EP39 - Interviewing For Google For With Mohamed Tayseer

الحلقة التاسعة و الثلاثون من راديو اسأل مطور, في هذه الحلقة نستضيف المهندس محمد تيسير المنضم حديثاً لفريق عمل جوجل في مدينة زيورخ في سويسرا, ليشارك معنا خبراته و نصائحه لمن يريدون التقدم في الوظائف المماثلة.

Why do you want to join Google?
Technical career path
Innovative
Move to another country
You will not lose anything if you fail. There is no such thing as blacklist

What they are looking for in a candidate?
Smart & get things done
Goes the extra mile (open-source, side projects, …)
Measurable achievements
College degree is not required
Persistence: I failed the 1st interview but passed the 2nd

How to pass the interview?
Relax. It’s not the end of the world
Always keep the communication line open. In other words, always think out loud. Don’t stand there silently while you are thinking
Validate your assumptions with test cases & ask about edge cases to make sure you understand everything. The problem might be simpler than you think
Apply for all suitable positions, not just one or two (follow @googlejobs on twitter)
Prepare well (Project Euler, Top Coder, ACM, …)
“Algorithm Design Manual” is a good book, but it’s heavy for some people. Go with it when you feel you have a good understanding of basic data structures
See more references below

Things to consider
It takes time to pass the interviews, get visa & start working
Google helps with relocation: papers, travel tickets, temp accommodation, but this doesn’t mean the visa is guaranteed.
The imposter syndrome: I’m not good enough

References
Steve Yegge blog post is the best resource. http://steve-yegge.blogspot.ch/2008/03/get-that-job-at-google.html
Event by Ahmad Aly https://www.facebook.com/events/252191538310698/?ref=22
Required courses http://uk.businessinsider.com/skills-for-google-engineering-jobs-2014-10?r=US
Another reference http://www.businessinsider.com/qualities-google-looks-for-in-job-candidates-2014-4?IR=T
There were some sessions in EgyptScholars group telling you how to prepare for Google interview https://www.facebook.com/EgyptScholars