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Googlers Beta - 2011
October 11, 2011
Introduction: We are re-launching the
Googlers Beta
series and bringing you the unique stories and experiences of Google interns. Though most interns spend their time working at Google offices over the
summer
, these interns are putting in their time during the fall and winter seasons. Our first post comes from Sergey Serebryakov, a student at St. Petersburg State University and a current software engineering intern in our Tokyo office.
Tell us about yourself.
Sergey Serebryakov:
My home town is
Petrozavodsk
, situated in the northwestern part of Russia. I finished my high school there, and then moved to St. Petersburg to join Faculty of Mathematics of St. Petersburg State University. Currently, I’m pursuing my specialist degree in software engineering. I like programming competitions of all kinds.
How did you end up interning at Google?
SS:
In Russia, it’s common for undergraduates to start a professional internship or part-time job during the third or fourth year of study. So I started looking for opportunities in August 2010, just before my third year. I had sent my CV to several local software companies, and then found out about Google’s engineering internships in St. Petersburg. A friend of mine started his internship at Google Moscow just two months before that, so I considered the opportunity and sent in my CV. After one phone interview and three on-site interviews, I finally joined Google as a Software Engineer in Test intern in October 2010. It was an amazing six months! I learned a lot about testing at Google and developed a Chrome extension to help web developers debug their pages and scripts.
I left Google in April 2011 to concentrate on my term paper on computer vision and to pass my exams at the university. As summer approached, I started looking for another internship and was particularly interested in going abroad. I noticed a tweet from
@GoogleStudents
about open
internship positions in Tokyo
, with a note “no Japanese required”. This was looking like a perfect match, so I applied immediately! In a week, I got an email from a Japanese recruiter informing me that I would be set up with some interviews. I met with a few engineers over video conference, everything went well and I was invited to work in the Tokyo office.
What projects are you working on? Who do you collaborate with?
SS:
I’ve joined the Mobile Local Search team, and I’m working on a project with my manager. The project is called mobile local details, and its purpose is to provide mobile search users with detailed information about local businesses.
The whole Mobile Search Team consists of very hard workers, always ready to help when I’m stuck on something. I’m very grateful to them, as I can’t speak even basic Japanese (shame on me!), so they use English in meetings and in everyday communication. We are part of Google’s Global Mobile Search team, so we have weekly meetings over video conference with teammates Mountain View, and these happen in the early morning.
Sergey's homemade Quake-o-meter
What’s unique about each of the offices you worked in: St. Petersburg and Tokyo?
SS:
The
St. Petersburg office
is small, and about half the Googlers there are engineers. The
Tokyo office
is much bigger, and people there are doing many different jobs. Engineers in St. Petersburg are mainly working on Chrome, while in Tokyo there is a wide variety of projects. Also, in St. Petersburg there were only a few interns, while in Tokyo this summer there are many engineering interns from all around the world, from Argentina, Poland, Spain, China, Korea, Vietnam -- only to name a few. We have lunches, parties and even Hackathons together. Googlers in Tokyo also have after-work clubs (Erika, a summer intern,
blogged about them
). A funny difference is that in the St. Petersburg office (where it’s much colder), there is a fridge full of ice cream and in the Tokyo office (where it’s much warmer) we have a free vending machines that serve hot drinks instead. Also, in Japan there are earthquakes almost every week. The ones I’ve felt haven’t been very strong, but they’re still noticeable. Last Wednesday, there was a strong typhoon, so we couldn’t leave the office for several hours. We ended up having a good time drinking tea and listening to the rain.
What’s your favorite part about interning at Google?
SS:
The Google Tokyo office is fun! There’s a library full of books (including a lot of
manga
) and plenty of game rooms (with video games and ping pong). When working long hours, you can refresh yourself with snacks and beverages from the microkitchens. But my favorite part is the support and recognition I get from my team, which consists of very pleasant people. Every time I have a question and cannot find the answer, I would ask one of them and always get help. They kindly correct me when I do something wrong, and they are generous with positive comments when my code looks good. This keeps me motivated. I think this is an important part of being Googley. I can feel this spirit even in things outside of work. I was actually praised for having a good appetite once!
Posted by Jessica Safir, University Programs Coordinator
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