Tag Archives: Life at Google

An inside look at Hispanic Heritage Month at Google

I‘ve worked at Google for the past eight years, across three countries and two different continents, since leaving my home country, Mexico, 12 years ago. Living and being immersed in other cultures helped me appreciate the many traits that are unique to my own culture. Now living in the United States, Hispanic Heritage Month is a time to celebrate Latino cultures, regardless of who you are or how you identify.

At Google, in addition to my core role as a program manager for the Google Ads content strategy team, I’m proud to be a part of HOLA, our global employee resource group. HOLA is made up of more than 5,500 Googlers across 35 offices dedicated to making an impact regardless of how they identify — whether it’s Hispanic, Latinx, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Black, Brazilian, Latino or an ally. And this year I had the privilege to lead HOLA's global Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations and efforts.


unnamed (25).png

Designed by: Ruben Dario Villa, HOLA’s Global Brand and Marketing Lead

Every year, HOLA chooses a theme to guide global celebrations and community efforts. This year's theme is “Intersectionality is Beautiful,” an intentional nod to the beauty and diversity of our growing global community inside our walls and beyond. We hosted inspirational talent like John Leguiziamo and Bomba Estereo to share their experiences. We volunteered and supported the 2020 Hispanic Student Leadership Summit, which was held virtually for the first time ever. Most important of all, we worked with Googlers across the company to lead workshops for Latino-owned small and medium businesses through Grow with Google’s "Paso a Paso" campaign.

This year's celebrations reminded me of the richness of my Mexican culture and how every bit of it belongs at Google. We asked a few of our HOLA members to share a bit about how they celebrated this year. Here’s what they said:


unnamed (24).png

Vanessa Manjarrez
Project Lead, Google Cloud 
HOLA Boulder Chapter Co-lead


Distance cannot stifle the Latinx community’s desire to connect and inspire. I was nervous that our events would be virtual, considering some of our culture’s core values are quality time and physical affection. I learned quickly that distance can’t keep us from connecting, learning and lifting each other up. From taking a candle making class with an Argentinian artist to listening to Samba live from Brazil, I felt connected to my Latinx familia all over the globe.


unnamed (57).jpg

Paola Ayala
UX Recruiter 
HOLA Global Lead - Product Inclusion

The HOLA familia has been the highlight of my Google journey. I'm grateful we have an opportunity to celebrate with this year's focus on intersectionality. It's clear that recognizing the diverse backgrounds, identities and experiences that make up the Latinx community is essential to understanding our stories. From the Google Podcasts app highlighting the diversity of Latinx voices, to the Google Arts & Culture it’s been extra special to help our product teams create experiences that embrace the our culture.


unnamed (23).png

Salvador Vazquez Olimon
Manager, Business Development, Android Partnerships
Chapter co-lead, HOLA London

"I learned a shared identity can transcend barriers and bring people closer together. In Europe due to COVID-19, our eight HOLA chapters decided to organize the first Pan-European Hispanic Heritage Month celebration. I was touched to see how driven we were to celebrate Latinidad. Many Latinx Googlers based all over Europe joined virtual coffee breaks to know each other better. It also inspired me to know there is a strong desire to examine and confront our history around race and racism in Latin America. All because we feel a shared connection. It was amazing. 


unnamed (56).jpg

Rosalva Gallardo
Program Manager, Partner Developer Relations
HOLA Global Service Lead

This year, HOLA focused its Global Service efforts on helping Latino small and medium businesses (SMBs) and students who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. HOLA members and allies' responses to our call for volunteers and donations were amazing. Together, we coached thousands of Latinx-owned SMBs and mentored more than 200 Latino university students interested in tech. We are reviewing thousands of applications to receive grants from Google.org and raised thousands for Latinx organizations globally. Together we can make a difference! Si se puede!


unnamed (55).jpg

Karina Deras
Staffing Specialist, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
HOLA South Bay Chapter co-lead 

I am third generation Mexican/Salvadoran, born and raised in San Francisco. First generation to complete college and first in my immediate family to attain a master’s degree. There’s not a day that I take that privilege for granted, and I am proud to help others in my community through my core role as a Diversity Specialist, through HOLA and through my external community work. The Latinx community is both complex and constantly evolving, from the way we identify, to how we make our mole, it’s important to be inclusive of the varying differences that make us uniquely Latinx.  


