Tag Archives: Life at Google

Here for a pun time: Meet the punniest Googler

In August 2022, a group of Googlers participated in the third (semi)-annual Arts at Google Pun Competition. They reeled off a cast of fish-themed jokes:

“This category really has me floundering.”

“If you can tune a piano, can you tuna fish?”

“I’m just here for the halibut.”

“Just gonna…perch right here, if that’s OK.”

“I feel like my ears are a little too big, I need to find a plastic sturgeon.”

“That one gave me a haddock.”

Their brains swimming with possibilities, one by one the competitors schooled (and delighted) their fellow Googlers with clever wordplay. The goal was to get the most eyerolls, groans and cheers.

The Google pun competition began in 2017. It grew out of an improv class hosted by Arts at Google, a workplace program to create spaces for Googlers to explore creativity through classes and workshops. Anna Botelho, who’s part of the Real Estate and Workplace team, started Arts at Google as a side project in 2011. “People were looking for ways to take a quick break to reset or re-energize themselves with creative outlets,” says Anna, who majored in music in college. The program grew over the years; today Googlers can, say, join a 90-person orchestra or try bookbinding courses.

There’s also the aforementioned improv class, which inspired the pun competition, both led by Arts at Google program manager Lindsay Alford and extended workforce member Maurissa Afanador. After its debut in 2017, the pun competition returned in 2019 and went on hiatus during 2020 and 2021; August 2022 marked its return.

This year, 16 contestants battled for punny glory in two rounds. In the first, the contestants went up to the mic round robin-style and each had one minute to come up with two fish-related puns. (They didn’t know the round topics beforehand.)

When the first round was up, the audience voted on who moved on by holding up color-coded cards to indicate which two players (who wore colored lanyards) should advance. Four punsters progressed to the second and final round; those who were eliminated joined the audience.

The final round, Maurissa (who also hosts the competition) says, is always “where it gets really impressive.” This time, the audience didn’t judge — the final four participants simply punned and punned and punned until they could pun no more. “They went until exhaustion,” Maurissa says. The round continued for nearly 30 minutes, with the last two participants punning back and forth for the final five.

The second-round topic was flowers. Neil Hendin, this year’s winner, describes himself as “cognitively exhausted” by the end of the contest. “I’m going to credit my wife for the win, because her name is IdaRose and she’s an avid gardener,” says Neil, a Bay Area-based hardware engineering manager. Doing well in the pun competition is about riffing on the fly but also having a backlog of information to work from, he says: “In my head, I was walking around our garden, remembering names of flowers.” His favorite of his puns from the round? “I made an AI to generate flower names. I call it ‘hiya-synth.’”

The pun competition and the improv class that sparked it have an impact beyond a trophy and bragging rights. Tyler Sellmayer, a Google engineer based in the Bay Area and 2022 pun competition participant, was able to lean on two punny friends for coaching. “They do puns all the time, and they would destroy me, they would make hundreds and hundreds of them and it would never end,” he says. But in trying to keep up with them, it worked the “pun” muscle. Soon enough, Tyler found himself on stage at the 2019 pun competition — which he went on to win.

“Doing something as silly as making puns, saying things that get eyerolls but also cheers, it’s very validating,” Tyler says. “It shows me that I don’t have to walk on eggshells all the time, I don’t have to carefully measure everything I say.” That realization has been monumental — his time as the contest’s champ was just the pun-derful cherry on top.

How this Googler lifts up Indigenous communities

Maria Running Fisher Jones first learned about balancing checking accounts and filing taxes at age 7 — thanks to her primary school teacher. Though finance didn’t end up being her calling in life, education has been a consistent theme throughout her career. She first studied education, even earning her master’s degree, but ended up finding a home in law.

Now as senior corporate counsel in Google Cloud, Maria also takes time to partner with Googlers and people in her community to raise awareness of issues that are impacting Indigenous communities in the United States, like the one she grew up in, and expand opportunities for Indigenous-owned businesses. I chatted with Maria over Google Meet to hear her story and learn about how education has always been a cornerstone in her life.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was raised by a single mother on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana, a community struggling with a 69% unemployment rate. The estimated poverty rate of Native Americans living on reservations is nearly double the national average and the highest in the country.

