First, I had a call from the recruiter, which was very standard. Then, a technical phone call from an engineer.

Google overworks their engineers. The guy I spoke to seemed very disorganized and stressed. Even though he asked for me by name, he had someone else's resume in front of him and started asking me questions from it, which was very awkward. He realized this error and even mentioned, "Then... who am I talking to...?" He was very flustered for the remainder of the call. Everything went well on my end during the interview; I answered all the questions asked correctly, and he confirmed all of my correct answers and code.

When I got my feedback, he said my coding and communication skills were strong, but my algorithms and data structures could use some help. Um... he only asked me one question about hash tables, which I answered correctly (he also gave confirmation that it was right), so I don't understand where this feedback came from. I think he, again, got me mixed up with someone else, but within Google's interview structure, there's no way to "repeal" this.

This gives me more insight into Google as a company: engineers wear many hats, are often stressed out, and the average salary is significantly less than at other companies. Something to consider if you are interested in working there.

Hash tables (basic knowledge, understand their purpose and usage), DFS and BFS on trees. Know the difference between a binary tree and a binary search tree.

Pretty standard stuff. It really is the "luck of the draw" with Google.

So, may the odds be ever in your favor!