How to Get a Job at Google: What You Need to Know

To work for Google, you must be a passionate learner, understand what they're looking for, and build a successful interview strategy. Google is known for recruiting and accepting those who are considered the top talents in their fields. The company hires less than 1 percent of its applicants, making it a competitive venture [1]. Learn more about how to get a job at Google with these strategies and tips for building the required skills.

Get Googly.

If you have a dream role in your sight, you need to first establish whether you have met the qualification and experience criteria for it. Once you complete this step, prepare a strategy to approach your application with Google. 

1. Rework your resume to showcase your expertise for the role.

Google only selects the best talent, so it’s essential for you to make yourself stand out as a leader in your field. Google hires candidates with good technical skills, the right interpersonal skills, and cognitive abilities. In your resume, highlight your specialties, relevant professional or academic projects, and all your qualifications and accreditations. Make clear any awards you have won and mention high GPAs, but also consider adding anything less official but applicable. 

Google suggests that rather than ‘tweaking’ your resume, you should write it from scratch to ensure that you cover everything above in a way tailored to the role you’re applying for. Google wants your resume to include specific examples and concise information, all within as few pages as possible. 

Read more: 16 Resume Tips for Your Job Search

2. Develop your background with experience.

Positions at Google are highly competitive, so you’ll need to demonstrate impressive yet relevant experience. Regardless of the seniority of the role you’re applying for, you’ll need a high level of expertise. Even for internship applications, Google wants to see a growth mindset and ambition, so be sure you gain experience (paid or otherwise) to set you apart from other candidates. You can acquire this experience through competitions such as Google’s coding contest, personal study, or personal projects. 

Most of all, Google wants to see a combination of skills and passion because enjoying your job will keep you committed and motivated. Consider all your relevant experience, reflect on what you love, and think about your goals and how your experience fits into the big picture. 

While experience needs to be relevant, keep in mind that Google’s hiring methods are diverse—this includes recruiting people from entirely different careers because of specific skills or niche experience that Google considers valuable. Think about your transferable skills and experience you've picked up from throughout your career, professional or academic, that might be of interest to Google.

3. Demonstrate your preparation and unique abilities.

Although your skills should be related to the role, highlight all of your experience and show Google what sets you apart.

Google prioritizes teamwork and collaboration and values diversity. It doesn’t follow the crowd, and neither should you. Innovation is key. Google is a creative company, and it’s not looking for employees who fit a specific mold. In fact, the opposite is true. Google is looking for people with a growth mindset who can add value to the company with their unique experiences and ideas and who are not trying to fit a corporate persona. 

You must demonstrate that you can diversify. Apply to different positions and tasks and bring value to the company through innovation.

4. Highlight your passion.

Experience is one thing, but Google is looking for that something extra. It wants to feel your passion and innovation. Google refers to the people who work for it as ‘Googlers’ because they show passion creative thinking, and have what it takes to fit with the Google company culture. Portraying yourself as a Googler is more than just having the proper skill set and experience and enjoying what you do. Google leads through innovation and an abstract approach, and you should mirror this. Pitch your skills and experience in a way that shows that Google is where you want to be. 

5. Update your LinkedIn profile.

Employers check LinkedIn, so to create a good impression, your profile needs to be updated and present yourself as a Googler. Write your summary section with Google in mind, highlighting everything you have that makes you the right fit. Think about your relevant skills and passions, and take some time to include examples, stories, and experiences that make you stand out. 

Read more: How to Create a Striking LinkedIn Profile: Guide + Tips

6. Research Google. 

To get a job at Google, you need to know Google, understand its mission and company culture, and be familiar with what employees really do there. In addition to being familiar with Google, how to use its search engine and maps, or owning a Google phone, there's much more to the company culture and purpose. 

Dig deep into your research to get valuable insights into everything the company’s doing. Learn about its awards and what it’s best known for. Find out about its best-performing products, any current events it may be celebrating, and its future goals or projects. Learn about its systems and processes. Read Google’s hiring process guidelines on its website in the ‘How we hire’ section. 

Preparing this way can help you envision how you might fit into the company. This will allow you to pitch yourself as someone who would excel in Google’s work culture and relate your skills and experience to exactly what the company needs.

7. Make internal connections.

Connections are a great road to any organization. If you know someone who already works for Google, ask them questions that might help you understand what recruiters will be looking for or what to expect in an interview. 

You might be surprised if you don’t think you know anyone who works there. LinkedIn likes to point out connections, so if you go to Google’s LinkedIn page, you’ll be able to see how many people you know who work there from schools you've attended, as well as people you share connections with that may be able to give you an introduction. 

