A chat with a Google Sr. Manager

Google l Ireland l Senior Account Manager

A 60-min interview with Paula Marcos, a Senior Account Manager at Google.

Keep in mind that this interview only provides high-level guidance on how to better prepare for the interviews and illustrates the sort of relevant insights you can find by networking with people. It doesn´t intend to describe the interview process in detail. Enjoy the talk!

#1: Why Google initially? And why Google now?

Initially, I had worked in companies that were working with Google, so I knew many teams. I had a very good opinion of them and enjoyed working closely. They also offer great work-life balance. It felt like a natural step in my career.

Now, I find more reasons to stay or recommend Google to other people.

Fist, the networking is great. Since I have a sales role, I need to engage with many companies and leadership teams. Representing Google opens many doors, and CEOs are willing to listen to you.

I also enjoy having high-level, strategic conversations with them. Eventually, these connections can create new opportunities.

Second, the diversity of the team. Ireland is a hub, so people come from every corner of the world, and it´s truly a diverse, energetic environment.

#2: Anything you would change?

Something to keep in mind is that in Google, like any other large corporation (at least from the US), doing a good job isn´t enough. You also need to make an effort to be seen by others and demonstrate the impact your work has. This can be a challenge for more introverted profiles. For me, it was a learning process.

#3: What defines the culture at Google?

Don´t be evil.

This is an old informal motto of Google. It doesn´t appear in the code of conduct anymore, but I think it still represents us. We collaborate, we help each other, we listen actively, don´t judge, and empathize with others. "Googliness" (read more here) is also helpful to understand the culture of Google.

In my day to day, I focus on achieving KPIs, measuring impact, collaborating with others.

#4: How did you get to the interview process?

I knew that they did. Given my previous work with Google teams, I knew what they did.

I knew what to apply to.  I asked for help from an employee to understand the job posts.

At Google, many job descriptions are almost similar, so it is not clear how they differ, or which one you fit with. For example, it is not so clear what requirements they really have because they are generic and similar to each other. So, it´s important you reach out to someone within the company who can help you understand which job is the best fit.

I had a strong resume: I prepared a resume that was tailored to the position (after I fully understood it) and that highlighted the tangible impact my work had. I was also ready to defend it during the interviews.

#5: How were your interviews?

My process had four interviews. There was a hiring committee, although the hiring manager had more weight on the hire/ no-hire decision. There were different types of interviews:

(1) Role-related knowledge: This depends on the role. In my case, the job was related to sales, so the questions were focused on sales past experience, work challenges, industry trends, etc.

(2) Googliness & leadership: They usually involved standard behavioral questions ("Tell me about a time when you..."). Some of them focus on what we call “Googliness”; the attitudes and character traits that Google wants its employees to have (read more here). It somehow measures the cultural fit, or rather how you add to Google.

(3) Thinking outside the box: Here you can have a mix of questions, from market sizing (estimate the number of...) to a case study such as "The CEO wants you to grow revenues. What would you do?". These cases aren´t like the ones you get for consulting. They are more focused on the brainstorming part, so you aren´t expected to do Maths. That said, preparing standard business cases helped me improve my structure and answers. Generally, they want to see your thought process and how you solve problems. You can also get a case study.

Generally, you have the chance to ask discovery/ clarifying questions that help you give a better answer. If you don´t have all the information, make assumptions, explain your rationality behind and validate that they make sense to the interviewer.

It is relatively hard to prepare these questions because they can vary significantly, but it is important that you work on your reasoning/ thought process and analytical thinking.

#6: Can networking help with the recruitment process?

Yes. First, getting help to understand the job posts. Also, referrals can help your case. If you network, there is a chance that you connect well with someone at Google and if you are a good fit, they decide to refer you.

Something that helped me a lot, even if it isn´t networking per se, was reviewing YouTube videos. There are Google recruiters with channels that give you all the information you need. There is no excuse to not be ready.

#7: Is it a good idea to contact the hiring manager?

It really depends on the hiring manager.

If you are polite, it may work. You can ask for more detail about the position and for recommendations for the process. You risk finding someone who doesn´t like it, though. I guess in the worst-case scenario, they just don´t answer you.

But I would say generally, it isn´t necessary.

#8: And... any final recommendations?

People think that getting into Google is too difficult, but there is really a lot of diverse profiles. You face competition, but after a few attempts you can make it. It really depends how hard you try, how many attempts you make, and how well prepared you are for the process.

I didn´t get the job the first time, they picked someone else. But I asked for feedback (always important), and it was helpful. Also, of you make it to the end but aren´t selected, they might keep you in mind for other positions. You never know.