Googles mysterious invitation
Overall, I enjoyed the puzzles that they gave me to solve, and Im excited for my first day as a Googler.
One morning, while working on a project, I Googled python lambda function list comprehension. The familiar blue links appeared, and I started to look for the most relevant one.
Three months ago, I thought I wasnt ready to apply for a job at Google. Google disagreed.
After I solved the sixth problem, foo.bar gave me the option to submit my contact information. I typed in my phone number and email address, fully expecting that to be the end of things.
I clicked through and landed on a page that called itself foo.bar. The page resembled a UNIX interface, so I typed the command to see the list of files. There was a single one called start_here.txt. I opened it and saw two sentences:
Googles recruiting process is well documented online, and from this point my experience was pretty typical. The only difference is that I didnt need to go through a technical phone screen since I had already demonstrated some proficiency with coding through the foo.bar exercises.
Google Has a Secret Interview Process And It Landed Me a Job
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The office visit was the first time I felt confident I wasnt the victim of an elaborate prank. When I first encountered foo.bar, I asked several friends (including Google employees) if theyd ever heard of it. None of them had, but all of them thought that it was a brilliant idea.
I wont post the problem here, but solving it required a bit of knowledge about algorithms. I had the option to code in Python or Java. I set to work and solved the first problem in a couple hours. Each time I submitted a solution, foo.bar tested my code against five hidden test cases.
But then something unusual happened.
Much to my surprise, a recruiter emailed me a couple days later asking for a copy of my resume. I emailed it to him, and we set up a phone call.
I was in the midst of a career transition. I had spent three years working as a management consultant and then at a startup, but I wanted to become a computer engineer. I was earning a Masters in computer science through Georgia Techs online program. I knew that I was slowly developing the skills that I would need in an engineering role, but I still lacked the confidence to apply for a full-time software role.
Although it took two weeks, eventually I received good news: Google extended me an offer! I enthusiastically accepted and spent the next week meeting with potential managers.
The search results split and folded back to reveal a box that said Youre speaking our language. Up for a challenge?
I stared at the screen. What? After a moment, I decided yes, I was most definitely up for a challenge.
If Google sees that youre searching for specific programming terms, theyll ask you to apply for a job. Its wild. Heres how it works.
Foo.bar is a brilliant recruiting tactic. Google used it to identify me before I had even applied anywhere else, and they made me feel important while doing so. At the same time, they respected my privacy and didnt reach out to me without explicitly requesting my information.
I typed request and half expected to see Follow the white rabbit, Max. Instead, the screen displayed a paragraph outlining a programming challenge and gave instructions on how to submit my solution. I had 48 hours to solve it, and the timer was ticking.
Three months after the mysterious invitation appeared, I started at Google.
Type request to request a challenge. Type help for a list of commands.
For my interview, I spent a day at Google headquarters in Mountain View solving problems on a white board.
Once my solution passed all of those tests, I could submit it and request a new challenge. Over the next two weeks, I solved five more problems.