Software Engineering Interview Experience - Mountain View, California
November 11, 2014
Positive ExperienceGot Offer
Process
A former intern referred me, and a university recruiter contacted me in mid-fall. The interview process was simple:
- Two 45-minute technical interviews, both extremely doable.
- The second was slightly harder than the first.
Both involved data structure and algorithm questions, but nothing too complicated. No knowledge of obscure algorithms or data structures was necessary for the optimal solution.
The host matching process was fairly quick (I heard within a week), and my recruiter was responsive and helpful throughout the entire process.
Questions
I signed an NDA, and one of my interviews also relied pretty heavily on statistics.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 16 interview experiences for the Google Software Engineering role in Mountain View, California.
Success Rate
25%
Pass Rate
Google's interview process for their Software Engineering roles in Mountain View, California is very selective, failing most engineers who go through it.
Experience Rating
Positive63%
Neutral25%
Negative13%
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Google's Software Engineering interview process in Mountain View, California.
Google Work Experiences
4.0
Still a good company, but may not be the best anymore
Software Engineering • Former Employee
Mountain View, California, United States
September 12, 2008
Pros: Cutting-edge technology, a famous brand, and good food. The good weather here in Mountain View, CA is also a good reason.
If you are tired of the free food here, go get some decent dinners on Castro Street nearby.
You can also learn a lot from tech talks, open days, the MoMA, and the code tree itself. Google's codebase may not be the biggest, but its quality is the best in the world.
Cons: It is a good place for college graduates, but it may not be good for ambitious people. The decision to quit is difficult because of the perks, the good food, and the admiration from people around you when they know you are a Googler. But there is a reason for so many talented people to leave this company...
4.0
Great benefits. The people depend on the group
Software Engineering • Former Employee
Mountain View, California, United States
December 17, 2008
Pros: Everyone knows they have great benefits. Apart from that, they also have an amazing amount of resources, excellent process guidelines, and great information sources to improve in your work.
The people are really talented, and most are willing to help you.
If you land in a good group, you'll have a dream job. If not, you'll be stuck in a regular job, but it will still have a lot of great things attached to it, so how is it worse or different than other jobs?
The food is as great or better than what people say about it.
The weather in Mountain View also helps.
Cons: People really do feel entitled.
I've seen some of the pettiest, most childish, and selfish behavior from Googlers. Of course, they're not all like that, but it can get embarrassing to watch.
Also, some groups really do behave like a bunch of college freshmen or even preschoolers. For people who have a few more years of experience, I doubt they will find this to be a comfortable work environment.
Some people really do consider themselves to be superior to others just because they work there.
4.0
Interesting engineering organization
Software Engineering • Former Employee
Mountain View, California, United States
December 30, 2008
Pros: It's a fast-paced environment where employees have a good deal of flexibility on projects they want to work on. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. It seemed like there was a good work-life balance throughout the organization. One thing that was clear was that senior management significantly valued their employees and took every step to take care of them.
For example, there were free breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. During the summer, we were taken on a beach trip to Santa Cruz. Overall, it was a fun work environment.
Cons: Google is a very engineering-driven organization. At times, it seems like there are a multitude of different projects going on with very limited business coordination.
- 4.0Still a good company, but may not be the best anymoreSoftware Engineering • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesSeptember 12, 2008Pros: Cutting-edge technology, a famous brand, and good food. The good weather here in Mountain View, CA is also a good reason. If you are tired of the free food here, go get some decent dinners on Castro Street nearby. You can also learn a lot from tech talks, open days, the MoMA, and the code tree itself. Google's codebase may not be the biggest, but its quality is the best in the world.Cons: It is a good place for college graduates, but it may not be good for ambitious people. The decision to quit is difficult because of the perks, the good food, and the admiration from people around you when they know you are a Googler. But there is a reason for so many talented people to leave this company...
- 4.0Great benefits. The people depend on the groupSoftware Engineering • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesDecember 17, 2008Pros: Everyone knows they have great benefits. Apart from that, they also have an amazing amount of resources, excellent process guidelines, and great information sources to improve in your work. The people are really talented, and most are willing to help you. If you land in a good group, you'll have a dream job. If not, you'll be stuck in a regular job, but it will still have a lot of great things attached to it, so how is it worse or different than other jobs? The food is as great or better than what people say about it. The weather in Mountain View also helps.Cons: People really do feel entitled. I've seen some of the pettiest, most childish, and selfish behavior from Googlers. Of course, they're not all like that, but it can get embarrassing to watch. Also, some groups really do behave like a bunch of college freshmen or even preschoolers. For people who have a few more years of experience, I doubt they will find this to be a comfortable work environment. Some people really do consider themselves to be superior to others just because they work there.
- 4.0Interesting engineering organizationSoftware Engineering • Former EmployeeMountain View, California, United StatesDecember 30, 2008Pros: It's a fast-paced environment where employees have a good deal of flexibility on projects they want to work on. Everyone was friendly and welcoming. It seemed like there was a good work-life balance throughout the organization. One thing that was clear was that senior management significantly valued their employees and took every step to take care of them. For example, there were free breakfasts, lunches, and dinners. During the summer, we were taken on a beach trip to Santa Cruz. Overall, it was a fun work environment.Cons: Google is a very engineering-driven organization. At times, it seems like there are a multitude of different projects going on with very limited business coordination.
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