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My Summer @ Google: BOLD Immersion
October 25, 2012
Introduction: We continue the
My Summer @ Google
series with a post from Moses, a sophomore at Dartmouth College. Moses recently attended the
BOLD Immersion Program
for Freshmen.
Most people have heard of Google, but did you know that each summer Google selects rising college sophomores to immerse themselves in the Google way of life for a week? My path to the BOLD Immersion Program for Freshmen was far from conventional. I was told to apply by a senior mentor at school, who made me promise that I would research the company and send in an application. To do my research, I actually had to “Google” Google! Soon thereafter, I decided to apply, but with Google being so popular and me having little-to-no experience with computer science, I did not expect my interest to be reciprocated.
To my surprise, I was accepted into the program! Immediately I became nervous. What did I expect from a week at the center of the Internet world? How could I prepare for something like this? What would the other participants be like? I began to try and guess answers to my own questions. I decided I would have to wear a suit and tie, pretend to be well versed on all things computer science, be able to analyze Google stock trends, and memorize the biographies of Larry and Sergey.
Of course, all of my assumptions were false. BOLD Immersion was about exposing students to a talented and diverse community, learning about the technology industry from a non-technical point of view, and growing my skills. There was also a case study, and after being briefed each group set out to invent a marketing campaign. A few days later, we presented our work to a panel of judges.
What most impressed me at Google was the quality of the people. It took a short conversation with any one of my fellow participants to realize that he or she was talented and intelligent. And the Google employees were a more experienced version of our group – incredibly genuine, outlandishly charismatic, and encouragingly creative. Though I have always heard people say it’s important to love what you do, seldom have I seen this in action. The people I met at Google truly love their jobs; Google fosters a certain atmosphere that transforms a “job” into a “calling,” and your “coworkers” into “friends.”
I learned so much about who I am. I learned how to communicate effectively and navigate through a cloud of unknowns to answer a question or solve a problem. I learned how to accept and decline propositions, all the while maintaining respect and order. Most importantly, I learned how to be an effective member of any organization: be that my athletic team, the clubs that I am a part of at school, or the workforce of which I will soon be a full time member.
Google is a unique company because I see it not as a technology company, but as a people company that just happens to focus on technology. I left Google after a week with more knowledge than I could learn at many summer programs. The fellow Immersion participants became friends who I now contact whenever I am close to their schools or hometowns. Though there was a case study competition, I am more than content with the knowledge, the bonds, and the experience and I consider myself and every group winners.
I hope future college freshmen apply for this program. Participants will learn so much about Google and themselves, and will meet an amazing group of people. My one piece of advice: please be yourself because it's your uniqueness that can help transform you into a potential Googler!
Interested in BOLD Immersion? Applications will be available
here
in March 2013.
Posted by Moses Adubi, BOLD Immersion Participant
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