Gabriel Jimenez knows the power of different perspectives

Welcome to the latest installment of our blog series “My Path to Google.” These are real stories from Googlers, interns and alumni highlighting how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.


Today’s post is all about Gabriel Jimenez, a Product Marketing Manager in our Singapore office. He’s passionate about helping people, both in his work supporting job seekers and in helping build space for underrepresented groups at Google.


What were some of the most important things you learned while growing up?

I grew up the youngest of three kids with parents from Mexico and Puerto Rico in Temple City, California. I was raised to respectfully speak my mind, to open my heart and home to those who need help and to never let the status quo or expectations limit me. 


The last one became particularly important in my sophomore year of high school, when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia, a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by issues with fatigue, sleep, memory and mood. It is an invisible disability that I didn’t get comfortable with openly discussing until I went to college.


I attended the University of Pennsylvania, where I studied International Development. Penn gave me incredible opportunities for growth, helping me solidify my queer identity and experience with my disability. But observing the stark divides in experiences across socioeconomics, race, ability and sexuality also helped me become more aware of how I use my privilege in spaces where folks are underrepresented. I currently live in Singapore, where I try to lend a hand to NGOs supporting migrant workers and the LBGTQ+ communities.


What’s your role at Google?

I’m a Product Marketing Manager working on Next Billion Users products in Southeast Asia. While there are over three billion people already online, another billion are expected to come online in the next four years. They predominantly only use mobile devices, often struggle with data connection, and generally have an understandable mistrust of the internet. I work with engineers, UX designers and product managers to make sure that Google’s mission rings true for everyone, everywhere.


I'm currently working on Kormo Jobs, an app that connects job seekers with businesses looking to hire. Given the impact COVID-19 has had on unemployment, it's critical we build platforms that not only help job seekers find good jobs, but also help candidates present the best version of themselves to potential employers.


What inspires you to log on every day?

Google is the type of place that not only lets you respectfully question the status quo, but also expects you to do so to make our products more accessible to and inclusive of everyone. As a queer Latino with a disability, I know that the representation of voices from communities I identify with is still far below where I’d like it to be at Google. That’s why the culture of welcoming a different perspective, even amongst our highest leaders, still keeps me invested in Google. It lets me know that I can use my privilege to enact a meaningful change for those who aren’t in the room with me just yet.


What made you decide to apply to Google?

Like many liberal arts students without a “technical” degree, I hadn’t thought of Google as a place I could work. If I’m candid, I really didn’t know how to manage the transition from academic life to professional life. Although quite successful in their own right, my parents did not graduate from university and didn’t know how to advise me on the types of careers I was interested in. I was worried that the accommodations and processes I had developed to navigate my disability as a student wouldn’t be available in a work setting. 


Halfway through college I learned about Google’s BOLD Internship program through Lime Connect, an organization that prepares and connects university students and professionals who happen to have disabilities for scholarships, internships and full time careers.


After attending just one information session and doing some research on Google’s career site, I quickly discovered how expansive Google’s work is—including entire teams dedicated to improving internet access in developing countries—and how Google aims to make interview accommodations that set candidates up for success.


What resources did you use to prepare for your interview?

Because I knew I was interviewing for a role related to Google Ads for small to medium businesses (SMBs), I read updates on new Ads features and watched YouTube videos directed at SMBs. My goal was to understand how Google explained its values to small business advertisers. Being able to articulate that showed the interviewer that I really focused on helping the user, which is a top priority for any current or potential Googler.


Any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?

Stop thinking of your career as jobs you want to have. Instead, think of your career as things you want to learn or problems and challenges you want to solve. Not only will you become a much more interesting and thoughtful candidate, but you will better recognize how seemingly unrelated roles are actually perfect for you.



How Awa Dieng found her passion for machine learning

Welcome to the latest installment of our blog series “My Path to Google.” These are real stories from Googlers, interns and alumni highlighting how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.

Today’s post is all about Awa Dieng, an AI Resident on the Google Brain team in our Ghana office. Awa shares her path to working in research and machine learning at Google and how her work ensures AI systems are beneficial for everyone. If you’re interested in learning more, applications for the Google AI Residency will open in early 2021.

What first sparked your interest in working in research?

