The text below provides a full candidate recruitment, assessment and preparation guide and practice for those applying to jobs, internships and graduate programs at Google. Everything about Google’s assessment questions, tests, interviews.
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If you are aiming to apply to Google or have an Google interview coming up, our text below is the best place to start.
Not sure if you should practice to prepare for your Google assessment? In a nationwide recruiter survey, Yello (2020) found that 51% of recruiters use interview scheduling software. A further 28% are considering the move.
Researchers at the University of Sussex Business School, in association with the Institute for Employment Studies, have warned that young jobseekers feel confused, dehumanised and exhausted by automated recruitment systems
In a nutshell:
How to prepare for the Google assessments to get the job?
You should practice answering questions that typically come up in interviews. Your answers need to flow and be timely. Avoid filler words. Your verbal communication should be convincing, filled with content that presents you in the best way for the job.
Prepare for your telephone interview by running mock interviews answering typical interview questions. For Google’s interview practice, use:
Our video interview practice platform contains predefined competency and industry questions and emulates experience you will have in platforms used for employers’ interviews (Hirevue, Pymetrics, Sonru). Always record your answers and watch them to develop your interview technique, time keeping and words used. Repeat recordings until you feel satisfied.
Use the STAR method for your answers and practice each answer several times.
Prepare for your one-on-one interview with a senior manager. Expect and practice for behavioural and competency-based questions. Aim to stand out. They have interviewed dozens or hundreds of candidates at this final stage.
Refine your technique for your final Google’s interview to showcase your:
For your final interview, use the video interview platform and record yourself answering the interview questions using the STAR method.
Continue reading to get answers to these critical questions:
Looking into assessments with Google, simply use your fingertips or click in the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!
If you decide to apply for Google, you can practice video interviews with us to improve your results and get scores above their threshold.
So, without further ado, let’s begin!
Though Google does not need any introduction, it is important to know a little history of the company which you are willing to apply for. Here are some important Points to Remember about Google in your application:
Key Google Tip: Check out Sundar Pichai twitter account, look at what he is tweeting and retweeting to understand what he is passionate about and what direction he is taking Google next.
A company grows when it follows its mission and vision with pure sincerity. And in the case of Google’s success, the hard work of each and every employee can be seen clearly. So, when you are applying for Google, keep in mind that you are going to be a part of a team that is chasing its goals rapidly.
Google Pro Tip: When applying for Google, you need to keep in mind what the company expects from you. When answering the Interview question, use this opportunity to show that you stand for the same principles as Google and show that you’re as ambitious as Google is.
Before applying to Google, you need much more info about the company than this. But, at least now you know where to start.
What jobs can you get at Google?
Google has created job portfolios in all the fields that you can imagine. It’s almost like if you group some tech words together and that’d be a Google job portfolio. Some of the job portfolios at Google are:
And so many more.
Now, Buckle Up! because we are starting the most awaited section, i.e. the Google recruitment process.
What is the Google recruitment process?
The Google recruitment process mainly consists of 3 stages, and nothing more than that – which you may be surprised to hear. Each stage though does present a new challenge, with elaborate tasks that can be nerve racking if you aren’t prepared enough.
You might expect to face some mini assignments or tests in and amongst these three stages, which we will discuss as we move forward. So, the main three stages of the Google Recruitment process are:
Let’s discuss each of these stages in detail.
Composed of 4 steps, Google’s online application is focussed on making sure you’re right for the role. The first 2 steps when applying for Google are simply recommendations by Googlers (that’s people who work for Google). The latter two are more formal, and perhaps what you’d expect.
Google Online Applications are the first step towards being a Googler. Here are the steps you need to take to start this prestigious journey.
1. Google Self Reflection for Job Application
Google says that your recruitment process starts even before you apply for the job. Yes, the Googlers strongly suggest you self-reflect before you apply:
Before you apply, ask yourself questions related to the things you’re passionate about. Google encourages you to analyse your personality in and out and bring into the organisation not just your skills, but your passions, perspectives and distinct experiences. To do that, ask yourself questions like,
Google Application Tip: Self Reflection is essential to making you a Googler, rather than just any candidate. Don’t be tempted to skip this section. Take the time to reflect ahead of your application.
2. Job Searching to Learn about Google
Once you lay enough focus on yourself, your next task is to find the perfect job that you’re passionate about, a role in which you can thrive. Research about Google, watch YouTube Videos, read blogs, and find more channels that talk about Google as an organisation, their work culture and their overall mission.
