A Google recruiter emailed me out of the blue.

After declining three times (over one month) as I wasn't that interested, I was contacted again. So I thought, "Heck, sure, I'll take an interview." One week later, they flew me to Mountain View for the on-site. (Gotta admit, Google is very generous with travel arrangements: free hotels, flights, meals, car rentals, etc.)

The whole experience was very pleasant for the most part. I received the offer one week later.

The entire process, from the initial phone screen to when the offer was made, took two weeks.

One thing I'd like to call out and hopefully, someone from Google recruiting or the interviewing committee would take note: they perhaps could do a better job training their interviewers, not just from a technical standpoint but also from other non-technical ones, especially regarding "normal" common sense and human interactions. I know we here are all nerds and as such can be a little awkward, which I totally understand. But one particular interviewer made me extremely uncomfortable during the interview, as he kept staring at me like there had been something weird on my face and made excessively long eye contact. I had to look away multiple times. Even when I was explaining my solution, which was on the whiteboard, he still stared at my face. The person's questions were good and had in-depth follow-ups. So while I'd say he is a good technical interviewer, I still couldn't get over the awkwardness. This was no doubt the weirdest interview I've ever had.

Another minor thing I forgot to mention is that Google makes you stay with your host at all times. Even when you need to go to the bathroom, which could be right next door, the host would follow you and stand at the door waiting for you. This is a bit awkward when you're a woman and your host is not.

I've signed an NDA, so I cannot share specific details. However, I can tell you that if you review fundamental CS concepts (sorting, graphs, trees, etc.), you should be fine.

Just make sure you truly understand what you are doing.

I don't think they would ask you crazy questions on obscure data structures. Focus on basic problem-solving skills.

Also, try to be original and honest when it comes to non-technical questions, such as "Why Google?". Don't try to be unique and make up some weird reason; just tell the truth.