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Helping women pursue successful careers in technology
October 27, 2011
“Find something you love to do and do it!” “Make friends and network!” “Don’t be afraid to give yourself credit for a job well done.” This is a small sampling of the advice Google women engineers shared with the more than 160 women who attended September’s
Google.GetAJob()
events in Google’s Boulder, Cambridge, Pittsburgh and Waterloo offices. Google.GetAJob() is a career development workshop intended to help women undergraduate and graduate computer science students prepare for successful careers in technology. The event brings women together to learn from Google engineers, gain technical interviewing skills and develop strong peer networks. Sarah Scodel, an MIT undergrad, attended the workshop pilot last January and then worked as a Software Engineering Intern in Google’s Cambridge office last summer. Here’s what she has to say about her experience with Google.GetAJob() and her internship:
Google.GetAJob() attendees on a tour
of the Google Boulder office
Photo by Amy Ho,
Engineering Staffing Researcher
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you first got interested in computer science?
I had absolutely no idea what I would study when I got to MIT. I had always been good at math and really liked economics, so I figured I would probably be a Business or Economics major. I had absolutely no programming experience (I didn't even know what a
terminal
was, let alone how to use it.), but halfway through my first semester at MIT, I realized that I had better acquire some computer skills. I took an Introduction to Python class over our January term and discovered that programming was kind of fun. After that, I took a few computer science classes and was hooked.
Why did you decide to attend Google.GetAJob()?
In January of my Sophomore year, I got an email about the Google.GetAJob event and thought it might be useful, since I hadn’t had much experience with the difficult technical interviews I’d heard so much about and wanted to learn more about the process. I had also heard from other MIT students that Google was an awesome place to work, and everyone who worked there was super smart and and passionate about their job, so I wanted to check out the Google office.
Google Boulder Site Director, Scott Green,
speaks with Google.GetAJob() attendees
Photo by Amy Ho,
Engineering Staffing Researcher
What made you decide to apply for an internship at Google after attending Google.GetAJob()?
When I went on the office tours at the Google.GetAJob() event, I was struck by how excited everyone seemed about their work. The atmosphere was really great, and everyone I saw seemed legitimately happy to be at work, which you don't always get at a lot of companies. I thought that I could learn a lot from a Google internship, and I wanted to be in a place where people actually care about and enjoy their jobs.
Were there any specific aspects of Google.GetAJob() that you felt helped you when you interviewed at Google?
The mock interviews were incredibly helpful. It was great to get feedback and advice from somebody who actually conducts interviews and knows what most interviewers are looking for. I learned how to talk through a problem and to clearly explain my thought process. I think one of the big takeaways was that I shouldn't panic during the interview, even if I don't know the answer, and that it’s ok to ask a lot of questions because that means you are considering the problem from every angle.
How did your intern experience change your perspective on what it’s like being a woman in technology and at Google?
I worked with the Google+ team and had an amazing time as an intern! I learned so much not just from the work that I did but also from the people on the team. Google has lots of
groups specifically for women
, and I met a lot of really smart and talented women engineers at Google.
Google.GetAJob() women engineer panelists
Photo by Amy Ho, Engineering Staffing Researcher
Do you have any advice that you would share with other women who are applying for engineering opportunities at Google?
Definitely prepare for the interview by answering mock questions and practice coding on a whiteboard and, most importantly, don't panic. Try to have fun answering the question by thinking about it as a puzzle.
Interested in learning more about similar Google programs and scholarships? Check out
Google’s Student Site
.
Posted by Chelsea Pollen, Recruiting Specialist
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