My family saw education as a way to lift ourselves and our community — a way to learn and gain access to connections to give back. My mother ingrained the value of education in me deeply: I vividly remember a time when she wouldn’t allow me to participate in a basketball game because my grades had slipped. Even worse, my mother made me tell my coach and teammates the reason I was to miss the game. It’s those life lessons that have brought me to where I am today.

The more I learned about the tech industry, the more I discovered how much it could be used for good.

How did you get into law?

I didn’t initially anticipate practicing law as a career. Entering college, I was set on a degree in education with a plan to teach high-school English, thanks to the influence of my primary school teachers.

While studying for my master’s in education, I became particularly interested in educational disparities, like why are some children afforded a better education and more resources than others? I began researching laws to educate myself and started to realize that a law degree could help me affect positive change. In some sense, I really fell into a law degree by virtue of following my passions and natural curiosity.

What shaped your interest in tech?

Technology, its importance and impact in the world, wasn’t something I spent much time thinking about while in Montana. Instead of video conferences and emails, I was picking up the phone to connect through a landline or showing up to have a cup of coffee.

But the more I learned about the tech industry, the more I discovered how much it could be used for good. I saw how this was the future and how it could connect my family and community to opportunities in a more equitable way. It’s why I participated in a Wi-Fi connectivity project with GAIN, Google’s Aboriginal and Indigenous Employee Resource Group. It’s how I found the ability to connect my education degrees to tech law. At Google, I’ve been able to do both.

How do you connect your work at Google to the causes you care about?

Giving back and engaging in community is critical in my life. Leaving the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana is still something that pains me to this day. Leaving family has always been a challenge for me, but sharing my culture and raising awareness on issues facing Indigenous people has filled the void of missing home. Since joining Google, I’ve had the opportunity to provide awareness through various channels, including a Talks at Google interview with activist Kimberly Loring HeavyRunner and a Careers on Air virtual event celebrating Google’s Aboriginal and Indigenous communities.

Native Forward, the U.S.’s largest scholarship program for Native students with more than 16,000 recipients from over 500 Tribes, provided the funding to support my law school education. Recently, I was part of a group of Googlers who reviewed its scholarship applications, and I donate monthly via our internal platform that allows for company matching.

In addition to the work I do at Google, I also started a company, TPMOCS, in 2014, specializing in handcrafting children’s moccasins. We employ Native American artisans in rural communities and give a portion of profits to organizations on reservations supporting children in need.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

During a trip back home to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, I spent time with family and elders, and had a traditional naming ceremony for my children. I also had time to reflect on my life choices. Some, if given the chance, I would do over, but one that I’ve never second guessed is joining Google. As I speak at events, I’d like Indigeous youth and young professionals to know that you too can pursue a career in tech and still remain true to yourself. Representation matters and working at Google provides me with a platform to highlight interests and issues close to my heart. Google welcomes our voices.

How this Googler lifts up Indigenous communities

Maria Running Fisher Jones first learned about balancing checking accounts and filing taxes at age 7 — thanks to her primary school teacher. Though finance didn’t end up being her calling in life, education has been a consistent theme throughout her career. She first studied education, even earning her master’s degree, but ended up finding a home in law.

Now as senior corporate counsel in Google Cloud, Maria also takes time to partner with Googlers and people in her community to raise awareness of issues that are impacting Indigenous communities in the United States, like the one she grew up in, and expand opportunities for Indigenous-owned businesses. I chatted with Maria over Google Meet to hear her story and learn about how education has always been a cornerstone in her life.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I was raised by a single mother on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana, a community struggling with a 69% unemployment rate. The estimated poverty rate of Native Americans living on reservations is nearly double the national average and the highest in the country.

My family saw education as a way to lift ourselves and our community — a way to learn and gain access to connections to give back. My mother ingrained the value of education in me deeply: I vividly remember a time when she wouldn’t allow me to participate in a basketball game because my grades had slipped. Even worse, my mother made me tell my coach and teammates the reason I was to miss the game. It’s those life lessons that have brought me to where I am today.

The more I learned about the tech industry, the more I discovered how much it could be used for good.

How did you get into law?

I didn’t initially anticipate practicing law as a career. Entering college, I was set on a degree in education with a plan to teach high-school English, thanks to the influence of my primary school teachers.