Google also uses its own designated recruiters. You may be able to connect with Google recruiters and find other contact details through LinkedIn. However, Google maintains that applying online through its career search tool is the best option. 

8. Show what you can give.

When applying for a job, it’s crucial to focus on what you can offer the company rather than what it can provide you with. Google is an established and reputed company that looks for people with the right combination of skills. With such a vast talent pool, you have to be clear about what you can offer and why that puts you above other candidates. 

Consider this common interview question: What can you offer us that someone else can’t? Use this question to fill out your application form—everything you write should relate back to this point. Keep your answers tailored to what Google is looking for in general and the job description of the role you’re applying for, and focus on how you can offer that. 

9. Practice interview questions.

Once you have successfully made it to the interview stage, as with any interview, it’s vital that you prepare with practice questions. Google’s rigorous interview process can include in-depth telephone or video interviews (both behavioral and structured), chats, online assessments, and projects.

As we know, Google values creativity and diversity, so include those traits in your answers—avoid sounding too corporate, but remain professional. The STAR technique (situation, task, action, result) is a great way to do this. Reflect on some of your experiences and create examples of critical points you can build on, including the following:

• Teamwork

• Dealing with conflict

• Ethical dilemmas

• Innovative thinking

• Problem-solving

• Outstanding results

Google gives a lot of advice about the interview process but gives little away about the types of questions recruiters will ask. Google also has a reputation for asking unusual interview questions, which include the following: 

• How many times a day do clock hands overlap?

• Design an evacuation plan for San Francisco.

• Why are utility hole covers round?

While interviewers no longer ask these questions as they were too hard to answer, they offer a good idea of Google’s motivation and style—expect the unexpected.

Some of the questions that Google uses include the following: 

• Why do you want to work for Google?

• What is your favorite Google product, and what would you do to improve it?

• How would you convince a client to transition to a Google product? (interviewers will mention a specific product depending on the role)

• Tell us about a time you took a risk and failed.

• Who do you believe are Google’s main competitors, and why does Google stand apart? 

• Describe Adwords to someone with no knowledge of online advertising (this can change to a different product or service)

10. Continue persevering.

FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) companies are highly competitive, but with the right strategy and skill set, it is possible to land a job in one of them. Even if you don’t get picked for your ideal position, continue applying to other openings for a higher chance of getting into the company. Ask for feedback and learn from your experiences, build on them, and improve yourself when possible.

Google values quality over quantity, so its policy states that you can apply for a maximum of three jobs every thirty days. Take your time and make each application count.

Is Google a good company to work for?

Google frequently enjoys ranking in surveys listing the best companies to work for and is known for its excellent pay and benefits, admired work culture, and outstanding office spaces. Glassdoor places Google in the 26th position on their Best Places to Work list in 2024 [2]. It’s also rated A+ for perks and benefits, compensation, happiness, and several other categories on Comparably [3]. Many employees appreciate Google’s workplace, including the head office, nicknamed ‘Googleplex,’ which offers in-house massages; gourmet food; sports and wall-climbing facilities; and fun, exciting interiors with bright colors and sensory experiences. 

Who does Google hire?

Google hires employees across nine teams. Each category covers a vast amount of areas, and each has employees at different levels, from internships to the executive level:

• Engineering and technology

• Sales, service, and support

• Marketing and communications

• Design

• Business strategy

• Finance

• Legal 

• People

• Facilities 

How difficult is it to get a job with Google?

According to Inc., the company will receive over two million applications for the thousands of candidates that Google hires each year [7]. Google is a FAANG company, a group notoriously challenging to enter, as it selects and hires a very small percentage of applicants. Based on projected hiring rates, you have higher odds of getting into Harvard than landing a job at a FAANG company. 

However, you can use this as motivation to reach the top one percent. Google prides itself on selecting only the most skilled candidates because it understands that company performance depends on the talent and motivation of staff members. With this in mind, Google continually invests in its employees and offers competitive compensation to ensure you and other hires remain central to the company’s success. 

Learn the skills Google is looking for.

Landing a job at Google can be challenging, so it is essential to consider the role you’re applying for and whether your skills and background align with your desired position. If working at Google is your dream, then persist in your efforts and keep trying. Having the right strategy for your application, networking, and continuously upgrading your knowledge and skills can increase your chances of getting into Google.    

You need a robust understanding of Google and its products and services and a solid skill set. You can begin working toward this goal by earning a Google Professional Certificate on Coursera. Google Professional Certificates are available in various specialties, from Google Data Analytics to Google UX Design, with other options available in business and engineering and tech fields.