Blog

For those of you who have a Google job interview, I highly recommend that you read Steve Levy’s In the Plex before your interview.  Steven Levy, a noted Newsweek author, writes a masterful insider’s account.  He traces Google’s history of success, giving the reader access to the backroom discussions and the insider logic behind key decisions and milestones.  Here are the top three things Google job seekers will find helpful about this book:

Employee profiles.  Levy writes vivid portraits of key Google employees from top executives such as Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Eric Schmidt to front-line product managers such as Wesley Chan and Erick Tseng.  Levy also provides more details on influential yet out of the spotlight executives such as Salar Kamangar, Susan Wojcicki and Urs Holzle.  Levy discusses their backgrounds and the roles they played to make Google a success.

Insight into Google’s unique culture. The book explains they whys around Google’s dominant innovation engine, tracing the roots back to the founders and their childhood backgrounds and acknowledging Montessori’s influence on Larry and Sergey’s iconoclastic thinking.  Key decisions, such as Google’s aborted Skype acquisition, multi-billion dollar boardband spectrum auction, and Google’s China policy, are discussed in detail, revealing Google’s unconventional methods to attain unique goals.

Never revealed details on Google technology. Levy discusses key technologies from the secret Google AdWords blackbox to their energy efficient, environmentally friendly data centers.

The Crown Business PR team sent me Stuart Diamond’s latest book, Getting More.  I loved it.  It’s one of the top three books I’ve read this year.  Diamond is a highly sought-after negotiations professor at Wharton.  His book details a 12 step approach to negotiations. The author also recounts hundreds of personal and third-party anecdotes from over 30,000 students who have had success using the Getting More negotiations framework.  Diamond gets credit for infusing a new approach to negotiations, especially around standards-based negotiation and acknowledging how emotions play a role in negotiations.  I’ve read several negotiations books over the years, and Getting More deserves a spot next to Fisher and Ury’s venerable negotiations classic, Getting to Yes.

For those of you who are negotiating a job offer, keep Diamond’s 12 negotiations tips in mind, which I’ve summarized below.

Set Your Goals

Focus on your goals. Many negotiators focus on the wrong goals. Sometimes they try to get even or overemphasize a tactic which many not further their goals (e.g. build the relationship or shoot for win-win scenarios). Always focus on moves that get you closer to that goal.

It’s About Them

To negotiate effectively, you need to know who you are negotiating with.  What are their perceptions (e.g. “the picture in their head”), needs, and how do they make commitments?  Who are the key influencers in the decision?

Make Emotional Payments

People are emotional, and emotional people can’t listen. When they can’t listen, they can’t be persuaded. Use empathy, apologies, and valuing them to get back into a state where they can listen and be persuaded.

Every Situation is Different

There’s no one-size-fits-all negotiations approach. The key is to understand what they are thinking or feeling by asking “Tell me more.” By better understanding the picture in their heads, you can better persuade them.

Incremental is Best

Many poor negotiators ask for too much at once. That scares people who don’t want to take too much risk. Make small steps instead. It builds trust.

Trade Things You Value Unequally

Nobody values things the same way. Trade off items that one party values but the other does not. For example, take on holiday work for more non-holiday vacation.

Find Their Standards

People rarely wish to be inconsistent with their personal or corporate values and policies.  Find out what those policies are and precedents where exceptions are made. Use those values, policies, and precedents to get what you want.

Be Transparent and Constructive, Not Manipulative

The other party will know when you are trying to deceive or manipulate them, and it will hurt your credibility. Be honest and straightforward. Be yourself.

Always Communicate, State the Obvious, Frame the Vision

Poor communication is the reason why many negotiations fail. Make the effort to state hidden/unclear assumptions and objectives.

Find the Real Problem and Make It an Opportunity

The obvious problem may not actually be the real problem. You’ll have to probe and put yourself in their shoes to find out. You’ll have to ask yourself why the other party is acting the way they are.