While studying for my master’s in education, I became particularly interested in educational disparities, like why are some children afforded a better education and more resources than others? I began researching laws to educate myself and started to realize that a law degree could help me affect positive change. In some sense, I really fell into a law degree by virtue of following my passions and natural curiosity.

What shaped your interest in tech?

Technology, its importance and impact in the world, wasn’t something I spent much time thinking about while in Montana. Instead of video conferences and emails, I was picking up the phone to connect through a landline or showing up to have a cup of coffee.

But the more I learned about the tech industry, the more I discovered how much it could be used for good. I saw how this was the future and how it could connect my family and community to opportunities in a more equitable way. It’s why I participated in a Wi-Fi connectivity project with GAIN, Google’s Aboriginal and Indigenous Employee Resource Group. It’s how I found the ability to connect my education degrees to tech law. At Google, I’ve been able to do both.

How do you connect your work at Google to the causes you care about?

Giving back and engaging in community is critical in my life. Leaving the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana is still something that pains me to this day. Leaving family has always been a challenge for me, but sharing my culture and raising awareness on issues facing Indigenous people has filled the void of missing home. Since joining Google, I’ve had the opportunity to provide awareness through various channels, including a Talks at Google interview with activist Kimberly Loring HeavyRunner and a Careers on Air virtual event celebrating Google’s Aboriginal and Indigenous communities.

Native Forward, the U.S.’s largest scholarship program for Native students with more than 16,000 recipients from over 500 Tribes, provided the funding to support my law school education. Recently, I was part of a group of Googlers who reviewed its scholarship applications, and I donate monthly via our internal platform that allows for company matching.

In addition to the work I do at Google, I also started a company, TPMOCS, in 2014, specializing in handcrafting children’s moccasins. We employ Native American artisans in rural communities and give a portion of profits to organizations on reservations supporting children in need.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

During a trip back home to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, I spent time with family and elders, and had a traditional naming ceremony for my children. I also had time to reflect on my life choices. Some, if given the chance, I would do over, but one that I’ve never second guessed is joining Google. As I speak at events, I’d like Indigeous youth and young professionals to know that you too can pursue a career in tech and still remain true to yourself. Representation matters and working at Google provides me with a platform to highlight interests and issues close to my heart. Google welcomes our voices.

How Sameer got back into tech and on our Responsible AI team

Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about 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 Sameer Sethi, a lead technical program manager on our Responsible AI team.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I was born and raised in a Punjabi family in Delhi, India. Growing up, my parents were my role models and the biggest pillars in my life. My passions are trying different foods and drinks and exploring the world with my wife, who I met while traveling.

Walk us through your path to Google.

After completing my Bachelor’s of Engineering in Dublin, I worked as a software engineer at various telecom companies in Ireland. Afterwards, I moved back to India to help take care of my father and ended up opening an Indo-European bakery. While I enjoyed running a small business (especially one dedicated to my love of food), I still wanted to find an outlet for my engineering skills and use them to create a positive impact. So I got my master’s degree in engineering and ventured back into the tech world as a product manager.

I partnered with Google on a project during that time, and having seen my work firsthand, my Google colleagues encouraged me to apply for an open position in Google Fiber. The role tapped into my passion for data engineering, and I could make a difference by helping to provide fast, reliable and fairly priced internet access to everyone. So I applied and got the job.

What’s your role at Google now?

Now, I’m a lead technical program manager on Google’s Responsible AI team. I work with researchers, ethicists and machine learning practitioners to help Google build responsible AI products guided by our AI Principles and the societal impacts of our work.

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

I read about Google’s interview process online and got the impression that it would be a nerve-racking experience. To my surprise, however, it was quite the opposite. While the interviews definitely required a lot of preparation, all of the interviewers were very friendly, and the process is designed to make you feel comfortable and help you do your best. Looking back, I would have been much less nervous knowing that the interviewers were friendly and there to help me succeed.

What resources would you recommend to prepare for a Google interview?

I’d suggest reading about the hiring process and checking out the Life at Google YouTube channel to hear directly from Googlers about what it’s like to work here, and how to best prepare to apply or interview. And remember, your recruiter is your best ally so take their recommendations. They know the Google hiring process inside out.

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

I’ll second what many other Googlers have said: Always strive for your best, prepare well and understand that the interviewers are there to help you succeed. Don’t lose hope, and never stop dreaming.

