How to Get Hired; What Skills, Degrees Needed for Career

Google’s mum or dad firm, Alphabet, had greater than 182,500 workers as of 2023, and never all of them had been tech jobs. Google additionally presents roles in gross sales, advertising, enterprise technique, finance, upkeep, authorized, and extra.

It isn’t all roses, although. Like a lot of the tech business, layoffs at Google have change into extra commonplace lately. Alphabet laid off 12,000 workers in 2023, and CEO Sundar Pichai warned of extra layoffs in 2024.

Nonetheless, the Google Careers web site lists tons of of job openings worldwide, throughout all types of divisions — some roles are particular to Google’s search engine, others are for YouTube, and others are for tasks inside Google’s suite of productiveness apps, like Google Classroom.

Here is what it’s essential know to land certainly one of Google’s open jobs.

How one can get a job at Google

Getting employed at Google is notoriously aggressive.

One former Google recruiter stated the corporate primarily makes use of an inside database to seek out candidates, however the second-most in style method to scout potential workers is LinkedIn — construct out your profile and use it to attach with individuals who already work there and can provide you a referral.

The recruiter stated among the finest methods to face out amongst Google’s candidate pool is to community with a “giving strategy.” For instance, job candidates ought to e-mail hiring managers on to make a connection after which steer the dialog to specific curiosity in a selected position.

The recruiter additionally inspired job candidates to tailor their resumes to particular person job descriptions and, throughout the interview course of, describe particulars of how they solved an issue in a previous position.

Is it tough to get employed at Google?

Google is understood all through the tech business for having a prolonged, tough hiring course of, and for being ultra-selective about its candidates. Of the two million job functions Google receives annually, it hires roughly 4,000.

Google bases its hiring choices on 4 key metrics: job-related abilities, basic cognitive skill, management skills (even for non-managerial roles!), and what the corporate calls “Googleyness” — which means how properly your persona will slot in at Google.

Former Google executives and recruiters have outlined “Googleyness” as a mix of proactiveness, positivity, humility, playfulness, conscientiousness, and openness to studying.

Google additionally has a multi-step hiring course of. It encourages folks to start out by self-reflecting on what they honestly need out of a profession. Then, search and apply for a job on the corporate’s web site.

Google suggests candidates construct a job-specific resume that ties their abilities and expertise to the job necessities. Together with information for example your successes in managing tasks will assist your resume stand out. 

One Google engineer who shared the resume that helped him land a $300,000 job on the firm beneficial de-emphasizing academic credentials, emphasizing objects which are extra related, and including a bit for pursuits or hobbies — you by no means know if it may spark dialog and assist break the ice.

Google’s hiring course of has been revamped lately to cut back delays, notably for tech roles like software program engineers and UX designers. Candidates used to labor by means of months of interviews, then fail on the stage the place Google matches the candidate with a workforce.

Now, candidates are assigned groups a lot earlier, and a few can skip over sure phases. It’s normal for candidates to endure a minimum of three or 4 interview rounds earlier than receiving a proposal, nonetheless.

Can I work at Google from residence?

Like most corporations, Google allowed workers to work remotely all through the pandemic. However Google cracked down on distant work in 2023, and applied a brand new coverage requiring staff to return to the workplace a minimum of three days every week on a hybrid schedule.

Google now presents distant alternatives by exception solely. The corporate has even stated it will tie in-office attendance to an worker’s efficiency evaluation. 

Do you want expertise to work at Google?

The expertise Google requires for job candidates varies by position, as does training. 

There is not any one specific school diploma that can get you within the door at Google — and, in truth, firm executives have stated they will rent “distinctive” candidates who don’t have any school diploma in any respect. However do not get too excited; consultants say school levels are nonetheless essentially the most dependable pathways to high-paying tech jobs.

In case your aim is to change into a software program engineer at Google, it is sensible that a pc science diploma may be useful. However Google doesn’t explicitly require one for many software program engineering roles.

Google presents jobs with a spread of expertise necessities, from interns, to mid-career, to government stage. Listed below are some examples:

• A knowledge heart technician position requires two years of expertise in “working techniques and networking protocols,” with upkeep and monitoring of server techniques and troubleshooting servers and community {hardware}.
• A provide chain program supervisor requires 5 years of expertise in program or mission administration and techniques and {hardware} product design or manufacturing. A provide chain, manufacturing, or related diploma can be required.
• A workers software program engineer requires a bachelor’s diploma, eight years of software program improvement expertise, 5 years of testing and launching software program merchandise and machine studying algorithms and instruments, and three years of software program design.