The task is to find an intersection of who you are and who they are, i.e., your interests and values should match with that of the company.
After analysing your personality and Google as an organisation, you must go to the Google Careers page and find the job profile that matches your skills.
The most important element of Google Online Application is uploading your resume. Why? Because, Google lays emphasis on the resume of the applicants, since there are not many tests involved. This is to come next.
3. Google Application Resume
Uploading the perfect resume becomes your next task, and you are not alone in this. We will help you build a resume with just the right ingredients to get shortlisted at Google.
How to build a resume that can get selected at Google?
Your resume for Google should be the one that clearly answers the question of “Who are you?”. The person who looks at your resume should immediately feel the need to invite you for the interviews and get to know you better.
The whole burden of you getting selected or not at Google falls on your resume, because that’s the first impression of you. And to make that first impression the best one, we will provide you tips on how to enhance and make each section of your resume a perfect one.
Now, let’s work together and build the resume that will get selected at Google.
Resume format for Google
As we discussed earlier, your resume should be the one which looks different and shows the efforts made to complete it. Down below we have got a compilation of top tips and tricks for your Google resume. So, buckle up because this section is going to be rigorous.
Let’s start with the do’s and don’ts for your Google resume.
Dos and don’ts for the Google resume
What TO Do
What NOT to Do
Let’s see what the top of your resume should look like:
4 tips for your Google Resume Education section
7 steps to ace your Google Resume Experience section
Google Pro tip: If you’re working on internal tools, you can say that your improvements led to an increase in the productivity (of the department you worked with) by 33% which led to a further increase in the overall sales.
Top 4 tips to enhance your Google Resume Leadership and awards
Optional section/ Summary
In this section, provide a summary of the whole resume using good vocabulary. The summary should be convincing and should have the essence of all the information present in the resume.
Gain key insight with the video below into some common mistakes that people make when writing a CV!
After you complete structuring the perfect resume for Google, your application work is almost done.
4. Apply Online to Google
All you have remaining is filling in some details that are asked in the Google Online Application form and uploading your resume to complete the process.
How many times can you apply for Google Jobs?
Keep in mind that you can apply for up to three jobs every 30 days.
Google actively encourages you to have a go and if it doesn’t work out – try again another time. It’s worth acknowledging that applications don’t always go to plan, but there’s always learning to be done.
If they do like your resume and want to get to know you some more, you might be invited for a live virtual chat via telephone or skype with one of your recruiters. Let’s see how that next step works now.
What is the Google Telephone/Video Interview?
The Google Telephone or Google Video Interview is just a short, casual chat between you and one of your recruiters. This step in your application serves as a first-line interview before the big final google interview.
Google’s video interview focuses on getting to know you better. It is also an opportunity to make you aware of the upcoming stages of the interview.
During the interview, they might ask you several questions related to your resume or to test your basic knowledge. Using the GF platform, you can begin to grow confident with 2 key factors of Google’s video interview:
By using the GF video interview preparation tool, you can nail your technique in recording answers, and answering those critical Competency and Tech-Industry questions.
There are 4 key things to keep in mind for your Google Telephone/ Video interview, which can be found below in the next section.
Tips to ace your Google Telephone or Video Interview
Following are the 4 points that make you better than the other candidates and give you an edge over the competition in the Google Telephone/Video Interview.
Keep the above tips in mind and you can be confident that your recruiter will prefer you over the other applicants. After this, you’ll be heading straight to the Google on-site interviews.
Before the Google on-site interviews, you may or may not get some mini coding tests or assessments, also known as Google Coding Quiz which will be completely based on your basic knowledge of your field of study. So, be sure to brush up your basic concepts.
Now, we’re onto the main event, the Google On-site Interviews, so be sure to continue moving towards success with us in this article!
Following success in your Google Telephone or Video interview, and coding tests if applicable, you will be invited to the Google on-site Interviews.
Typically, the Google On-site Interviews consist of 4 stages. You’ll not be asked to sit for more than 4 interviews of a duration of no more than 30-45 minutes each. You may have one less stage of interview to sit for depending on the job profile.
These 4 interview stages at Google are:
What is the Google General Cognitive Interview?
The Google General Cognitive Ability Interview focuses on assessing the candidates’ thought process. Google are interested in evaluating key areas such as your problem solving skills and to gain insights into your working style.
This interview is your opportunity to look at the situations that you may face at Google, or other googlers have faced in the past.
What to Expect from General Cognitive Ability Interview?
Top tips on how to pass the Google Cognitive Ability Interview?