The inside story of how Google bathrooms became classrooms

As a software engineer at Google, Daniele Midi spends most of his time working on developing smart home products. But every week he also sets aside time to help Googlers learn something new from a surprising classroom: the bathroom. Daniele is the editor-in-chief of Learning on the Loo (LotL), a volunteer-driven series of one-page lessons that show up in Google bathrooms in every office across the globe. The “episodes," as they're called, hang inside each restroom and cover subjects from productivity tips for Gmail to avoiding bias in decision making.

The ultimate mission of LotL is to improve Googlers’ lives at work. Daniele first got involved as an intern in 2015, helping with distributing new episodes in his office. Soon after, he joined the small editorial team, and eventually stepped up to lead it. Today, LotL releases new episodes twice a month, on topics that deal with productivity, career and personal development.

LotL launched in 2007 and drew inspiration from Testing on the Toilet (TotT), another Google institution, but a more tailored one. TotT began after a group of Googlers wanted to get input on how engineers could write better tests to ensure their code was working. One of those Googlers somewhat jokingly suggested posting tips about writing better tests in bathrooms. The idea caught on. Today, engineer Andrew Trenk heads up TotT, which now covers topics like coding best practices in addition to testing.

TotT and LotL have a few things in common — for instance, the length. “A challenge is often getting everything to fit on one page,” Andrew says. “This also happens to be what makes the content so useful: Authors are forced to limit themselves to only their most critical points.” And like TotT, LotL aims to be actionable, with quick tips Googlers can use right away.

One example episode: “Effective meetings,” published May 17, 2022, written by Oded Niv. This episode shares tips for what to do and why, both before the meeting starts (“set a prioritized list of goals and activities”) and during the meeting (“politely keep the focus on the agenda”).

An episode titled “Are you writing clearly?” was published August 2, 2022, and written by Nancy Fann-Im. Tips include “Less is more,” “Write like you speak” and “Be direct.” “Even executives appreciate brevity over jargon,” Nancy writes.

All Googlers can submit LotL episode ideas via a form that asks things like whether their lesson is applicable to Googlers everywhere and what the takeaways are. It also includes the note that at least one image or meme is required. Daniele and his team of three other Googlers read through the submissions. Once they accept a proposal, the author or authors work on the one-page copy, edited by the LotL team.

“I think people would be surprised at the level of scrutiny each episode goes through,” Daniele says. LotL even began an open editing group, so any Googler can give suggestions on upcoming episodes via Google Docs. “It’s particularly helpful to get feedback on whether a lesson makes sense globally,” Daniele explains. “Local office culture in the U.S., for example, is different from office culture in Korea.”

Once the LotL team finalizes an episode, they send it to a cadre of Googler volunteers and local facilities teams across the globe who print and distribute it. (Each LotL is also available online and via email for Googlers.) From submission to launch day, the process takes a minimum of three to four weeks.

Like so much about work, LotL had to evolve once the pandemic started. When people began working from home in 2020, LotL went entirely digital, and the content shifted. LotL proposals focusing on everything from at-home office setup to coping with the ongoing stress of the COVID-19 pandemic poured in. “It was a challenging time, for sure, but it was really wonderful to see how many Googlers wanted to share ideas to help each other, too,” Daniele says.

Learning on the Loo remains a source of common ground for Googlers everywhere — and according to Daniele, it’s one that receives an encouraging amount of positive attention. “We recently added a short feedback form to our site,” Daniele says. “People will drop us emails that say, ‘Hey, I loved this, thank you so much!’ I just think that’s really, really cool.”

Improving accessibility led this UX researcher to Google

Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about 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 Jerry Robinson, a user experience (UX) researcher on our Central Product Inclusion, Equity and Accessibility team.

What’s your role at Google?

I’m the lead UX researcher on the Lookout team. Lookout is an Android app that uses AI to help people who are blind or have low vision perform daily tasks faster. It can read text and detect different objects within the camera’s field of view. One of my favorite features is the food label mode, which can quickly identify food products — like whether you’re holding a can of chicken or tomato soup.

I conduct research with current and potential Lookout users to find opportunities to make the app more useful. I love this part of my job because I get to hear directly from the people using our products and share what I’ve learned with my teammates. It’s a privilege to be in a role where I can help our product teams better understand our users and carry out Google’s mission to make information universally accessible.