I was born and raised in Kaolack, Senegal, a country in West Africa. In school, I was always drawn to science in general and mathematics in particular. After high school, I received a government scholarship to study in France, where I received a broad education in math, physics and computer science.

As a student specializing in applied math, I started to get interested in the field of artificial intelligence (AI). I was excited about the possibilities surrounding emerging AI and machine learning (ML), and given my background and interests, research in ML seemed like a great fit. 

So I pursued my first research experience—interning with the North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves (NANOGrav) team at Cornell University. I also worked on ML research in an academic setting at Duke University, but I was looking to diversify my experience by working in an industry research lab, which led me to apply to work at Google.

Of course, I was aware of the Google Brain team, which is highly respected in the community and publishes important work at all major ML conferences. The AI residency seemed like the perfect opportunity to learn from these researchers and explore different areas of machine learning. 

How would you describe your role at Google?

I work on the Brain team as an AI resident. The Google AI Residency is a year-long program designed to train and support the next generation of deep learning researchers. My time is spent identifying interesting problems in machine learning and working with my collaborators to solve them. This includes reading the existing literature on ML, running experiments and writing papers. 

Specifically, my research is centered around machine learning and causality, which aims at identifying cause and effect and answering “what if” questions. Indeed, while machine learning has led to a lot of progress in recent years, its widespread use has highlighted issues regarding bias, reliability and transparency. These are particularly important when ML systems are used to make consequential decisions that impact people’s lives. I believe a causal perspective can address these failures, and my work aims to draw strength from these two fields to build better decision-making systems.

awa-office (1).jpg

What inspires you to log in every day?

As part of the Brain team, there is a lot of freedom in which problems you choose to work on and what contributions you want to make to advance the field. For me, this is important because I get to work with knowledgeable collaborators on problems that I find important.


Google, as a company, provides a platform to conduct research that could potentially reach a lot of people and have a large impact, guided by our AI Principles. I’m inspired by my fellow residents who come from different backgrounds and from whom I get to learn and expand my horizons. 


Tell us about the process of becoming an AI resident.

The process was quite straightforward. I applied directly through the Google careers website and a recruiter reached out to me. The process included both a research component and a traditional coding interview. Given my experience and preparation, I felt I was well-equipped for the interviews. Fortunately, they went well and I received an offer. 


I think the best preparation is to be clear about what research questions and areas you are passionate about. Convey that passion to your interviewers by either showcasing work you have done or work you have read and are excited about. 


What do you wish you’d known when you started the process?

What I have learned in the past months is to not hesitate to reach out to researchers in the company whose work you admire. Google has a breadth of excellent and distinguished researchers who are, for the most part, very approachable.


Do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?

Please, do not be afraid to apply!


It’s common for members of groups that are historically underrepresented in tech to self-censor and not even apply to great opportunities they are well qualified for. If you are interested in AI research, I encourage you to consider applying to Google’s AI Residency Program — your perspective is important!


Googlers get creative while working from home

When the going gets tough, the tough bake sourdough bread. Or take up knitting. Or just really get into a new video game. In the months since the COVID-19 pandemic left many of us working from home and social distancing cut down on our calendars, we’ve had plenty of time to pick up a few new hobbies here and there. Others have spent time figuring out how to adapt their passions to the inside of their homes. And that’s the case for Googlers, too, who are still playing in orchestras and working on arts and crafts in quarantine. Here are a few inspiring projects Googlers are working on in their spare time, from home. 

Dancing on their own, together

Incognito Mode dance troupe

Last year, a group of 20 San Francisco-area Googlers got together to compete in a local dance competition. They called themselves Incognito Mode and won second place. Since then, they performed in showcases both inside and outside the office, but the pandemic put a stop to performing in person anytime soon. Instead, they recorded a dance video from their homes, dodging friends, roommates and pets in the process. Each of the 18 participants choreographed a portion of the routine, and they later edited the footage together. “We faced new challenges of dancing together virtually, but it also allowed us to connect in ways we wouldn’t have otherwise,” says Jason Scott, head of Google’s U.S. startup developer ecosystem and one of the group’s creative directors. “Many of our members now live around the country, but remote dance projects have let them continue dancing with us.”