Embrace Differences

Minimizing differences – whether it’s around countries, culture, or companies – will help produce trust and better agreements.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Preparation key. Decide on the right strategy and use the right negotiation tools.

We’ve just posted our new class schedule for the How to Ace the Product Manager and How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview classes. If you have an upcoming interview for Google, Facebook, or any other tech company, these classes will help you get your dream job.

Here’s what students have to say about each class:

How to Ace the Product Manager Interview

The instructor is a professional.  He knows the material.  His answers proved experience in the areas discussed.

The instructor was very clear and concise. The perfect person to teach this course. It was a well-organized course. I was pleasantly surprised at how well timed the course was, covered everything planned.

The instructor was very knowledgeable and obviously very well qualified to teach the class on product manager interview. I thought, the fact that he had experience working at both Google and Microsoft, made this class that much more relevant to those of us seeking to interview with these and related companies.

How to Ace the Software Engineering Interview

The class was awesome. The instructor covered a lot of useful information which definitely helped my interview.

I loved the insight from a real-world technical hiring manager as to what questions are commonly asked and why such questions are commonly asked.

The instructor was very clear and answered all of my questions.  His strategies and tips on how to get out of trouble when asked a tough question are amazing.

I feel much more confident going into the code / pseudo-code.

It’s no surprise that job candidates are overwhelmed when preparing for product manager interviews. Product managers seem to do it all – from requirements to positioning to analyzing market trends. To help you get prepared for your upcoming product manager interview, here are our tips on how to perform your best and get the job. If you’d like additional preparation, visit our How to Ace the Product Manager Interview class page.

Use a clear framework for product design questions. Product design questions can be a simple critique such as “What do you like or not like about the new Apple iPad 2?” Or they can be an end-to-end design question like “How would you design a toaster?” Before you give your solution, make sure you have the appropriate context and a clear framework for breaking down problem. Some questions you need to ask:

• Who is the user?
• What are the customers’ goals?
• What are the business goals?
• What are the gaps between existing solutions and the customer’s ideal solution?
• What are the different product alternatives?

Impress the interviewer by white-boarding your response. Kintan Brahmbhatt, the Head of Products at Amazon.com, has an excellent product manager design template for white-board interviews.

Be prepared for analytical questions. Some interviewers evaluate analytical capabilities with a series of on-the-job questions. Saeed Khan, a blogger for On Product Management, says “I’d focus on a couple of business or competitive scenarios, related to potential new product introductions. I’d ask them to walk me through their thought process on analyzing the issues and decision making criteria for those new products.”

Other interviewers evaluate analytical ability with hypothetical market sizing questions such as “How many piano tuners are in Chicago?” For market sizing questions, it’s important to layout a thoughtful problem solving structure, communicate key assumptions with the interviewer, and do math under a pressure situation.

Show how you are a team leader
You’ve heard the saying, “Product managers have all of the responsibility, and none of the authority.” As a result, candidates need to be ready for interview questions around leadership and how they influence others.

Jim Holland, Director at Rally Software, tell us that during product manager interviews he likes to “ask questions about team experiences, contribution, and leadership.” Khan adds, “I want to understand how they make change happen at a company.”

Demonstrate your customer empathy
Steven Sinofsky, President of Microsoft’s Windows division explains, “as a PM you are the voice of the customer so you have to really understand their point of view and context.” Holland mentions that some of his favorite questions to test customer understanding include:

• Tell me about the worst Win/Loss interview you’ve ever conducted?
• What the best market problem you’ve ever surfaced and how what problem was solved?
• What was the last product you bought and why?
• What problem were you trying to solve when you bought the product?
• Describe your buying process and what influenced your buying decision.

Showcase your business savvy and strategy
Khan tells us, “I like product management candidates who are not simply focused on technology but also think about the business. For example, something as simple as price or license change can generate more revenue than a big new product release. The same is true when thinking about positioning and messaging. It’s really those who devote time and energy to these ‘non-technical’ issues that stand out and have the potential to be great.”

