Google is a behemoth in the technology world, significantly impacting the everyday lives of over 3 billion internet users across the globe. It also regularly makes the list of “most valuable brands in the world” and “the best companies to work for,” primarily due to its fantastic work culture and environment. Every software engineer who wishes to scale the heights of their career dreams of landing a job at Google.
Getting into Google isn't all that easy, though. Known to hire only the world’s top talent, Google accepts less than 1% of applicants for software engineering positions. Getting hired by Google takes a great deal of effort, typically involving several hours of practice and preparation, powered by the right strategy.
In this article, we’ll talk about what makes getting into Google tough and what you can do to get past those hurdles.
- Why Is It Hard to Get Into Google?
- What Does Google Look for in Software Developers?
- How to Get a Job at Google
Why Is It Hard to Get Into Google?
A study of hiring trends at FAANG indicates that Google receives approximately 2 million applications a year, and only 1 out of every 130-150 engineers who apply get through. Compare this with Harvard, which accepts 1 in 15 applications. Quite clearly, getting into Google is more than 10 times harder than getting into Harvard’s freshman year. Sound unsettling?
What’s not unsettling, though, is that Google is always hiring and constantly scouring for top talent. So even though its interview process is particularly daunting, you shouldn’t be deterred from preparing and giving it your best shot. By adopting a mix of diligence, the right prep strategy, and perseverance, landing an offer from this tech giant is definitely possible.
What Does Google Look for in Software Developers?
Google has a rigorous hiring process that fundamentally evaluates a software engineer’s problem-solving skills. While it is possible to get the job if you meet the requirements, many developers fail even with the required qualifications and skills.
That’s essentially because Google looks for a specific “type” of candidates — software engineers who aren’t just great problem solvers but also exhibit the right attitude, temperament, and character. Software engineers who have limited domain expertise and don’t demonstrate the ability to think outside their domain will likely fall short. The bottom line is that Google specifically looks for well-rounded engineers who can shoulder responsibility, be accountable, and deliver.
How to Get a Job at Google
Here’s a gist of what you should be doing to land that dream offer with Google:
1. Know Exactly What to Focus On
In order to be good enough for Google’s interview rounds, your knowledge in algorithms and data structures needs to be above par. Pace your prep judiciously, giving yourself enough time to solve as many problems as possible around core DS and algorithms. Here’s what you should essentially be covering over the course of your prep:
- Arrays, strings, and linked lists
- Sorting algorithms — quicksort, merge sort, heap sort, etc.
- Recursion
- Trees and graphs
- Hash tables and queues
- Graph algorithms, including greedy algorithms
- Dynamic programming
Who’s Hiring?
Check out latest job openings from 50+ top tech companies, all in one place!
Explore jobs
2. Bring Your Design Knowledge Up to Speed
Distributed systems design is an important component in FAANG and tier-1 interviews. As you must already be aware, tech behemoths like Google and Facebook extensively employ scalable engineering systems to reach their billion-odd users. Knowing how these systems work is extremely important to ace the design round during the on-site interview.
If you’re new to distributed systems design and want to go about prepping for the interview, finding a good resource is a good starting point. But remember to give yourself enough time, as going about your prep in haste won’t quite cut it.
Below are the essential concepts you should look to cover to ace Google’s design round:
- Scalable systems
- Concurrency
- API modeling
- Sharding techniques
- Database management
Recommended Reading: System Design Interview Preparation Tips
3. Practice Mock Interviews With Hiring Managers From Google
If you’re dead serious about getting offered a job at Google, practicing mock interviews with professionals who can give you the right feedback should be part of your prep plan.
Mock interviews are a great way to understand the areas where you’re lacking and the steps you should take in order to improve. Remember, Google doesn’t hire you for your ability to solve problems alone. The way you go about your approach, your soft skills, and the attitude you display play an equally impactful role in influencing the outcome of your interview.
If you want to practice mock interviews with hiring managers and technical leads from Google, enroll today for Interview Kickstart’s Masterclass.
4. Prepare for the Behavioral Interview
Behavioral interviews are an immensely important part of the hiring process at Google. Regardless of whether you’re a fresher or an experienced developer (applying to managerial positions at Google including IC, EM, Director of Engineering), your performance in the behavioral interview is crucial.
Prepare succinct responses to questions around your experience, more specifically around challenges presented by past projects, critical learnings, and the nuances of working as a team.
Remember that hiring managers also seek to understand how you’d respond to certain situations in a workplace setup, your view of an ideal workplace environment, your attitude towards inclusion and diversity, etc.
Want to know the type of questions asked at Google’s behavioral interviews?
Read 9 Behavioral Interview Questions Commonly Asked at the Google Interview.
5. Choose the Right Resource to Guide You Through Your Journey
Choosing the right resource is an important aspect that most candidates ignore. Cracking interviews at FAANG companies requires a specific set of skills that you must work to build. By enrolling for an intensive tech interview course, you can boost your chances of making it through the challenging process.
6. Give Your Linkedin Profile a Facelift
Optimizing your Linkedin profile is key to getting noticed by recruiters. Ideally, distributing keywords that succinctly spell out your experience and skills is a must if you want your profile to get detected by Linkedin’s bullion search algorithms.
While you’re at it, make sure to write a great resume as well. Remember that your resume and LinkedIn profile are the first pieces of information you give out to recruiters about yourself. So make sure you make a great first impression.
Recommended Reading: Leverage LinkedIn to Unlock FAANG Interviews
Are You Ready to Nail Your Next Google Interview?
Since its inception in 2014, Interview Kickstart has helped thousands of experienced engineers realize their true calling. We aim to help engineers get better acquainted with the intricacies of their chosen field and provide them with all the guidance they need to clear interviews with tech giants.
Knowing very well that clearing an interview requires much more than sound technical knowledge, we train you in a manner that helps you develop a winner's stride. IK is your golden ticket to land the job you deserve.
Want to learn more? Sign up for our FREE webinar on How to Nail Your Next Tech Interview.