A work-from-home virtual orchestra

The Googler Virtual Orchestra

In the summer of 2016, around 30 Googlers picked up their instruments and played in The Googler Orchestra’s very first concert. Ever since then, they’ve rehearsed weekly and grown in numbers, with their last in-person performance featuring 80 Googler musicians. After Googlers started working from home, one orchestra member posted a call to get people to play together virtually. That started the Googler Virtual Orchestra, which has increased the group’s membership; their third recording will feature more than 100 musicians across three countries. 

Members each individually record their parts and then edit the footage together into one track. “It’s a logistical challenge,” says Colton Provias, the group’s lead audio engineer and a software engineer based in Sunnyvale, California. “It takes about three months from first discussions of what piece to play through the released video.”

The group intends to continue their work-from-home performances, and potentially adding other instruments or even a choir. “It speaks to the many talents that Googlers have, not just in the workplace, but outside of it too,” says Derek Wu, the orchestra’s founder and a software engineer based in Palo Alto, California. “The orchestra, for myself and others, allows everyone to unite together and create music that as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”

Comic relief from the pandemic’s stresses

Gao Fang comic

Gao Fang, who works in information security from Google’s Singapore office, had never drawn a comic before she started working from home in March. “Before the pandemic, I could roam around and sketch landscapes,” she says. “Then the lockdown happened and there was only that much I could sketch in my apartment. My hands got itchy for things to draw, and since I would like to keep a diary of this historical event, it's a natural step to record my days with some drawings.” 


She ended up drawing more than 80 comics while staying at home, and it ended up being a way to cope with living in isolation. Gao Fang’s comics touch on topics like awkward video chat moments and how stressful it can be to keep up with global news. Many of her sketches feature a rabbit as a main character, which she says was a stand-in for herself. “When I woke up everyday to frustrating news around the world, this little bunny did an amazing job keeping me company and guarding my sanity,” she says.

Focusing on the small things—the really small things

Miniature sculptures

Adam Stoves, who works on the Real Estate and Workplace Services team in New York, has been working from his 600-square-foot apartment alongside his wife and their toddler. Back in May, on a whim, he bought a pack of Play-Doh to entertain his daughter, but it ended up entertaining the parents, too. He and his wife started crafting miniature sculptures, which they now share online. They’ve created miniature foods, animals and even a teensy face mask. “Our daughter will pitch in from time to time, but her true talent lies indisputably in being the cutest hand model ever,” Adam says. “We have a limited window where she remains attentive, so we do a little chant: Big flat hand! Big flat hand!, when it’s time to photograph. It helps sharpen her toddler focus.” 

Helping Googlers tackle student loan debt

Today, we’re introducing a student loan repayment program for all Googlers in the U.S. Starting in 2021, Google will match up to $2,500 per Googler per year in student loan payments to help them pay off their student loans faster, allowing them to save money to use in other ways, whether it’s purchasing a new home, starting a family, or investing in a 401(k). We plan to expand the program globally over time.


Though student loan debt is an issue globally, Americans in particular face an enormous student loan deficit—$1.5 trillion dollars, twice what it was a decade ago. This burden disproportionately affects women and communities of color: For example, on average Black college graduates have $25,000 more in student debt than white graduates four years after completing a bachelor's degree. 


Lack of financial resources should not prevent someone from accessing the opportunities that come with education. For a long time, we’ve worked to increase access to education and help people get the skills they need to advance their careers and attain economic stability to better support themselves and their families. In July, we announced a new suite of Google Career Certificates that will help Americans get qualifications in high-paying high-growth job fields—no college degree required. Google will also consider the new career certificates as the equivalent of a four-year degree for entry-level related roles. Within Google, we've long focused on helping employees pay instruction costs for job-related and personal learning through education reimbursement. We’ve also been working with our vendor and staffing partners in the U.S. to provide a base level of educational benefits to those working on Google-related projects beginning in 2021.


Change starts at home. We’re hoping this student loan repayment program gives our workforce some relief from student loans and helps them build more financial stability over the long term. And we’ll keep looking for more ways to increase access to education and opportunity for everyone.

Zain Masri went from globe-trotting intern to marketing lead

Welcome to the latest installment of our blog series “My Path to Google.” These are real stories from Googlers, interns, and alumni highlighting how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.

In today’s post, meet Zain Kamal Masri from our Dubai office and learn about some of the many paths to joining the Google marketing team. You’ll also find out why she once carried a Street View trekker through the ancient city of Petra.

