Getting To Know You Interview Form: Fill & Download for Free

You aren’t going to benefit much from it.LinkedIn has “search” functionality right there, so finding some random Googlers to reach out is trivial - but it is not going to help you with getting the internship.Even if you somehow find a person who’s willing to refer you (which is already a challenging task, as most Googlers will not do that - because in your scenario it will be really against the whole idea of referring), that person will have to fill in a form that has something along the lines of “How well do you know this person?” as the very first question. Does your plan also include somehow making that Googler lie about their knowledge and about how good you are in general?Don’t worry, applying through Google Careers works fine without any referral. Assuming you have sufficiently attractive CV - they’re going to give you an interview. If you really want to get a referral from Googler, you should either pick somebody who already knows you, or take actions to get to know some Googlers - e.g. by contributing to some open source projects together. But it isn’t really necessary for getting a call.

As a CEO, what impresses me when I am interviewing is having candidates ask me hard questions.I know. This is counterintuitive. An applicant should quietly and passively acquiesce to the demands of the interviewer.Not where I’m coming from.You see, I’m not looking for blind automatons to obey my orders. I want people with fully formed personalities. And even some grit, dare I say.Individuals who have the maturity to question the status quo and propose new and better ways of doing things, who will take the time to understand what is required of them and why it’s required,And if they don’t do so during the interview, why would they after I hire them?Case in point.The other week, I interviewed a senior engineer from Google who flipped the tables on me.He wanted to know about my company’s mission and asked numerous follow-up questions.He wanted to know how engineering connects with sales.And he even spent time with our engineers to find out what their days are like.I ended up hiring him.I believe that a job interview isn’t just about getting to know the candidate.The fit needs to be mutual.I also believe that hiring culture should change.That candidates should be allowed to ask hard questions.And recruiters should welcome that kind of maturity.

Help others. You'll learn, they'll learn, you'll get to know each other better, and you'll get more done as a team.Inspire others. Many Tech Leads got that way because they had compelling ideas and presented them well, and a team naturally formed.Take initiative. Do what needs to be done without having to be asked.Be a doer, not a talker. I know two people who independently had the same idea. One wrote a paper about it. The other wrote the code. Guess who got credit?You are neither the best nor the worst at anything here. It doesn't matter. You passed a rigorous interview process and regular performance evaluations reaffirm that you belong here, and the fact that you are not Jeff Dean* affirms that you are not the best. Sorry.*If you are in fact Jeff Dean, please disregard.Also see Robert Rossney's answer to How do I become a successful Google employee?