Jerry stands outside next to a sign with the Google logo.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I graduated from Morehouse College in 2004 with a degree in accounting. After working in the banking industry for five years, I decided to go to grad school and find a career where I could make an impact on people’s everyday lives. Also, as someone with a disability living in a world not always designed with them in mind, I was interested in accessibility and ways to support people with disabilities on their terms.

I earned a Master of Science in Information Management and a PhD in Information Science. My dissertation was focused on accessible design from the perspective of people with physical disabilities finding their own ways to adapt to inaccessible situations in their everyday lives.

How did the application and interview process go for you?

I met a Googler at an assistive technology conference a few years earlier who told me about the open role. I expressed interest and connected with a recruiter, and eventually received a referral from another Googler.

My biggest concern during the interview process was communication. I have a distinct speech pattern because of my cerebral palsy, and I’ve always been concerned that potential employers might hold that against me. However, I knew that Google had an inclusive work environment. And I was confident in my ability to conduct good UX research.

The interview process actually assured me that I was a strong candidate. My interview committee asked tough questions, but they were extremely thoughtful and kind. One of them told me to think of the interview more as a conversation, while another complimented me on my presentation. I felt a level of respect from the very beginning that put me at ease and made me more certain that I wanted to work here.

Jerry smiles and sits in a Google micro-kitchen.

Jerry in a Google office micro-kitchen.

What inspires you to come in (or log on) every day?

I’m inspired by all the Google UXers I work with who are passionate about designing for everyone. Google, and the tech industry overall, needs people who are dedicated to making accessible design the norm rather than an afterthought.

What resources did you use to prepare for your interview?

My recruiter was incredibly helpful. He gave me tips about what to communicate during each interview round, including how best to present the scope, complexity and impact of my work. I practiced my final presentation several times before my last round of interviews to build up my confidence. And I went to bed early the night before to make sure I felt rested.

Any tips to share with aspiring Googlers?

Do all that you can to prepare, but also be confident in what you bring to the table. Know that you’re going through the process because you’re already a qualified candidate. Remind yourself that as often as you need to.

How mentoring startups helped me grow as a Googler

Growing up, I avoided mentorship at all costs. Since I was raised by a single mother and my father has been incarcerated most of my life, I always viewed mentoring programs as an attempt to replace something missing. In hindsight, though, mentorship would have helped me get where I am today in my career more quickly — and avoid some pitfalls along the way.

So when I read about the Google for Startups Founders Academy, I jumped at the chance to participate as a mentor. Launched in2020, the four-month program connects founders from Black, Latino and veteran-led startups with experienced Googlers, investors and industry experts. Through this program, I could share guidance and resources with those with similar backgrounds as me to help them navigate all the complex aspects of running a startup and growing their business.

After throwing my hat into the ring, I was accepted as a Google for Startups mentor and paired with Gritly, a Colorado-based edtech startup that specializes in tech sales boot camps for underrepresented groups. Gritly founder David Lopez grew up in a low-income, single-parent household and was the first person in his family to go to college. While on a full academic scholarship at the University of Colorado, David realized that a bachelor’s degree is actually not a prerequisite for many high-paying roles in the sales sector. Seeing an opportunity to create career pathways in their own communities, David and co-founder Avi set out to provide people from the Black and Latino communities, women, veterans and previously incarcerated individuals with the training and mentorship needed to succeed as entry-level tech sales reps.

As a Black Googler who didn't finish college, I was immediately drawn to the Gritly team and their mission. I knew my startup sales experience and critical thinking skills could help steer David and Avi’s product vision and strengthen their unique business model. Although the Founders Academy program only required monthly meetings, I wanted to make myself more available. So I met with David and Avi every week to work through roadblocks, answer questions and celebrate wins. I also attended Gritly’s team meetings to get to know the entire group better. And since we’re all based in Boulder, Colorado, we were even able to meet in person multiple times.

Over the course of the program, David and Avi pivoted Gritly into a digital portal that hosts more bootcamps and edtech programs for other role-specific training. This shift broadened the startup’s potential from a niche player to a fundamental part of the edtech space. We also worked together to refine both their product and pitching strategies to secure several angel investors and fellowships. Most recently, Gritly was selected as one of the first recipients of the Google for Startups Latino Founders Fund, which awarded them with $100,000 in equity-free funding, as well as Cloud credits and ongoing support from Googlers.

