HOW TO GET A JOB AT
GOOGLE
Careers, Hiring Process, and Salaries
Getting a job at Google is one of the best career moves you can make, thanks to its world-famous reputation, generous compensation, healthy work environment, and huge opportunities for skill development. If you’ve ever wondered how to get a job at Google, this guide will tell you everything you need to know about the hiring process and work benefits.
Google Background
Google is one of the biggest tech companies in the world, specializing in internet and search engine services. It was founded in 1998 by Larry Page and Sergei Brin while they were students at Stanford University. It is now known as one of the Big Five tech companies, alongside Apple, Facebook, Microsoft, and Amazon.
It is one of the highest-paying tech companies in the world. It has built a reputation for fostering a fun and interactive company culture where employees are free to express their creativity.
What’s It Like to Work at Google
Google is one of the best places you can work. Employees benefit from high salaries, world-class office facilities, and the opportunity to work on challenging, socially-relevant projects. CNBC ranks Alphabet (Google) the second-best company to work for in the US in 2021.
What Employees Say About Working at Google
Employees generally love working there. They highlight a good work-life balance, benefits, and corporate culture as among the main benefits, according to reviews on Indeed. Overall, employees give Google a 4.3 overall rating.
On PayScale, employees also include having a good company outlook and job appreciation as some of the perks of working at Google. They also report excellent manager-employee relationships and learning opportunities.
Work can be challenging and, like most tech jobs, there’s pressure to do well and meet strict deadlines. Some employees feel pressure to overwork themselves to meet company standards. A minority reported that working for such a competitive company meant there is a tendency to look down on those who have not completed postgraduate studies.
Google Work Environment and Culture
The Googleplex, Google’s corporate headquarters, is located in Mountainview, California. This is a dream work location with two million square feet of office space, and access to swimming pools, volleyball courts, cafeterias, and a free laundry room.
Employee perks include unlimited snacks, healthy gourmet food, and a pet-friendly workplace. The company also invests in their employees’ health through free massages, health insurance, gym memberships, free fitness classes, and sports facilities.
Google also invests in its employees’ personal development. The company encourages reading through access to its libraries and extensive learning materials. Employees are also encouraged to pursue their own passion projects.
Google Careers: Job Requirements, Salaries, and Descriptions
Google employs more than 130,000 people in a range of technical roles and non-technical roles. We’ve rounded up some of the best job openings open for application at the time of writing. Google does not disclose their employee salaries online, so the stated figures are based on Payscale and Indeed.com.
Application Engineer, Payments
Salary: $72,800
Level: Mid-level
Minimum Experience Required: Five years experience in programming using Spring, JavaScript, Hibernate, and Web Services. Six years of experience in software development.
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or a related field, or job experience equivalent. Master’s degree preferred.
An applications engineer (payments) supports internal processes by developing business applications and features. They lead all technical discussions with internal teams regarding payment reporting solutions. It’s their responsibility to find and implement the best app solutions for the business needs.
Hardware Engineer, Displays, Project Starline
Salary: $100,150
Level: Mid-level
Minimum Experience Required: Five years experience in display module composition and display stack components
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering or job experience equivalent. A Master’s Degree or PhD in Physics, Optical Sciences, or Electrical Engineering is preferred.
Google builds its own custom hardware to meet its business needs. This role involves designing and building software, hardware, and networking technologies to power their various services.
Cloud Operations and Data Specialist, Media Lab
Salary: $51,632
Level: Mid-level
Minimum Experience Required: Eight years experience in digital and marketing technology operations, with experience in Martech tools and platforms.
Education Required: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or job experience equivalent.
The purpose of this role is to support Google Cloud and SMB marketing teams to meet their business goals. They help the team come up with marketing strategies and translate them into technical solutions. This may include designing tailored digital marketing and measurement solutions.
How To Get
a Job At Google
Google has a constant stream of open job positions from entry-level to leadership roles, but actually getting a job there can be challenging. As so many people want to work at Google, the field is competitive. The process differs between departments, but essentially you’ll need to show them at interview stage that you will fit into their work culture.
Is It Hard to Get a Job at Google?
It is challenging to get hired at Google, but not impossible. You will usually need to have at least a bachelor’s degree and relevant tech skills for the job you’re applying for. To get a high-paying position such as a data scientist, software engineer, or director position might require you to have a postgraduate degree.
