

Ask HN: About to start an internship with Google. Any advice? - anon-coward

Hi everyone&#60;p&#62;I'm about to start an engineering internship with Google in a couple of weeks. I'm an undergrad studying Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. I'm really excited to start! How can I make the most of this opportunity?&#60;p&#62;Anything specific I should learn before I get there? Any general do/don't advice for when I get there?
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Peroni
Some non-technical advice:

* Ask tons of questions. Not questions for the sake of questions but relevant, interesting questions.

* Get to know people. It's never too early to start networking and you'd be surprised how likely it is that you'll cross paths with some of these Googlers further down the line.

* Pay attention and work hard. A good work ethic is unfortunately a rare commodity. Showing a willingness to get your head down and get stuck in won't go unnoticed.

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anon-coward
Thanks for answering! I really appreciate it!

What would be a good way for me to get to know people? Striking up a
conversation with people next to me during lunch? Would it be ok for me to go
around the office to talk to people outside the cafe/lunch room?

~~~
Peroni
It's probably best not to disturb people if they are at their desk however, if
someone says hello to you or introduces themselves, take the opportunity to
strike up a conversation.

A simple, open ended question that can strike up some useful conversations is
"So what do you do here?". Google is huge and there's no need to assume that
you should already know what role each person plays in the business. If
someone tells you what they do and you have no idea what it means, don't be
afraid to ask them! You're an intern, the point of you being there is to learn
and gain experience.

