Want to be part of one of the world’s biggest companies? You should work for Google…
With a great company culture and a wide range of employee benefits, along with quirky and comfortable offices that challenge the stereotypical 9-to-5, becoming a ‘Googler’ (actually what they call themselves) could be the perfect fit for your career. But what’s it really like to work there, and how do you get your foot in the door?
To help give you an idea of the application process and day-to-day, here’s what it’s like to work for Google:
The interview process
Google are notorious for their ‘creative’ (see also: difficult) interview questions, so if you want in, you need to get the answers nailed.
Although many questions will rely on your specialist expertise and practical ability, others are designed to test your character, logic skills, and ability to learn and grow. Roleplaying, practical tasks and tests may also be part of the mix.
Ultimately, their goal is to find out how clued up you are on them as a company, so doing your research is vital to ensuring you fully understand Google’s products, story, and vision.
And remember: an eagerness to learn is an essential attribute for any aspiring Googler – so claiming that you’re perfect is never a good approach.
Although they’re famously coy on exactly what they ask, here are just a few of the more unusual questions you should prepare for:
- Do you have an IQ higher than 130?
- What shall we have for dinner this evening?
- How many times a day do the hands of a clock overlap?
- Are you incompetent and lazy?
- How many piano tuners are there in the entire world?
Difficult interview questions and answers
Five interview questions you should stop being scared of
The workplace
Voted the number one place to work in the UK on a number of occasions, you’d probably expect that Google’s offices are up there with some of the best – both in terms of company culture and aesthetics.
For example, the quirkily crafted interior design featured in the Covent Garden office is the epitome of a comfortable workspace, and is probably about the closest thing you can get to working from your own home (there is actually a ‘Home Working area’).
That is, if your home is filled with a mix of cosy vintage furnishings and modern decor, a secret garden, a comfy library, and a huge garden area complete with your own allotments. And while no two offices are the same, Google always incorporate a sense of local personality, healthy living, and quirkiness into every single one of their workplaces.
All in all, as offices go, this definitely beats a plain old desk… As long as you have the willpower to actually get some work done whilst sitting inside a room designed like a tiny submarine.
The roles
Google offer a range of opportunities, which are available across their three London offices, along with their fourth office based in Manchester.
Here’s a few of the fields you could work in:
- Engineering & technology
- Marketing & communications
- Business strategy
- Legal & finance
- Sales & customer service
- Design
- HR
The employee benefits
Google’s company perks go far beyond their uniquely designed offices.
With healthy living in mind, they offer a free onsite gym service and a cycle to work programme, along with free food three times a day – basically enough to make you want to live at work just so you never have to do your own food shopping again.
They also provide a number of benefit programmes, including generous parental and sick leave policies, pensions, and life insurance. Some offices even allow you to bring your dog to work.
Employees also boasted a good sense of overall job satisfaction, especially citing the amount of available opportunities and choice involved in their preferred workload and type. And, as Google is a big believer of ‘lifelong learning’, they fully support and accommodate for their employees in both their professional and personal development.
The company culture
With a fun working environment and a range of company perks, it’s not surprising that the culture at Google is anything but dull.
Priding themselves in maintaining the openness of a ‘start-up culture’, Google allow all of their employees to input their ideas regularly. And with the uniquely designed meeting spaces and communal areas featured in all of their offices, Googlers are encouraged to interact with all members of the company (both in terms of work and play).
But it’s not just the environment that makes working for Google great. As with many things, it’s the people that make it.
With many internal reviews stating that being surrounded by ‘smart, friendly, and passionate people’ is/was a massive pro when working there, it proves that Google’s ‘only hiring the best’ policy works in everyone’s favour.
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