This interview may also require you to solve questions using the white board or paper. What kind of questions are these:
Let’s discuss in detail what the Google Case Interview is all about, along the way we’ll also walk you through some examples of Google Case Study questions and answers.
What is the Google Case Interview?
The Google Case Interview is a case study round that is a part of the Google General Cognitive Ability Interview, for business candidates.
The task is to work through a case study and share your views or assumptions. You will be asked case study questions and you will need to form your solution using your cognitive ability and reasoning skills.
What does the Google Case Interview Assess?
Google Case Interview focuses on assessing the following qualities:
Google Case Interview Tip: Exercise each of these skills before the interview. Each of these skills can be honed before your google application, whether this be through mock interviews, or getting more hands on in your current role.
Example Google Case Study Interview Questions and Answers
Example 1: How much money do you think YouTube makes daily from ads?
How to Answer: Now while answering such estimation questions, remember that you don’t have to do exact math calculations. Make a structure and approach on how to estimate the figures. Start with estimating the following and then calculate.
Multiplying the above data should give you the answer.
Another example of a similar estimation question may be, “How would you estimate the market size of Google display ads on websites?”.
Example 2: Let’s say that Google is considering acquiring iRobot, a company that builds consumer robots, such as the Roomba. What would you consider when deciding whether to make this acquisition?
How To Answer: To know if the acquisition is apt, look into certain aspects like the attractiveness of this acquisition.
Below are some more example questions for you to practice:
What is the Leadership Skills Interview?
The Leadership Skills Interview, as the name suggests assesses the candidates’ leadership skills as to whether or not the candidate is capable enough to lead a team.
They give you certain situations where your task can be leading a team, decision-making or judgement etc., or ask you to explain any past events where you showed leadership skills. In this case, use the STAR+L technique (S- Situation, T-Task, A- Action, R-Result and L- What you Learnt).
Top tip to pass the Google Leadership Skills Interview:
You have to analyse the situation and look for possible steps that can be taken in a situation. When making decisions, make sure that you think according to what a person in that job position would do. Keep in mind his responsibilities and accountability.
What is the Role-related Knowledge Interview?
After analysing your thought processes and leadership skills, Google will be keen to know how good you are at your job. They want to assess your expertise in your area of study and experience. For this, you need to make sure all your basic concepts are clear.
How to Prepare:
Example 1: Find the kth largest element in a number stream
Problem Statement: Design a class to efficiently find the Kth largest element in a stream of numbers.
Answer: The class should have the following two things:
Example 2: Copy linked list with arbitrary pointer
Problem statement: You are given a linked list where the node has two pointers. The first is the regular ‘next’ pointer. The second pointer is called ‘arbitrary_pointer’ and it can point to any node in the linked list.
Answer: Your job is to write code to make a deep copy of the given linked list. Here, deep copy means that any operations on the original list (inserting, modifying and removing) should not affect the copied list.
Example 3: Find all paths for a sum
Problem statement: Given a binary tree and a number ‘S’, find all paths from root-to-leaf such that the sum of all the node values of each path equals ‘S’.
How would you approach this question?
Example 4: Determine if the number is valid
Problem statement: Given an input string, determine if it makes a valid number or not. For simplicity, assume that white spaces are not present in the input.
Google Coding Questions Tip: Familiarise yourself with all of the key concepts required for the role. It will likely be that you have the background knowledge but be sure to brush up on this so you aren’t caught out on a questions that should be simple.
Googlyness will be the last stage of your On-site Interviews at Google. Google is a peoples’ organisation, they believe in doing good for the society as a whole and the motto of this interview is “doing the right thing”.
What makes a person Googly?
Being Googly is to be the type of person that will work effectively and happily in Google’s working environment.
To know if you are Googly, consider the following questions:
Basically, as a people’s organisation, the overall focus of Googlyness is whether or not you’re a good and kind person. If you align well with these questions, it may be that you are just right for the role.
Google Recruitment Process Tip: Throughout the Google Application Process, keep these questions in mind and always draw on these qualities where you can.
Examples of Questions at Googlyness
So, by the questions given above, you might have got an idea of what Googlyness is all about. The aforementioned questions focus on knowing how you treat the people around you and how you work with them. However, you need to find answers according to your personality.
How to Pass the Googlyness Interview
That’s the whole Google Recruitment Process. If you follow all the tips and advice we had to offer, you will definitely become a Googler yourself. So, wish you all the luck!
That’s it for Google, but with GF you get assistance and tips on how to prepare for any job or internship.
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