The dream job at Google is easy to secure if you meet what the recruiters are looking for. Easy said than done, right? But it is practically possible. Not all Google recruits are toppers in their academic journeys. Some of them are average as well and simply meet the job and cultural requirements of the company while being well-prepared for the process. Regardless of your competency, meeting these two stated criteria is critical to landing a job. Now, the question is how to meet it. Well, that’s what we are here for. Let’s check it out.
What Experts Say
“Be curious. Use data. Leverage imagination. Be an expert. Be an enthusiast. Be authentic. Know your competition.”
-Jim Stroud
(HR Consultant, Speaker, and Author of The Seven Highly Effective Habits of Sourcing)
Here’s what we’ll cover in this article:
How To Prepare For Google Interview - Technical Round How To Prepare For A Google Interview - Behavioural Round Google Interview Preparation Best Practices Prepare for Your Google Interview with Interview Kickstart FAQs About the Preparation For Google Interview How To Prepare For Google Interview - Technical Round However, the accurate preparation tips for technical rounds will vary depending on the specificity of the role and requirements. Considering superficially, here is what you can follow:
Know the Process You must know about the interview, which includes the overall breakdown, the type of interview scheduled, and the weightage of topics in the interview. Refer to Google's official website for the related information, which includes example interviews and their advice for preparation.
Plan It includes learning about yourself. As you must be familiar with the information and topics required for the interview, it is critical to identify how much you know about those. You must figure out if you are well-versed or require special attention to brush them up. It will help you plan and distribute the content according to the interview date. Ensure the focus is divided based on both the weightage and your knowledge.
Learn and Practice Simply planning ain’t going to help. Get hold of the important sources or study materials and implement the plan. Practice and develop the skills and capabilities expected of a Google recruit. You will be tested on your problem-solving skills based on your technical knowledge. Further, perform daily practice for programming questions important for the role.
What Do Experts Say
“In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.”
- Albert Einstein
How To Prepare For A Google Interview - Behavioural Round Your emphasis on the technical round is obvious. But, commonly, recruiters witness a lack of preparation during behavioral rounds. Holding a significant impact on recruitment, it can become a dealbreaker or dealmaker. Hence, focus and preparation for the round are non-negotiable.
Now, the behavioral round encompasses a test of your work psychology, ability to cope with work culture, positive and negative situations, and so on. They test leadership, interpersonal skills, teamwork, problem-solving, and other similar skills. The questions here are based on previous experiences, values, and hypothetical scenarios.
The preparation strategy here should consider the following points:
Logical Thinking Develop or polish your smartness and the ability to quickly adapt depending on the situation.
Planning As stated, the questions will be either by your past, possibly future, or a non-existent situation. The thinking and planning for such types of answers are the only characteristics needed. Strategically plan at least three answers to the questions. Relate the answers or situations with past experiences and include major accomplishments.
Data-based Answering Since they want logical and planned answers, the expectation of data-backed answering or relation with numbers is nothing surprising. It will also include exhibiting your direction of thinking and the assumptions or other processes that lead you to the specific conclusion you have reached.
Practice and Improvement You can not expect to meet the delivery expectations right from the beginning. Practice offers you the opportunity to reflect on different perspectives. The mind will generate different scenarios and answers. You can choose according to suitability and improve the quality based on the expectations of recruiters.
Google Interview Preparation Best Practices and Tips Here are some additional tips to help you in preparing for a Google interview :
Have a thorough comparison of the job description and your resume. Find all the corners of the best fit. Always back your answers with data to help get a clear insight into your capabilities. Rewind to the past actions and figure out the accomplishments and worth acknowledging actions you did. Before answering a question, it is helpful to define and express your understanding of the question. Assumptions during answering must be logical and stated. Don't forget to focus on workplace scenarios and small wins that exhibit your mentality. Interview the recruiters. Ask and exhibit your interest in knowing the company. Ask to clarify the question if any problem exists. Think out loud. It means talking about your thought process and the approach towards the problem. If you are unaware or unfamiliar with the problem or can’t find a specific solution, try to change your perspective to understand the question and answer. Passing the question at a Google interview is a big no! Prepare for Your Google Interview with Interview Kickstart There is more to the Google interview prep than a simple focus on two rounds. There are different perspectives that a candidate must learn about to gracefully and successfully complete their interview process. What if you learn about all the mentioned and non-mentioned aspects directly from the Google recruiters? Yes, it does seem impossible, but not anymore!
At Interview Kickstart, our team of guides, mentors, and experts are the recruiters from Google and other top-tech companies themself. Apart from looking forward to the best candidate, their prime role is to guide you through the list of requirements they expect at your dream company. So, what’s the wait for? Step on the ladder to your dreams with Interview Kickstart and secure what you wish for.
Common Questions About the Preparation For Google Interview Q1. What happens if you fail a Google interview? If you fail a Google interview, Google accepts the rejected candidates again after a certain time period. You can apply again. Alternatively, you can look for other opportunities open to you.
Q2. What is the hardest question for Google? There are multiple hard questions at Google. Presenting one of them, which is, ‘How many times in a day do a clock’s hands make zero degrees with each other and overlap?’ The answer to this question can be as follows: They overlap every 65 minutes and 27.273 seconds due to the minute hand moving ahead of the hour hand. So, throughout a 12-hour period, the hands overlap approximately 11 times.
Q3. What are the five rounds of Google Interview? The five rounds in Google interview include:
Resume screening Phone screening On-site interview Hiring committee review Executive review Q4. Do Google recruiters call to reject? Yes, the Google recruiters connect to inform both the acceptance and rejection of candidates.
Q5. What is Google’s most asked question? Google’s most asked question is, ‘What is my IP?’
Q6. How do I clear Google's first round? The first round is the recruiter judging your fitness for the role. Ensure that you meet the criteria with basic skills and experience to clear Google’s first round.
Q7. How long are interviews at Google? The overall interview process takes between 2 to 6 months. It includes on-call and on-site interviews. The on-call interviews last between 30 and 60 minutes, while on-site interviews are each around 45 minutes in duration.
Q8. What percent of Google interviews get hired? The hiring rate is generally only 1% at Google.
Q9. Why do I keep failing during Google interviews? There can be different reasons depending on the requirements and the candidate’s abilities. However, the lack of competency and preparation are among the top reasons for candidates. It is wise to enroll in a Google Interview prep course to ensure better results.