What first sparked your interest in working at Google?

When I was a university student, I participated in the Google Ad Grants Online Marketing Challenge, where students get real-world experience creating online marketing campaigns for nonprofits. I created my first-ever Google Ads campaign and experienced how the web can help any nonprofit, business or individual reach a global audience. 

I wanted to learn more about Google products, which led me to take part in Google AdCamp. I competed in a team-based advertising challenge: we went through a market and consumer analysis, developed a creative strategy and presented a final proposal to sales product experts. 

This motivated me to apply for an internship with Google’s marketing team while I completed my master’s degree. One of my internship highlights was helping capture the ancient city of Petra, Jordan for Street View—you can catch a glimpse of me carrying the Street View trekker (a device with a built-in 360-degree camera, hard drive and batteries to capture Street View imagery) in the launch film which was narrated by Queen Rania!

Zain in Petra 2

Zain with the Street View trekker in Petra, Jordan

Tell us about becoming a full-time Googler.

After completing my internship, a full-time role became available and I applied right away. While I was super nervous, I was (and continue to be) passionate about working at Google. I tried my best to reframe my nervousness as excitement and hoped that my passion and dedication would shine through. When I received the job offer email, I had to read it several times to fully register what I was reading. I felt so proud and immediately called my parents to share the good news. They were over the moon!

What do you wish you’d known when you started the process? 

Google has a wealth of programs for students and fresh graduates to gain experience and knowledge. I wish I knew more about the Associate Product Marketing Manager (APMM) program back when I was a student. As an APMM, you become part of a diverse community of the next generation of marketers and can access unique opportunities like rotations, bootcamps and mentorship.

What resources did you use to prepare for your interview or role?

Reading through the Google Arabia blog was extremely helpful as it gave me a deeper perspective on Google’s role in the Arab world and the top priorities and products in the region. It also helped to browse through the global Keyword blog and social channels.  

What’s your role at Google now?

I am currently the Head of Brand and Reputation at Google in the Middle East and North Africa. My role focuses on programs like Maharat min Google, which is a digital skills education program that helps youth, especially women, gain the skills they need to succeed in an increasingly digital economy. As part of the program, we created a series of short films that follow the journeys of six Arab women who have become entrepreneurs, women’s rights advocates and groundbreaking YouTube creators. We’ve trained more than 800,000 individuals, of which 50 percent are women, and 54 percent have found a job or grown in their business or career as a result of the program.

What inspires you to log in every day?

As part of my role, I manage Google Doodles for the Arab world. My main focus has been increasing female representation. Some of my personal favorite Doodles include Doria Shafik (one of the leading activists who helped women in Egypt win the right to vote) and Zaha Hadid (first woman to win the Pritzker Architecture Prize). 

IMG_1655-ANIMATION.gif

Zain and her fellow Googlers at the Dubai office

Rachel Spivey helps Googlers find their “happy place”

Rachel Spivey has been at a crossroads more than once during her 10 years at Google. “It can be challenging for anyone to navigate a large company, but it can feel especially isolating for underrepresented employees who might not see representation in leadership, or have sponsorship or an existing support network to lean on,” she says. 

Today, Rachel leads a team of retention and progression consultants, a program she helped start two years ago that helps employees from underrepresented groups stay and thrive at Google. Since the program started, Rachel’s team has retained more than 84 percent of the program’s participants. 

We sat down with Rachel to discuss her role and the importance of diversity in the workplace. 

How do you explain your job at a dinner party?

I help underrepresented Googlers find “their happy place” at Google. It can be difficult to know where to go for career support, especially when you’re talking about a company as big and complicated as Google. But to make our products reflect our users, our employees need to be representative of all our users. Our team’s goal is to help ensure that, once they’re here, underrepresented Googlers stay and thrive. Sometimes, that means working with them to navigate a challenge in their current role, and other times, it’s connecting them to a new internal opportunity. 

You started the retention team two years ago. What was your inspiration?

The program started after we learned that Black+, Latinx+ and Native American+ employees in the U.S., where Google is able to report across race, were leaving Google at faster rates than the average, and women were leaving at a faster rate globally. Prior to this role, I was the Global Community Inclusion Lead for the Black Googler Network and HOLA (now Familia), two of our employee resource groups. During that time, I saw the retention challenges firsthand, which inspired me to champion our retention efforts. Through all my time at Google, mentors and others guided me through career highs and lows, and I wanted to help others the way they helped me. 