Don’t forget the technical interview portion
As a product manager, you must carry influence with engineers. As a result, you need to demonstrate sufficient technical proficiency, especially at top tech companies like Google and Facebook. One of the top technical interview coaches on Impact Interview advises that you get comfortable with data structures and evaluate algorithm run times using Big O notation. Your programming syntax does not have to be perfect, but the interviewer expects you to be familiar with these concepts and write pseudo code.

Seattle Interview Coach now offers a 3 hour class called How to Ace the Product Manager Interview. If you’re preparing for an upcoming product manager interview, this class is for you.

Dates
March 22, 2011
April 5, 2011
April 19, 2011

Time 6pm to 9 pm Pacific Time Zone (for all three class dates)

Location Online class

Cost $150

During this class, the instructor will cover the following:

• Product design questions including an easy-to-use framework for approaching this problem
• Market sizing questions such as “How much money do you think Google makes from Gmail ads each year?”
• Strategy questions including an in-depth discussion around new market entry, industry analysis, pricing, and competitive response questions
• Behavioral interview questions such as “Tell me a time when you influenced engineering”
  
• Traditional interview questions such as “Tell me about yourself” and “What’s your biggest weakness?”
  

Lewis will be the instructor for the class. Before Seattle Interview Coach, he led new AdWords product launches at Google. More recently, Lewis was Microsoft’s director of product management. Here’s what our clients say about his interview coaching:

• “I feel in control of my interviews again.” – G.T.
• “Lewis took my answers from ‘serviceable’ and pushed them to the next level!” – R.C.
• “I strongly recommend Lewis to anyone who wants to deliver when it counts.” – Z.P.
• “This is one of the best investments that I’ve made for my career.” – D.E.

Register before March 18th and receive a $25 discount. To register, choose a class date and click on the payment link below. For any other questions, email lewis@seattleinterviewcoach.com.

By Patty Azzarello

I almost hired a guy sight unseen once who had on his resume “wheelchair rugby champion.” 
He was also very talented – but that’s not what impressed me initially, or most.

I have interviewed hundreds of people for executive and senior management positions. Virtually all of the people were qualified –
more than half of them were boring.

Now, more than ever – it’s time to stand out.

One mistake people make is to present themselves as a “package of skills.” 
This is shooting yourself in the foot. It’s dull. 
It’s unimpressive. It positions you badly.
 It bores the interviewer to death!

Boring: I have a lot of experience leading complex projects and programs. I always deliver on time.

Sticky: I am very competitive, always have been. So I make sure the goal is not only clearly defined, but looming large, to motivate the team to cross that finish line, because I am so driven to win. A great example of this is a funny story about when I was racing Italian motorcycles…

Boring: I have led service organizations for technology companies for 15 years. I have experience in software and hardware.

Sticky: I have an unusual combination of strengths. I am both highly analytical AND hugely action oriented. I can analyze a lot of information quickly, but then I’m driven to ACT – not get more data. This has always been true about me. An interesting example: in college, I created and ran a children’s marine science competition…

Boring: I have exceeded quota for 17 quarters in a row.

Sticky: I have a strong sense of empathy and I’m kind of obsessive about maximizing success in any situation. Customers love me because it’s always clear that I am creating and fighting for exactly what they need. As a result I have been able to make my numbers consistently in good times and bad.

Don’t skip the weird stuff!

I know a sales manager who had a former career directing theater. I know an engineering manager who is an award winning chef! Everyone that interviews them knows it too.

It’s as important to be memorable, as it is to make a good impression in the first place. The one who does competitive origami gets far more traction than the one who said they are good at delivering products on time?

The higher the position, the less the work skills matter, and the more it matters who you are as a human, what your values are, what your natural strengths are, how you lead, and how you choose and develop people.

