look at ticking a box? Reason I ask is that I'm sure there are countries out there who for a small donation will give you one. Utterly useless but does afford you to say - yes I have a degree.

Still if Bill Gates applied, I guess he'd get rejected as well. Same with Zuckerman, many others as well. Guess your qualified to start a big empire yourself by not having one.

Re: My Google HR Response

#19

Post by equity » Tue, Jul 31, 2012, 7:31 AM UTC

I sympathize with the rather cold response from Google. However that was not a response from Google HR -- it was a response from a contract recruiter, and Google has hundreds of them. Because Google sees so many resumes that they can be picky. You may very well indeed be a top notch candidate so don't take it personally.

That said, as a Googler, I understand why they will hire non-SWE with phds in chemisty, neuroscience, or particle physics or what have you -- it's because Google has unique problems to think about that are not just pure software engineering. For instance, how do you scientifically evaluate the current search quality and ensure that it continues to improve? Google is very research-oriented and data-driven, and this spills over into the SWE work so it's not always 100% about building good software.

Re: My Google HR Response

#20

Post by nodegree_throw » Tue, Jul 31, 2012, 10:50 AM UTC

equity wrote: post #19

I sympathize with the rather cold response from Google. However that was not a response from Google HR -- it was a response from a contract recruiter, and Google has hundreds of them. Because Google sees so many resumes that they can be picky. You may very well indeed be a top notch candidate so don't take it personally. That said, as a Googler, I understand why they will hire non-SWE with phds in chemisty, neuroscie…

I 100% agree with you wrt to their reasoning. It does seem sound given the problems they are trying to solve requiring diverse skills etc. Interesting that they contract it out. Thanks :)