Talk more about the “attrition gap.” What is it and what does it mean for Google?

Attrition refers to the number of employees who are leaving a company. We spend a lot of time hiring, and once employees are here, we want them to stay. In order to improve overall representation, we need to improve retention. It’s our job to make sure underrepresented employees find satisfaction in their role, feel included at work and have opportunities to develop and grow. Right now, we’re the only company reporting attrition data externally and we’re using this data to inform how we approach our diversity and inclusion efforts. 

What specific things has your team done to improve retention?

If an underrepresented Googler is looking for support, they are referred to our team by People Operations, Employee Resource Groups, word of mouth or direct outreach. Each Googler in the program is then matched one-on-one with a retention and progression consultant to advocate on their behalf. The consultant might serve as a mentor or coach, connect the Googler to other support options, or locate internal mobility opportunities. 

For example, a Googler came to us thinking about leaving Google for a competitor. She enjoyed her role and team but wanted a career change. We connected her to a sponsor through the Black Leadership Advisory Group (BLAG), as well as the Mobility Experience team, which helps Googlers transfer to new roles, to help her find a new opportunity. Through this process, the Googler decided to stay at Google and got more involved in the Black+ leadership community. Today, she loves her new role and mentors other underrepresented Googlers on her new team. 

What are you most proud of? 

There is nothing more rewarding than helping Googlers find deeper career fulfillment at Google—whether in their current role, through internal mobility or making sure their feedback is heard. My team gets flooded with “thank you” notes, “you’ve changed my life” notes … Googlers seriously make me cry every day.

What’s next for your team?

As part of Google’s ongoing commitments to racial equity, our team will double in size, and each product area or function at the company will have a designated consultant. We’re also expanding our focus beyond retention to helping Googlers progress their careers.

What advice do you have for people that are a part of underrepresented groups starting out in their careers?

Stay focused on your purpose. No matter who you are, there will probably be many obstacles that may come your way, but staying focused on your north star will help you stay grounded.

Army vet Eric L. Smith helps Cloud customers solve big problems

Welcome to the latest installment of our blog series “My Path to Google.” These are real stories from Googlers, interns and alumni highlighting how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.

 Today’s post is all about Eric L Smith, who got his first taste of computer science in high school, served in the U.S. Army, and now works on the Google Cloud team.

How did you initially get interested in technology? 

I was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, a small city in Pennsylvania, and got my first introduction to computer science in high school. I continued exploring computing while attending Wilkes University as a Business Administration major through work-study at the campus computer lab.  

My fledgling interest in technology took a hiatus when I left college early and joined the U.S. Army, where I served as an Infantry Scout/Sniper in the 10th Mountain Division based at Fort Drum, New York. I just missed Desert Storm, but I deployed to South Florida as part of Joint Task Force Andrew, Somalia for Operation Restore Hope and Haiti for Operation Restore Democracy.  

After leaving the Army, I renewed my interest in computing, started earning industry certifications and became a help desk analyst. Starting in that role gave me an incredible opportunity to learn, as I worked my way through positions ranging from systems administrator to network engineer to IT director and cloud consultant before coming to Google. 

What’s your role at Google?

I’m a Technical Account Manager (TAM) in Google Cloud’s Professional Services Organization (PSO). I’m based out of the Google office in Reston, Virginia. What I enjoy most about my role is working closely with customers at all levels—strategic, tactical and operational—to get the most value out of Google Cloud Platform and help solve their biggest problems. One exciting project I’m working on is helping a global energy company that is using Google Cloud to help accelerate their growth and transition to more sustainable and renewable power.


IMG_2181.jpg

Eric at Noogler (new Googler) orientation.

Why did you decide to apply to work at Google?

As cloud computing grew, I set a personal goal to work for one of the top cloud service providers. Google was at the top of that list because of what I knew about the innovative culture and talented people. Just as I was preparing to apply, a Google recruiter reached out and asked if I was interested. The timing was perfect and I felt like my career was coming full circle especially since I moved to Washington, D.C. and started my IT career the same year that Google was founded!

How did the recruitment process go for you? 

The recruitment process was exceptionally smooth. My recruiter was great at answering any and all questions, giving feedback and providing tips on the interview process. While the interviews were tough, it was the best hiring process I’ve experienced.

