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Updated Feb 15, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.

Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 4 ratings

4.2

“Very Difficult” Interview

Interview Experience [?] Based on 4 ratings

Positive	50%
Neutral	25%
Negative	25%

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4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Neutral Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Nov 2011 (took 2 days)

The Recruiter interviewed me first by phone and after maybe I did my job good, I had an interview appointment at Google. She gave me some hints how the question looks like. Of course I did some studies about Google products and its extent, but sometimes you can prepared whatever you want, the questions comes from different ways. I was interviewed by 2 gentlemen at Google, the process was straight and very very detailed. I just can say, "don't show so much your friendly face":-)

Interview Questions

About a specific sign

Answer Question

Other Details

The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Group/Panel Interview and a Skills Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Negative Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jan 2010 in New York, NY (took 3 days)

The process consistent of two phone interviews and an offline skills test. The first phone interview was clearly conducted by a recruiter not a technical person who was basically checking off bullet points from a list to ensure that I "met the requirements" (each requirement being a three letter acronym, preceded by the words, "have you ever used...?" FTP, DNS, etc. and followed by "Please rate your expertise with..." SSL, SQL, etc. "on a scale of one to five".

Then I was emailed a bunch of MySQL database questions, all of which I knew the answers to, and mailed back.

Then I had a second interview with a more clued database developer in Californina (The position is here in NYC) who reviewed my test answers with me (to be sure I actually understood the material, and didnt just, well -- heheh -- google the answers (get it? it's a google interview? i kill me) :-) ). He kept asking me about my (lack of) a college degree, despite the job reqs stating that a degree was not required, and he was obviously looking down at me for not having one, asking questions like, "why didn't you complete your bachelors", "do you think not having a degree is holding you back in your career" and "do you plan to go back to school and get a degree in the near future?".

He said I would be contacted for a third interview, but later I received an email saying that the position had been filled, and thanking me for my interest, yadda, yadda, yadda :-(

Whatever. Edu-snobs :-)

Interview Questions

There were some very obscure MySQL questions on the written skills test, asking about mysql-specific auto-increment SQL syntax and update commands with joins.

Answer Question

Other Details

I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a Skills Test.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

4.0

Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jun 2011 in New York, NY (took 3 days)

I had three phone interviews. The first one which consisted of general skills to allow me into phase two. It was basic questions, but very computer science oriented. The questions had zero basis for any job I can think of, however, it was stuff covered in a basic computer science curriculum. Such has network topology, TCP/UDP uses, what the sticky bit is used for. After a few days I get an email from the recruiter (Google's own in California) emailed me asking when I will call him. I stated we spoke already so he apologized, called me back, and asked me a second set of six questions.

These were all Linux based (with one or two networking again). This set was actually much easier (still CS based questions one might see in a theory test). Afterwords, he once again said, you qualify for the second round, then he scheduled a phone call with an actual Google Engineer who asked me basic IT related questions.

Actually, since I had no idea what position I was being a candidate for, so he asked general questions. He seemed to be really interested in printing problems. Like really interrogating me asking how to diagnose it, what actions I take, then said assume it works for all but one, then none, just a variety of scenarios all regarding printers. I kept focusing more on the Linux aspects, but he seemed to be rather satisfied.

While they didn't ask me to meet them in person (it seems to me there was no actual position available), they said they will call me back in six months.

Interview Questions

Describe how you would diagnose and repair a printing problem?

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Other Details

The interview consisted of a Phone Interview.

Helpful Interview?

Yes | No

Inappropriate?

5.0

Very Difficult Interview

Overall Positive Experience

Interviewed and No Offer

Interviewed Jul 2010 (took 2 days)

Only had a phone interview. Interviewer was very friendly and relaxed.
Unfortunately didn't pass the technical tests, but got a good first impression from the company.
Will definitely apply again at a later stage.