Today’s post is all about Satyaki Upadhyay. Read on!


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I grew up in Kolkata and Navi Mumbai in India and graduated from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani with a degree in Computer Science.

I like math and algorithms. When I'm not working, I would most probably be taking part in some type of programming contest. I love watching and playing football and listening to progressive rock music!

What’s your role at Google?
I am a software engineer working on Google Maps. And I am also involved in Kickstart, Google's well-known programming contest that helps hire some of the best graduates from around the world.

Complete the following: "I [choose one: code/create/design/build] for..."
I code for Google Maps.

What inspires you to come in every day?
It's definitely the free food and massages. :)

On a serious note, my peers are absolutely fantastic and I get to work on an incredible product that affects millions of lives across the world.

Can you tell us about your decision to enter the process?
I had always wanted to work for Google, even since college. I worked for a year at Directi in India and learnt a lot there. After 15 months there, I felt that it was the right time to join Google. I got myself an interview call, had some challenging interview rounds, and I made it! :D

How did the recruitment process go for you?
The recruitment process was a lot of fun. The questions asked were of a very high standard and I had an exciting time solving them (with hints from the interviewer, of course :)). I was worried initially that I might mess up in the interviews, but as they kept happening and I was able to solve the problems, I grew more and more confident and each interview turned out to be a discussion with my interviewer, rather than a typical "question-answer" round.

What do you wish you’d known when you started the process?
That it's not always necessary to arrive at the correct answer. Your thought process is what you are judged on and that it's almost as important to have soft skills as it is to have technical skills.

Can you tell us about the resources you used to prepare for your interview or role?
I did not specifically prepare a lot for my algorithm interviews. I continued taking part in coding contests on Codeforces and Topcoder, and I was already familiar with most of the concepts. I looked at previous interview questions on Careercup on the last day. I also practiced previously asked problems from Kickstart which helped a lot in my preparation.

Do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?
Don't be intimidated. Just head into the interview confident in yourself and your ability. Your interviewer is there to guide you through the round, and it will be a fun experience. :)
Want to learn more about Kickstart, a global programming competition? Check out g.co/codejamkickstart or tune into our recent YouTube Live where Google engineers walk through tips on how to solve Kickstart problems. Be sure to register here for Kickstart before Round B on April 21st. You can find the full schedule of online rounds here. See you on the scoreboard!

Welcome to the 21st 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 Anjali Khetan. Read on!


Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I grew up in Stamford, CT, before attending college at the University of Pennsylvania. I spent the first two years studying Chemical Engineering, but after Intro to Computer Science (CS), my heart was forever changed, and I transferred to Computer Science!


What’s your role at Google?
I am a Software Engineer (SWE) on Google Maps. My team works on getting live events on the map all over the world! I love our team, because we strive to organize event data and understand how it relates to maps, places, people, and navigation. This means our work fits in with Google’s overall mission, but it also brings delight to users through fun features like drawing rainbow routes for Pride and other events, and showing them cool things to do in their area.


What inspires you to come in every day?
The people! I love our product and the projects we work on, but my colleagues are far and away the best part—I have never worked with or met such an inspiring and fun group of people.


Can you tell us about your decision to enter the process?
This was my third time applying. It's always worth the energy and effort to chase your dreams, but definitely not a smooth road :D. I joined Google right after college.


How did the recruitment process go for you?
I was contacted after being rejected for an internship. Although I had applied for the SWE New Graduate role, the recruiter felt that I would be a great match for the Engineering Residency program, so we went forward with that.


What do you wish you’d known when you started the process?
That showing an interviewer *how* you solve a problem is just as valuable as what your solution is.


Can you tell us more about the resources you used to prep?
I used “Cracking the Coding Interview,” HackerRank, and mock interviews with friends.


To finish, do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?
When you love something, the work is easy!



Want to learn more about the Engineering Residency? Watch our video, or head over to g.co/EngResidency. Ready to apply to the residency? We're currently accepting applications at https://goo.gl/rhBmj1.

Welcome to the 19th 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 KaMar Galloway. Read on!






Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands (St. Croix, to be exact) and was very much into music as a kid. My dad owns Galloway's Record Shop on the island, so I listened to a ton of reggae, soca, and dancehall music in the house. My switch from music to technology came in high school when I took my first computer science class. Fast forward four years and one victory lap year of studying computer science at NC State, and now I am at Google working as a Program Manager.


What’s your role at Google?

My title is Program Manager, but I tell everyone that I am an informal computer science teacher. At Google, I, along with several other amazing people, created the Google CS First program that teaches students how to tell their own stories and design their own games through code. The coolest project to date has to be my involvement in the Google collaboration project with Chance the Rapper.


What inspires you to come in every day?

Randomly running into people that know my team's work is super inspiring. There's been situations where I've walked into a classroom and students have recognized me from my appearances in CS First videos. It's so cool to see them make the connection that real people who look like me are actively designing and creating with technology.

Welcome to the twelfth 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 Melissa Holguin. Read on!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up in Doral, Florida, which is a suburb of Miami. I went to college at the University of Central Florida and studied a full circle of engineering majors. I started in Computer Science (CS), then switched to Electrical Engineering, switched again to Computer Engineering, and finally ended up returning to CS my junior year of college, adding on a Music minor to go along with my CS degree. Outside of work, I like archery, bowling, video games, and binging on TV shows. Every once in a while, I get inspired and do some music producing.

What’s your role at Google?

I'm a Software Engineer on the YouTube Music Analytics team. I love that I get to be on a team that mixes music and technology. I just recently started on this team, but it looks like I'll be working on improving charts for music artists and tracks.

What inspires you to come in every day?

Even after a year of working at Google, it still feels surreal sometimes that I get to work with the most brilliant minds — it inspires me to work hard every day and makes me feel that my creativity will be put to good use.

Can you tell us about your decision to enter the process?

I had always thought of Google as the top dog of technology companies. It was definitely on my list of dream jobs, but I always thought it would be a long time before I'd be qualified to work there. I was thrilled to find out that someone thought I was ready just as I was finishing up my degree in CS.

How did the recruitment process go for you?

I was contacted by a recruiter that found my profile on Linkedin. I was extremely surprised, since I still had two semesters to finish before graduation, and I wasn't planning on applying anywhere until I was in my final semester. The recruiter first reached out in September and I didn't get my final decision until January, so I was definitely anxious in the time between because it was such a huge deal for me.

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

I wish I would've known about the Engineering Residency program beforehand. It ended up being the perfect fit for me!

Can you tell us more about the resources you used to prep?

I mainly used this website called InterviewBit, which was really good for practicing coding questions from all different categories. I spent around five hours a day solving problems for a week leading up to my first technical interview.

To finish, do you have any tips you’d like to share with aspiring Googlers?

Keep an open mind and don't pass on an opportunity based on specifics alone. In large companies like Google, there is so much room for growth and change. You never know what kind of opportunities will open up in the future, so your knowledge and experience will be a useful thing to have.

Want to learn more about the Engineering Residency? Watch our video, or head over to g.co/EngResidency. Ready to apply to the residency? We're currently accepting applications at https://goo.gl/rhBmj1.