What do you wish you’d known when you started the process?

Google is great for veterans! After I came onboard, I joined the Google Veterans Network (VetNet), an internal community of military veterans and civilian allies, dedicated to unifying, connecting and serving the military community. Also, I’m currently helping mentor veterans interested in Google Cloud Certification through a program called VetsInTech. When fellow Vets ask me about jobs at Google, I tell them what a supportive environment it is and send them to g.co/vets.

What inspires you to come in every day?

Every day I’m inspired by the opportunity to help customers succeed, work with amazing people, and help grow Google Cloud.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?

Preparation breeds confidence. Interviewing at Google can be stressful, but if you prepare and practice it is much less so. Don’t be afraid to ask questions throughout the process, including during the interview when you need clarification.


To be a Google intern in 2020

I had been dealing with imposter syndrome for months. Since applying for an internship at Google, I questioned if my GPA was high enough, if they liked my interviews or if my application could stand out without going to an Ivy League school. After weeks of anticipation, I finally got the call from my recruiter. I received an offer to intern on the Global Communications and Public Affairs Team in the New York City office. And when I learned about my role telling stories on Google’s blog and social channels, I knew this was a perfect fit for me. 

But in the weeks after I got that call in January, it seemed like the world was spiraling. COVID-19 hit the United States hard. The number of cases increased, students were evacuated from campus, stay-at-home orders were put in place—it was scary. I was worried about what would happen to my Google internship, and when another email from the recruiter came, my eyes scanned for the words “cancelled” and “postponed.” Luckily, I didn’t see them, but instead, the email announced my internship would be virtual. 


Intern-Super-Gs.gif

Super G takeover, intern edition! Check out these Super Gs created by our amazing intern team for International Intern Day. Paper florals: Raman Mangla; rubber duck: Sophie Bohr; cake: Riya Singh; woodblock: Elena Dontsova; dumplings: Prashnna Gyawali; logos: Abigail Siegel; pasta: Julia Schorn; word cutouts: Gabriele Cabral.

My Google internship looked different than I thought it would. Instead of exploring a new city with new friends, I was in quarantine in my hometown of Baltimore, where the most I could explore was my backyard with my 11-year old sister.  

Even though I’m not physically in the office, I’ve gained some valuable lessons that I’ll take with me regardless of where I’m working: Overcommunication is key, and self-advocacy and initiative is twice as important when working virtually. After speaking with interns from around the world in different fields, I found that we’ve had similar experiences. This National Intern Day (but here at Google, celebrated as International Intern Day as we have interns in 43 countries around the world), I want to highlight a few of my peers, the lessons we’ve learned and ultimately what it means to be a Google intern. (If you’d like to learn more about Google’s internship program, head over to google.com/students.)


A photo of Madhuparna in her home, plus an illustration of her "at" the Google campus.

Photo illustration by Victoria Fernandez, Intern, Marketing 

Projects that make a difference for everyone

Meet Madhuparna

Intern, Cloud, Bangalore, India  

Madhuparna’s project will impact the future of research for COVID-19, making information about COVID-19 more accessible and searchable. She’s helping the Google Cloud team create a search interface that will enable doctors and researchers to extract information on COVID-19. Along with her work, she also learned how connected the Google community is and how to build relationships with people in different countries. “Everyone is super friendly, and my team involves me in every meeting, not just ones about my project,” she says. “I don’t even feel like an intern, I feel like a full time Googler.” Doing this project makes her Google experience one that lets her create real connections and lasting change. 


A photo of Federico in his home, and an illustration of him "at" the Google campus.

Photo illustration by Victoria Fernandez, Intern, Marketing 

Flexibility is key 

Meet Federico

Intern, Research, Berlin, Germany

While Federico works at home in Berlin, he reports to his manager based in California, while simultaneously working with a team in Paris on their new app, Keen. Keen is a recently launched app that began as an Area 120 project that lets you curate, explore and share content around your interests. While working with people from different countries and timezones he’s learned that sometimes a three-minute video chat can be more useful than going back and forth via email. Also, keeping scheduled meetings on the calendar helps with consistent communication. “Google employees taught me how to keep it flexible, they are super nice and responsive,” Federico says. Even with a nine-hour time difference, he meets with his host every day to talk about his project. 

