Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction

Life at Infinite Loop and Microsoft Way

Big vs. Little: Is a Start-up Right for You?

The Job Title: What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?

And You’re on Your Way . . .

Chapter 2: Advanced Preparation

What Can You Do: An Overview

Academics

Work Experience

Extracurriculars and the Checkbox People

Your Questions Answered

Chapter 3: Getting in the Door

The Black Hole: Online Job Submission

Getting a Personal Referral

Career Fairs

Professional Recruiters

Additional Avenues

Networking

Your Questions Answered

Chapter 4: Résumés

Six Hallmarks of a Powerful Résumé

The Structure

How Long Is Too Long?

Your Questions Answered

Chapter 5: Deconstructing the Résumé

Résumé A: Bill Jobs

Résumé B: Steve Gates

Résumé C: Geena Roberts

Parting Words

Additional Resources

Chapter 6: Cover Letters and References

Why a Cover Letter?

The Three Types of Cover Letter

The Structure

Five Traits of a Strong Cover Letter

An A+ Cover Letter

References

Your Questions Answered

Additional Resources

Chapter 7: Interview Prep and Overview

What Are Tech Companies Looking For?

How to Prepare

Working with Your Recruiter

Communication and Behavior

Special Interview Types

After the Interview

Your Questions Answered

Additional Resources

Chapter 8: Interview Questions

General Advice

Acing the Standard Questions

Behavioral and Résumé Questions

Estimation Questions

Design Questions

Brainteasers: Why Are Manhole Covers Round?

Answering the Tough Questions

Your Questions Answered

Additional Resources

Chapter 9: The Programming Interview

How They Differ: Microsoft, Google, Amazon, and Apple

How to Prepare

Memory Usage

Coding Questions

Algorithm Questions: Five Ways to Create an Algorithm

Object-Oriented Design

Scalability Questions

Testing Interviews

Example Problems

Your Questions Answered

Additional Resources

Chapter 10: Getting into Gaming

The Culture: Is It All Fun and Games?

Job Positions: What Can You Do?

Fresh Meat: Advice for College Candidates

Reaching Out and Getting In

Personality Fit

The Gaming Interview—Three Tips to Doing Well

Your Questions Answered

Chapter 11: The Offer

How to Evaluate an Offer

Your Career Development

The Financial Package

The Happiness Factor

How Can You Negotiate an Offer?

Tricky Issues: Deadlines, Extensions, and Declining Offers

Your Questions Answered

Chapter 12: On the Job

Your Career Path

Promotions and Raises

How and When to Quit

Going Back to School

Part-Time Schooling

Your Questions Answered

Chapter 13: Final Thoughts

Appendix A : 156 Action Words to Make Your Résumé Jump

Appendix B : Answers to Behavioral Interview Questions

Index

Copyright © 2011 by Gayle Laakmann. All rights reserved.

Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

Published simultaneously in Canada.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600, or on the web at www.copyright.com. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Permissions Department, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, (201) 748-6011, fax (201) 748-6008, or online at http://www.wiley.com/go/permissions.

Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and author have used their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifically disclaim any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. No warranty may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice and strategies contained herein may not be suitable for your situation. You should consult with a professional where appropriate. Neither the publisher nor author shall be liable for any loss of profit or any other commercial damages, including but not limited to special, incidental, consequential, or other damages.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

McDowell, Gayle Laakmann, 1982-

The google résumé : how to prepare for a career and land a job at Apple, Microsoft, Google, or any top tech company / Gayle Laakmann McDowell.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-0-470-92762-5 (hardback)

ISBN 978-1-118-01313-7 (ebk)

ISBN 978-1-118-01314-4 (ebk)

ISBN 978-1-118-01315-1 (ebk)

1. Résumés (Employment) 2. High technology industries—Vocational guidance. 3. Job hunting. I. Title.

HF5383.M335 2011

650.14'2—dc22

2010039906

To my mother and grandmother, whose engineering endeavors paved the way for my own.

Chapter 1

Introduction

Just so you’re clear: it was not my idea to give a talk to Microsoft Research. I had learned embarrassingly little about computer science in my 18 years of life, and the last thing I wanted to do is to have that exposed in front of a bunch of genius PhDs in MSR. But my manager thought it’d be a great “opportunity,” and so there I was, blabbing on about my summer project.

I finished up my talk at lightning speed. As I was dealing with a somewhat severe case of stage fright, I considered my haste a good thing. And then the questions started. Did I consider doing X? Yes, I told them, I did, and this is what happened. Why not implement it with Y? You could, but that would cause problem Z.

I almost hesitated to admit it to myself afterwards, but things went fine. Just fine.

That whole summer I had been convinced that Microsoft would discover that I knew practically nothing and cut me loose. I had only gotten my internship offer through some brilliant streak of luck, I reasoned, and didn’t really deserve it. Not like my fellow interns did anyway. They had done three times as much college as me, completed three times as many projects, and basically knew three times as much as me.

Four years later, with a job at Google about to start, I reflected on my incredible luck. I landed a Microsoft internship at an incredibly young age, and that turned into three consecutive internships. Then I got an Apple internship, even though Apple never even recruited at my university. And then I happened to get hooked up with just the right people who referred me to the up-and-coming Google. I must be the luckiest person alive.

Or am I?

Maybe, while Lady Luck was certainly in my favor, I had somehow, accidentally, done everything just right. I completed several large projects in high school, offering me considerably more experience than my peers. I got an entry-level job as a web designer, which developed my professional and technical credibility. I created a résumé that, while atrocious in many respects, demonstrated my passion for technology and showcased my limited experience. And finally, I built a network of more senior professionals, managed relationships with mentors, and leveraged these connections to land one dream job after another.

And that, my dear readers, is how you get a job at the world’s greatest tech companies.

Life at Infinite Loop and Microsoft Way

Even their addresses are suggestive of company stereotypes. Microsoft, at One Microsoft Way, screams big and mammoth. Google’s 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway address is understated, like its user interfaces. Apple, of course, takes the bold “think different” step with One Infinite Loop—a play on words that could come back to bite a less beloved company.

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!

Lesen Sie weiter in der vollständigen Ausgabe!