Comment by jsolson
13 years ago
> Another reason for the quality gap is that that we've been having trouble keeping talented people. Google and other large Seattle-area companies keep poaching our best, most experienced developers, and we hire youths straight from college to replace them.
I will say all of the ex-Microsoft folks I've encountered at Google Seattle have been fantastic.
On a related note, it's stupidly easy to get code accepted by another team at Google.
Also we're hiring.
Too bad you guys don't seem to give a second glance at someone without any formal education, despite working on systems for government, training, banking security and airline industries.
I have zero formal education past A levels, but I've had two in-person interviews at Google and had an offer, and I have their charming recruiters chasing me to make sure I wouldn't be happier working for Google every 6 months or so. :)
It does take a ferociously long time to get through the initial screening if you just send them a CV, and I'm sure a lot of people fall through the cracks - my suggestion would be to find a Googler or Xoogler and ask them to recommend you, I understand you get a lot more traction that way. Chin up.
"Too bad you guys don't seem to give a second glance at someone without any formal education, despite working on systems for government, training, banking security and airline industries."
I find it doubtful that your lack of education alone is what's keeping you from getting a callback. Do you have a portfolio linked from your resume? Have you got friends that work for these companies that are willing to go over your resume with you?
If you know anyone internal who's familiar with your work, have them write up a referral for you. That can give the recruiters a lot more context.
To be fair, and in context: neither does Microsoft.
I've been approached a number of times by MS... once fairly aggressively. Never a word or response from Google though.
>Also we're hiring.
Insult to injury? ;)
> On a related note, it's stupidly easy to get code accepted by another team at Google.
Unless that other team is Android. Though then you could submit to AOSP directly (assuming the issue you are addressing wasn't fixed internally 4 months ago, but how would you know?).
> Also we're hiring.
Bah... my friends keep referring me, but recruiters never seem to like it... ;-)
I look forward to further entanglement with a hiring process much more toxic than Microsoft's. Plus the joy of being hired for a mystery job where all my Big O knowledge goes to writing scripts for placing free porn ads.