Sure you need to cover the skills to get the interview, but to win the job –

You need to convey WHY you are good at what you do.

By discussing your core strengths and values you show people what they are going to get when they get YOU; it shows in a more concrete way, why they can be confident that you will be successful.

Really think about why you are good at what you do. What makes you different? What are the things that are always true about you, how you work, and why you are successful?

This is your interview gold.

Patty Azzarello is an executive, author, speaker and CEO advisor. Her company, Azzarello Group, Inc. works with corporate management teams to execute better and develop their leaders. Follow Patty on Twitter and check out her new book Rise…How to be Really Successful at Work AND Like Your Life.

The Business Insider reports that the hottest tech market is Seattle. As measured by the growth in tech listings on the job board Dice, here are the top tech job markets:

• Seattle: +47%
• Austin: +44%
• Silicon Valley: +41%
• Washington DC: +25%
• New York: +24%

The Business Insider notes the key tech employers in the Seattle region: Microsoft and Amazon along with a few Bay Area companies with a large Seattle presence, Google, Facebook, and Salesforce.com.

For those of you with an upcoming Google interview, here are little known insights about Google’s interview process. (Sources at the end of the post.)

Contact us for a free 15 minute interview analysis before your Google interview. We also offer an online class on How to Ace the Google Software Engineering Interview and How to Ace the Google Product Manager Interview.

Link to Questions about the Google Interview Process
What’s the best way to apply to Google?
What can I expect from the recruiter screening interview?
What are the Google phone interviews like, and how many should I expect?
What can I expect at the Google on-site interview?
Is creativity important?
How does interview feedback work?
How does the hiring committee work?
Why does Google ask me for my GPA and SAT score?
Do awards and patents matter?
What is the compensation committee?
What is the executive committee?
Why is there no hiring manager for this role?

What’s the best way to apply to Google?
You can apply to Google by visiting their jobs site, but it’s clear that Google likes referrals. Here’s a quote from their website:

Good people know other good people. Our best employees have been hired through referrals.

Find a friend or someone else in your network to refer you. Google employees receive a $2,000 referral bonus if you accept an offer and work at Google. As a result, they’ll be motivated to answer your questions and give you the inside scoop. The insider’s perspective will be invaluable.

What can I expect from the recruiter screening interview?
Typically a recruiter will call to discuss and verify your skills, education, and experience. If it’s a good fit, he or she will recommend you for a phone interview.

What are the Google phone interviews like, and how many should I expect?
Each phone interview lasts 30-45 minutes each. The phone interview is typically conducted by a peer in a similar role, not a recruiter. They’ll assess your skills. If you’re a software engineer, expect software coding questions. If you’re a product manager, expect questions on product design and development. Prepare for the interview by reviewing this list of Google interview questions.
After 1-2 phone interviews, the Google HR team can make a determination on whether to invite you for on-site interviews. If you’re a borderline candidate, they may request that you do an additional phone interview.

What can I expect at the Google on-site interview?

The Google on-site interview experience varies based on position. For software engineering roles, Google asks candidates to prepare for “coding, algorithm development, data structures, design patterns, analytical thinking skills.”
For business and general roles, be prepared for problem solving and behavioral interview questions. For instance, if you’re a marketing person, you may be asked to position a product or handle a delicate product issue. If you’re in a support role, they may ask you for a writing sample.

Is creativity important?
Absolutely. Google hires those who can think big. See #10 on Google’s list of 10 corporate values: “Great just isn’t good enough.”

How does interview feedback work?
Interview feedback is entered into the applicant tracking system. Typically interviewers provide feedback within 24 hours. The interviewer enters both qualitative and quantitative feedback. Each interviewee is given a numerical value. The recruiter aggregates all the interview feedback for the hiring committee. A single interviewer cannot see another interviewer’s feedback during the interview process. However, after a candidate is accepted or rejected, the interviewer will see all interview feedback including interview questions. The hiring committee may also provide feedback on the interviewer’s feedback quality.

