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How I (almost) got an internship at Google

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Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#121

Post by saranagati »

ceejayoz wrote: post #85
saranagati wrote: post #79

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Unfortunately, I only know how to design something that works, I don't know how to fake a bad design" I was once given an interview project where they wanted to see how I did with their current code structure. They gave me this really horrible template of data that could never be used in the real world or for anything other than this project. I decided to restructure the template so I could make a useable applicatio…

> Instead I used c style programming in php which ends up being faster. Faster in performance, or faster to develop and maintain? Most PHP apps I've come across have little need for CPU optimization. Not using built-in functions in those situations is likely to have no practical benefit except making it harder for other PHP devs to work with the code.

actually easier to maintain and faster in performance. For example, instead of doing require_once() doing a

if ( ! defined('SOMEINCLUDE')) require('file.php');

then defining SOMEINCLUDE in file.php.

Only saves 3% if i remember correctly but when you're including a hundred includes it adds up and when your site is spread across 30+ load balanced web servers every bit counts. As far as it being easier to maintain, it's easier to debug this way if something goes wrong.

However for things where you've gotta build some huge function (or any function really that's more than a line or 2) to replace a built in for such a small gain in performance I would agree with you.

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#122

Post by redthrowaway »

binxbolling wrote: post #60
jrockway wrote: post #54

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why the hell would you want to work a company that runs you through the gauntlet like this, only to give you the chance that maybe you'll get hired? I mean, this is obviously a really skilled guy who has lots of prospects. Because at this point in your career, you have no degree, no experience, and no income? He's a sophomore in college, not someone with 30 years of industry experience. In my experience, though, I wo…

> The number of people that can start with a blank file and start writing a computer program is probably somewhere around 5% of programmers. What?! There's no way this is true... is there?

As of second year, I've now written dozens of mostly trivial school assignments from scratch, and I can't see it being different anywhere else. There is, however, a difference between being able to pump out a command line calendar for processing .ics files or program an alarm clock in assembly, and being able to make something that people would actually want to use from scratch. Having never done the latter, I'm sure I would struggle initially.

I think part of the problem is that CS programs simply aren't structured for large projects. It would be far more realistic to say on day one, "get in groups of three and hand in a functioning program by the end of the term", but that structure just doesn't work for school. Or, if it would, then nobody has the brass to try it.

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#123

Post by zerd »

saranagati wrote: post #121
ceejayoz wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Instead I used c style programming in php which ends up being faster. Faster in performance, or faster to develop and maintain? Most PHP apps I've come across have little need for CPU optimization. Not using built-in functions in those situations is likely to have no practical benefit except making it harder for other PHP devs to work with the code.

actually easier to maintain and faster in performance. For example, instead of doing require_once() doing a if ( ! defined('SOMEINCLUDE')) require('file.php'); then defining SOMEINCLUDE in file.php. Only saves 3% if i remember correctly but when you're including a hundred includes it adds up and when your site is spread across 30+ load balanced web servers every bit counts. As far as it being easier to maintain, it's…

PHP leads to premature optimization. The root of the root of all evil.

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#124

Post by jbk »

tedunangst wrote: post #48
waqf wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since they doubtless treat everyone that way, I guess you're technically correct that it shouldn't be taken personally. But the fact that it's only "[s]ome companies" that do that still suggests that it's rude and unprofessional behavior.

In my experience, it's not some. It's all.

In my experience, Google was the only one.

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#125

Post by aphexairlines »

mailarchis wrote: post #113
aphexairlines wrote: post #111

I would not appreciate a candidate spilling the beans on what we ask in our interviews, even if he didn't sign an NDA. Sometimes you do ask similar questions, and it's a waste of everyone's time when the candidate in front of you went through some programming interview books and a bunch of blogs like those. Similarly, I wouldn't even bother to bring in a candidate who transcribed his interviews elsewhere.

There are quite a few people out there who would enjoy working out on interesting questions. If you already know the question or have solved it previously you just give the solution and admit it that you had seen it earlier. But more importantly its about the thought process and how you got to the answer. "Similarly, I wouldn't even bother to bring in a candidate who transcribed his interviews elsewhere." - Well ther…

It's bad for the same reason that leaking a midterm you just took for the benefit of fellow students is not helpful for those trying to conduct a test.

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#127

Post by bconway »

Having read a plethora of stories about the Google interview process over the years, from interns on up, it seems like it would be easier to build a company and sell it to Google than to get through the application process. Surely someone has done this at least once, given the number of companies Google has purchased.

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#128

Post by Luyt »

ernestipark wrote: post #20
elbenshira wrote: post #3

My story: After my technical phone interviews, I got "accepted" as an intern, meaning I was in the Intern Pool of Rot, where I waded and waited for a team to fish me out. I waded and waded for a couple of months, hoping for a kind suitor. The HR woman always told me that she was "optimistic" about my prospects, so I rejected offers from other companies. Then a really cool opportunity came, and I accepted that offer b…

My gf is in that rotting pool now. Killed the interviews, but hasn't found a right team yet.

Wouldn't it be an idea to team up with other 'pool rotters' and create a product for Google? i.e. form your own team proactively, and operate like a kind of Skunk Works in Google...

Re: How I (almost) got an internship at Google

#130

Post by biobot »

apl wrote: post #2

> I got an internship with The New York Times > the following week. Did the internship involve 41m$ in compensations and the instruction to build a pay wall secure enough to fend off toddlers? In any case, well done. Technical interviews are hit-and-miss at any stage in your career, although I have to say that a coder worth his salt should be able to code up a binary search in no time at all. Even a college sophomore…

I have applied there for a fulltime position. I got a friend at Google refer and an HR called my immediately to set up a phone interview. It went well and they flew me in for onsite. After more than a week, they sent me an offer after the quite rigorous background check. The whole process takes about 3 weeks. Even though, it's not as fast as the company I will join (took them less than 2 weeks total to get me an offer) but I don't think Google process is slow.
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