When someone asked me what my favorite part about being a Googler was, I would usually say access to the world’s brightest minds. Now, after becoming a Google for Startups mentor, the answer is the opportunity to connect the dots. It’s a privilege to serve as a facilitator between people around the world solving problems and the Googlers who can support them with knowledge, tools and resources. Mentorship, I’ve finally learned, isn’t a way to make up for something you lack — it’s a chance to grow in ways you didn’t even realize were possible.

How Googlers are honoring Hindu Heritage Month

This year, the Hindu chapter of Google's Inter Belief Network (IBN) employee resource group is honoring Hindu Heritage Month and the many important festivals happening this month, including Navaratri (Sept. 26 - Oct. 5), Dussehra (Oct. 5) and Diwali (Oct. 24).

To help bring more awareness to key moments like Diwali, Google Registry partnered withCoHNA, a coalition representing the Hindu community of North America, earlier this year to launch Diwali.day — a secure domain to learn more about the history and traditions surrounding Diwali.

I sat down with fellow members of the IBN Hindu chapter to learn a bit more about their traditions, and how they are celebrating the festive season.

Read Article

Today is the .day

.day, the latest top-level domain extension from Google Registry, helps you bring attention to any important day

Read Article

How Camille and Aurane became community leads at Google

Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.

As Black History Month continues across Europe, we spoke with Aurane Dibeu and Camille Addo, two Googlers who have led local Black Googler Network (BGN) chapters in their offices. BGN is a global employee resource group (ERG) working to cultivate Black leaders at Google and beyond, empower the communities where we operate and ensure the technology industry reflects the diversity of its users. Aurane and Camille shared more about this important work and their own journeys to Google.

Can you tell us a little about yourself?

Aurane: I grew up in France and received a master’s degree in finance and economics. However, after five years of studying and working in finance, I realized I didn't like the industry’s culture. I still wanted to work in a field where I could use my analytical skills, so I decided to study data science and get into tech. Outside of work, I'm an astrophysics fan and aspiring pilot. I moved to Ireland three months ago after working remotely from Paris for a year.

Camille: I'm a born and bred Londoner, having grown up in South East London with my parents and two younger brothers. I studied Hispanic studies at Manchester University, during which I spent an incredible year abroad in Brazil and Cuba. I love languages, traveling and trying new food. When I'm not working, I try to absorb as much culture as I can and spend quality time with my friends and family.

Aurane standing outside a Google Building.

Aurane visiting Google global headquarters.

What’s your role at Google?

Aurane: I’m a solutions consultant on the gCare team. In this role, I help our advertising clients solve any technical issues with our Google Marketing Platform tools, submit new feature proposals to our product teams and monitor for any bugs before launching those features.

Camille: I’m a program manager on the ads side of the business, which means I work with a team of specialists to help our biggest advertising clients meet their marketing objectives. I’m also a co-chair for BGN UK.

Camille on stage speaking into a microphone.

Camille hosting a BGN event.

What does the BGN community mean to you?

Aurane: To me, BGN represents three things: inclusivity, solidarity and inspiration. Before joining Google, I interned mostly in finance. In those jobs, I was usually the only Black woman — and sometimes, the only Black person — on the team. So when I joined Google and discovered BGN, I felt welcomed. In the years since, BGN has been a safe space and career accelerator for me. Thanks to this community, I’ve received mentoring and coaching to help me thrive in my role. I decided to become the Paris chapter lead to give back to this community.

Camille: BGN is a space where Black Googlers and allies can come together and celebrate the Black community in all its forms. This is in part because BGN fosters the feeling of psychological safety, creating a space for us to truly discuss pressing issues. BGN and all ERGs also have the support of senior management at Google, which helps create a sense of belonging across the company.

Any tips for aspiring Googlers?

Aurane: Go to outreach events hosted by Google. These will help you get a better understanding of the company, roles and, most importantly, the application and interview process. Learn more about these opportunities.

Camille: Read as much as possible and do as many Google Digital Garage courses as you can. And if you don't succeed the first time, don't get disheartened. Try again, especially after you’ve had a chance to absorb any feedback you got. There are so many fantastic teams here at Google, so even if one role isn't for you, the perfect one could be right around the corner.