A photo of Tyler in her home, and an illustration of her "at" Google's campus.

Photo Illustration by Victoria Fernandez, Intern, Marketing

Balancing work and relationship building  

Meet Tyler

Intern, Search, North Carolina, United States

As an MBA student, Tyler understands the value of networking and relationship building. Her role, which intersects government and tech, allows her to connect with a variety of people. Even though we’re working from home, cultivating relationships with our managers and colleagues is still important. Tyler’s team emphasizes connecting with each other, even though they’re apart. “Google really wants to get to know the full ‘you,’” she said. For example, Tyler and a colleague from Singapore shared some recipes with each other, then went on Google Meet to show each other how their meals turned out. She has also joined the team for some virtual breakfasts, lunches and happy hours. Tyler says the first few minutes of a team meeting will often be spent checking in on each other and acknowledging the tough situation they are in. 

Making our tech spill-proof, crash-proof—thank you, IT

They keep our laptops humming and our work flowing, and they’re often the first people we contact when there’s a problem: I’m talking about tech support. At Google, these folks offer a range of services to help us handle damage control for issues—troubleshooting the simplest to the most complex of problems every day—just like at your jobs. When we need help, we turn to our tech support service called Techstop.

Google Tech Stop

To commemorate SysAdmin Appreciation Day (That’s today, by the way.), we stopped by our San Francisco Techstop office to say thank you to our own tech support folks, and to ask them a few questions. Much to their surprise, they didn’t have to fix an issue for us.

What’s one thing you wish people would do before they came to IT?

Emma: Basic troubleshooting, like restarting a machine. You’d be surprised how many problems are resolved with a simple reboot.

Charles: Another tip would be to clear your cache and cookies before stopping by. This can help if you force a shutdown while a program is trying to update. If the program closes before it saves whatever it was doing, it can cause issues—clearing cache can help sometimes.

If you could wave a wand and eliminate a recurring problem that you deal with, what would it be?

Emma: The blue screen of death when machines don’t run on a modern OS. It causes disruption and takes entirely too long to remediate. I wish it would just go away.

Charles: Resetting passwords or sign-in credentials, in general. I’d love it if we didn’t have to do this, but I understand that people forget. 

What’s your favorite Google product hack or tip?

Emma: If you type “chrome://restart” into your Chrome browser, it’ll restart your browser and re-open tabs. I use this if my connection is slow or if my browser doesn’t load properly.  

Charles: I like to save time with Gmail shortcuts. If you want to learn what shortcuts are available, click Shift + ? and you’ll see a list of shortcuts appear on your screen. Just make sure to enable keyboard shortcuts in your Gmail settings first! If you’re working on a Chromebook with Chrome OS, you can click CTRL + ALT + ? and they’ll appear.

What's the weirdest or funniest laptop mishap you've encountered at Google?

Emma: I once had someone come in with a clicking noise on their laptop. I opened the bottom case of their computer and found a piece of a plastic arm from a toy stuck within the base. The person laughed and said, “oh kids…”

Charles: Do you know those little silicon packets that come in packaging or new clothing items? We’ve had dozens of people come into Techstop because their headphone ports stop working. Apparently, these packets get left within backpacks, the beads burst and they jam headphone jacks. Look out for those pesky things.

If you could describe working in IT in just 3 words, what would they be? (Feel free to make them fun!)

Emma: Unpredictable. Exciting. Gratifying.

Charles: Fluid. Inquisical. Magical.

What do you think your job will look like in 5 years? 

Emma: In five years, almost all of our IT systems will be cloud-based. Since troubleshooting systems will be a thing of the past, I think we’ll work tighter with product and data analytics teams to suggest and test new systems and environments. 

Charles: We help thousands of employees fix IT issues, and we're able to do this efficiently by focusing on how to address problems that happen over and over again. We call this "root reduction.” Root reduction helps us scale our IT services, and it also frees up our schedules so that we can focus on more strategic work. In five years, I think we’ll use the time we save through root reduction to become internal IT consultants for teams. We’ll embed with individual departments to help them solve trickier problems or workflows specific to their needs. 

From resetting our passwords to debugging and fixing a system crash, we salute you “IT guy” (or gal!). Thanks for keeping us online, even when we drown our computers in coffee.

Source: Gmail Blog