

My Google Rejection Letter - rodh257
http://osherove.com/blog/2011/4/5/my-google-rejection-letter.html

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Adrock
_So anyway - if you wanna work there, it doesn’t matter what you’ve done, or
accomplished, or how you work with people, or how creative you are. If you
know binary searches, you’re in._

That's not the logical conclusion. The only evidence is that if you _don't_
know binary searches, you're not in. Why doesn't he know binary search? If he
had three phone screens and they all involved binary search, why didn't he
learn more about binary searches after the first time?

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BarkMore
_No, they did not ask about my book._

They can take a look at the book offline. There's no need to spend time in the
phone screen talking about it.

In any case, he was not applying for a book writing position.

 _I actually had three different phone interviews there. all failed because of
my (obviously lacking) knowledge of implementing binary searches._

If a candidate cannot answer a basic CS question, then the process usually
ends after the first phone screen. He probably got two more chances because he
wrote the book.

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googletest
Just curious, how many HN'ers have joined companies like Amazon,Google, after
being rejected in the interview process the first time, and what's your story?

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singular
Ack seems a bit resentful - I genuinely think understanding algorithms
_matters_ in any case , and it's well known that google do too. Sounds more
like lack of preparation to me.

~~~
ZeroMinx
Yes, rather quite bitter. You busted a job interview, get over it.

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dvfer
I have been rejected by Cerner's software engineer post in my Junior year,
because that was the first time I heard of "behavior questions". For
technical, they asked me how to implement classes for a chess game, and
several simple sorting algorithms. I bombed it, and now I am on their
blacklist of people not to give an interview. LOL. Not like I want to work for
them anymore, just it's funny to know how long that blacklist is active, so I
apply their job every semester.

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nadam
" If you know binary searches, you’re in. "

No you are not in. I know 'binary searches' but I have been rejected after the
phone interviews when I applied one year ago.

The asked problems were certainly harder than 'binary search', but these were
not that DEEP problems. (I've solved much deeper problems in my life.) I don't
know the reason of my rejection. My final solution was correct, I checked that
afterwards. I was probably just not fast enough, and I made mistakes because
of stress (which I corrected later). Also, when they asked 'how would you test
it', I might answered incorrectly.

IMHO they use a boolean formula when evaluating you:

A and B and C and D

rather than

A or B or C or D

If you fail in one aspect (or at least they perceive that you fail in that
aspect) they reject you, because they can find people who dont't fail in any
aspects (or at least they perceive that).

This was the first time in my life that I've been rejected by a company. I was
a bit angry for a day, but eventually I realized that it is not a big deal:
they have plenty of people to choose from. Maybe I will try it once again if
the startup that I am working on now fails. But I will practice more before
the interview.

~~~
fossuser
I think it's just that Google has thousands and thousands of applicants and
can essentially hand pick the top from MIT, Stanford, CMU, Princeton etc. The
competition is intense and their interview system is intense because of it.

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Shanewho
Sometimes companies would rather miss a good person than accidentally hire a
bad person. Google has no shortage of candidates, so they can turn down good
hires and still fill their positions with other good hires. If they don't hire
someone, it isn't always reflective of the candidate (although it can be).

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Hominem
I'm not sure what to think about Google's hiring practices. The ones I've met
were normal guys, but everyone makes it seem like they are running some sort
of Einstien era Institute fo Advanced Study over there. I've got to say,
knowing basic algorithms isn't a high barrier to entry.

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afsina
If author thinks it is required to know basic algorithms to get into Google,
he should stop whining and learn the damn thing. And, sadly that is required,
but not enough. I know it by experience..

~~~
qohen
Looks like he did--in the comments to his post, Osherove says this (sorry, not
linkable):

BTW - I DID sit down and learn how to implement a binary search after the
first time I got asked. I do not like leaving things 'open' like that. so the
next time I got asked I had a much better and faster answer. But it wasn't
fast enough (I assume - they never said why) April 5, 2011 | Registered
CommenterRoy Osherove"

