Google Phone Interview

How to Prepare for a Google Phone Interview

So you want to join the ranks of the pampered employees working for Google? Actually, who wouldn’t want to work for Google…the company gives new meaning to the term “employee benefits,” with healthy gourmet meals, massages and many other perks included in the package. However, getting in the door at Google is not an easy task. In fact, it’s more like an epic level quest. First, you send in your resume and hope it will catch the eye of someone at Google. Then, if you’re lucky, you might get a call back or an email inviting you to participate in a phone interview. If you get past the initial phone interview, you may be given another phone interview, or you may move straight to the in-person interview process. The hiring process at Goggle can take months to complete and can take many interviews, often numbering in the double-digits. But, you have to pass the initial phone interview first.

If you’ve gotten to the Google phone interview stage, you’re probably experiencing fits of excitement and nervous agitation. A Google phone interview usually lasts only 30-40 minutes- but it’s the opportunity of a lifetime, so you need to make the most of it. Here are some tips to help you get ready!

Understand What Google is Looking For

Google seeks out employees who are talented, the best of the best. However, sheer talent won’t get you in. You also have to be innovative, creative, a great problem-solver, and be able to work well in a team. Keep this in mind whenever you answer an interview question; this is how you need to present yourself. Also, several upper-level Google employees have mentioned in interviews the importance of having diverse interests and hobbies. So, think about what you like to do in your spare time, because it will probably come up in the phone interview.

Practice Makes Perfect

The interview questions will vary depending on what position you are applying for. However, if it’s for anything having to do with software or computer programming, you’ll be asked technical questions that might include solving puzzles, designing algorithms and writing code. Be ready to answer those types of questions. Google recommends using www.topcoder.com to practice solving problems for their interviews. Go to the website, launch the “Arena” widget, and knock yourself out! Google recommends you practice solving problems in the first and second divisions to prepare for a technical interview with the company. People applying for non-technical positions will get questions that asses their creativity and behavioral traits instead of technical questions.

Also, you can expect to be questioned about what Google is up to. Make sure to get yourself up to speed on the company’s products and services. Google’s corporate website is the best place to go to get the latest Google news and in-depth information to prepare yourself for the interview. Remember, knowing about the company shows that you care about the company, and Google wants employees who are committed.

Expect the Unexpected

Google is famous for throwing out curveball questions during interviews. For example, here are some Google interview questions posted by people who have interviewed with the company before.

Questions posted at Drizzle.com:

1. Why are manhole covers round?

2. A man pushed his car to a hotel and lost his fortune. What happened?

3. You need to check that your friend, Bob, has your correct phone number, but you cannot ask him directly. You must write the question on a card and give it to Eve who will take the card to Bob and return the answer to you. What must you write on the card, besides the question, to ensure Bob can encode the message so that Eve cannot read your phone number?

1. How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?

2. You are shrunk to the height of a nickel and your mass is proportionally reduced so as to maintain your original density. You are then thrown into an empty glass blender. The blades will start moving in 60 seconds. What do you do?

3. You have five pirates, ranked from 5 to 1 in descending order. The top pirate has the right to propose how 100 gold coins should be divided among them. But the others get to vote on his plan, and if fewer than half agree with him, he gets killed. How should he allocate the gold in order to maximize his share but live to enjoy it? (Hint: One pirate ends up with 98 percent of the gold.)

Also, when you answer these questions, it’s important to “show your work.” The interviewer doesn’t want to hear silence and then your solution. He or she wants to hear your thought process as you come up with the solution.

What to Do the Night Before the Interview

The night before the interview, you need to go to bed early and get a good night’s sleep, as hard as that may be. After all, if you’re going to be solving complex technical problems and “thinking out loud” for a member of Google’s interview team, you need to be fully awake and mentally sharp. If your thought process sounds like this: “So tired…need sleep…what was that about a blender?” your chances of getting past the phone interview stage are going to drop exponentially! Good night, sweet dreams and good luck!

Thank you to Alison Kroulek for this "Google Phone Interview" article.

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