
How To Land a Job at Google - alain94040
http://blog.fairsoftware.net/2010/11/10/how-to-land-a-job-at-google-or-elsewhere/
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ryandvm
This always seemed like a sensible approach - so I tried it. I'll let you know
if it works...

<http://www.appidio.com/apps/scrybe/>

(To save you the click through, it's a project of mine that combines Google
Scribe with an Android keyboard. It's definitely alpha quality, but the
concept is there.)

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alain94040
Good attempt. What I would add, if you are really into landing a job, is add a
byline that says "I'm a recent graduate" (rather than say I'm jobless), and
make sure the product name you are targeting is in the title. This way, you
maximize your chance that someone who works on that products eventually finds
your page, and your bio will automatically make them think: "hum, why doesn't
he work for _us_?"

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jlees
Making sure a PM on the product reads your blog post isn't about optimising
the title and having buzzwords like graduate. Think about being in the PM's
shoes and where you would be looking for coverage and posts and so on on your
product.

Hint: Writing a cool, insightful blog post, teardown or even nifty mashup
(youtube instant?) that appeals to both the HN community as well as being hand
crafted to subliminally read 'Please hire me, Google' would more than get you
noticed.

The premise in the main post is very sound. If you want a product job at
Google, put yourself in the shoes and start thinking product.

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GFischer
Another possibility:

Remember the guy that bought the AdWords targeted specifically to the hiring
manager at Google?

That was a creative way to get noticed.

Maybe doing that + having the work to show for it (a landing page specifically
for the manager! showing your work :) )

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GFischer
I don't think this is the best advice for everyone:

"How would I become a VC? By being one: pull some of my own money, invest it
in startups, and build my track record. That’s how. I can’t imagine any other
way."

I can definitely imagine another way - the way I suppose the people that went
to the event being discussed ("how to become a VC.") might have in mind: learn
the ropes from someone experienced, learn what's needed (lots of legal,
economical and technical stuff I didn't even know existed before reading stuff
like the A VC blog <http://www.avc.com/> ), learn from their mistakes and
successes (and no, I don't think the Internet is a good enough substitute for
the actual experience).

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alain94040
How do you propose to learn what's needed, without actually doing the job? VC
jobs have a crazy applicant ratio above 100 to 1. So even if you are super-
qualified, with the best MBA, your chances are still below 1% to land that
job.

The alternative, kind of what Jeff Clavier did, is just ignore the traditional
ladder and just do it.

~~~
littledanehren
A problem with this is, most people don't have the money to just start
investing in startups. This is one reason why startups tend to need VCs in the
first place. It's not like the only thing holding people back from investing
in startups is willpower.

~~~
alain94040
I don't think a 20-year old, fresh out of college, wants to become a VC. So
that particular advice was more targeted at mid-level managers, with some cash
in the bank, and the desire to become a VC. Do you know any VC who is less
than 30?

~~~
catshirt
Speaking personally, this probably has to do more with resources (money,
experience, people) and less with desire.

~~~
phjohnst
Agreed. I know several young finance guys that would all like to get into VC
one day, but they know that without a founder background they need to cut
their teeth in banking/dealmaking before moving over. But there is definitely
a desire.

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btilly
This advice worked for Feross Aboukhadijeh, see
<http://techcrunch.com/2010/09/24/youtube-instant-instant/> for proof.

However most applicants would be better off brushing up on basic algorithms
and CS stuff that most people have forgotten.

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littledanehren
I guess telling Google what they should be doing differently might work, but I
wasn't really prepared in my interview to give them advice. Still got
accepted, though.

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HackyGeeky
Great advise, unique perspective. Gives me an idea for interview questions as
well. Thanks.

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azeemazhar2
Why wd you want a job at google anyway?