The company has a history of hiring individuals with exceptional tech and business skills who don’t have a full academic degree. However, this does not downplay the importance of having a solid educational background. Being in good academic standing increases your chances of getting hired for a higher-paying position.
Google receives three million applications every year. The good news is, the company hires thousands of employees every year, so it’s not impossible to land a job at Google. The challenge is to upgrade your skills enough to give your resume a competitive edge.
How to Apply For a Job at Google
Google Hiring Process
To apply for a job, you should start by looking on the Google careers page. You can use the job search feature to browse the field you are interested in. Once you’ve found a job you want to apply for, make sure you spend some time tailoring your personal statement and CV to the job role description.
The hiring team is looking for a concise resume that is up to date and highlights your academic achievements, leadership skills, and relevant extracurricular work.
From there the hiring process differs depending on the type of role you’re applying for and which department it’s in. You will find more about their application process, the requirements for each job, the link to the application form, and ways to contact them on the website.
1
Browse Job Openings
Use their career search tool to find a job that matches your skills. Sign in to Google Careers using your Gmail account and start browsing for jobs. You can filter by location, department, job type, and degree level. When you find one you feel confident about, hit the “Apply” button to be redirected to the application form.
If there’s more than one job opening within your skills range, we suggest applying for them both because sometimes getting hired is just a matter of timing. You are allowed to apply for three jobs in every 30-day duration.
2
Send an Application
Create your resume from scratch for each role you apply for. Make sure it’s concise and job specific. In your cover letter and resume, focus on the projects you have worked on and how you measured their success. Highlight projects where you demonstrated leadership and technical skills.
3
Interview
If you pass the screening process, one of the staffing team members will invite you to an in-person or phone interview. The hiring process is different in every department. You may be asked to take an online assessment first. In some departments, you may be required to attend a mix of behavioral interviews and tech interviews.
4
Onboarding
If you are the right fit you will be given a job offer. You’ll need to fill out the relevant paperwork to confirm your employment contract and start date. An onboarding team will then walk you through your scope of work, salary, and benefits such as insurance.
What Should I Study to Get a Job at Google?
Technology and engineering are at the core of Google’s operations. If you want to get a job at Google, it’s a good idea to get a degree in a subject like computer science, engineering management, computer engineering, information systems, or software engineering. More senior roles may require a postgraduate degree.
Google is not entirely about technology. They need individuals who can monetize and market their products, and provide business insights. They have open positions for analysts, program managers, strategy and operations, and public relationships. To land a job on their Business team, you’ll typically need a business or marketing degree.
Can a Coding Bootcamp Get Me a Job at Google?
A good coding bootcamp can enhance your knowledge and technical skills. Bootcamps provide an intensive learning environment packed over a few weeks to learn skills in a short amount of time. They provide practical experience that will increase your chances of getting the job.
Bootcamps are designed to give you job-specific skills in things like software development, cyber security, data analytics, data science, web design, or tech sales. They typically involve practical projects and give you career support. For example, to land a job as a tech sales professional, there are tech sales bootcamps that can prepare you for the role.
How To Get a Job at Google FAQ
How do I get a job at Google with no experience?
You can get a job at Google without any experience if you apply for their apprenticeship programs, internships, or learning programs. You might be offered job retention if you do an excellent job during the training and work well within the team. Students should also explore Google’s Build Your Future programs.
Exceptional talent in technical roles such as engineering or coding might get you a job through referrals. There are instances wherein they will value raw talent secondary to a degree, but your academic GPA will still matter during the evaluation and interview process.
What is the highest-paying job at Google?
Google does not disclose the salary of most of its employees. However, Comparably reports that in August 2021 their highest-paying job was Google’s Director of Finance who earns $600,000, while receptionists receive the lowest pay at $37,305.
Are Google interviews hard?
The Google interview process is very hard. Expect the questions to be difficult and specific to their operations. They are very keen on hiring people with good problem-solving skills, so get ready to be thrown open-ended questions or questions that require you to resolve a complex problem.
The good news is you can ace your job interview by preparing. Gather the possible questions that they might ask and prepare a short but straightforward answer. Practice speaking with clarity and organized thought. It’s also a good idea to get some mock interview experience from a trained career coach.
How long does the hiring process at Google take?
Expect the entire hiring process to take anywhere between two to six months. They receive thousands of applications every month. In the meantime, you can further develop your skills or even apply for other roles.