How does the hiring committee work?
There is a hiring committee for each functional role. The committee members consists of senior leadership and experienced employees in the domain. Once a week, they review all the information including resumes, interview feedback, academic transcripts and any other supplemental information. After review, they will make a hire, no-hire, or get more information (aka do more interviews) recommendation. Some hiring committees meet on a more regular basis.

Why does Google ask me for my GPA and SAT score?
At Google, GPAs and SAT scores matter. Why? The Google HR team crunches all sorts of numbers to see what best predicts a candidate’s potential at Google. GPAs, test scores, interview scores, and academic institution have all been considered as success indicators. While GPA and where you went to school won’t rule out a candidate, the Google hiring team doesn’t want to make a mistake. They will ask you for as many data points to confidently determine whether you’ll succeed at the company. Don’t be surprised if they ask whether or not you hold any patents and won any collegiate awards.

Do awards and patents matter?
Yes. Distinctive people come up with distinctive results. On Google’s website, Google eagerly calls out their employee diversity: “Googlers range from former neurosurgeons, CEOs, and U.S. puzzle champions to alligator wrestlers and Marines. No matter what their backgrounds, Googlers make for interesting cube mates.”

What is the compensation committee?
The compensation, not hiring, committee determines the package. They are tasked to present an offer that’s fair (relative to other employees) and competitive (relative to the industry). By having compensation determined by another group, it minimizes biases and other decision making errors.

What is the executive committee?
Once the hiring committee feels good about a particular candidate, their “hire” recommendation is passed onto the executive committee. The top Google execs serves as a final check before an offer is presented. The executive committee may ask for additional data or clarification, but they rarely veto an offer.

Why is there no hiring manager for this role?
Don Dodge explains this best,

Hiring decisions are made by hiring committees. This means that no single hiring manager can make a potentially bad decision by themselves. This doesn’t guarantee 100% success, but it does reduce bad decisions. There must be consensus that the candidate is a great hire. Doesn’t this slow down the process? Not really, in fact the process insures that candidate status is reviewed by the committee every week. There is no opportunity for the hiring decision to get delayed by personal deadlines for other work. The consensus approach avoids “blind spots” or biases by an individual hiring manager, and results in better hiring decisions. Candidates are compared across several groups to make sure the acceptance criteria remain high.

Another source goes on to say, “At Google, it’s quite likely you’ll be interviewed by people who’ll you’ll never work directly with, and it’s extremely rare for someone to be interviewed by the person who ends up as their manager.”

Sources

http://www.google.com/jobs/joininggoogle/hiringprocess/index.html

http://dondodge.typepad.com/the_next_big_thing/2010/11/google-is-hiring-2000-people-how-to-get-a-job-at-google.html

http://piaw.blogspot.com/2010/04/hiring-committee-story.html

Photo Credit: Lynda

Seattle Times reports that Amazon currently has 1,900 openings. Almost half of those openings are for software developers. Amazon is also recruiting product managers, graphic designers, sales people and supply chain analysts.

Amazon currently has 33,400 people worldwide and recently moved their headquarters to Seattle’s South Lake Union location.

Google VP of People Operations, Laszlo Bock, recently told students, “You can anticipate 95 percent of interview questions you’re going to get.”

Other excellent interview tips from his recent talk at Pomona College:

• Practice. Says Bock, “Practice like heck. Practice how you interview, practice how you put your résumé together, and practice how you interact with people in these kinds of settings, because that’s going to be all the difference. The only way to get good at it is practice, and most people don’t do that.” Only 4% of job candidates do mock interviews.
• Write down interview responses. When Bock looked for a summer job, he brainstormed 30 potential interview questions and wrote down three answers for each one.
• Practice out loud. He practiced these answers until he had it ready. Not only were his answers polished, but he could also focus his mental energy to “how [interviewers] were reacting to my answer.”