How to Get a Job at Google
According to an interview in the New York Times with Laszlo Bock, (the man in charge of hiring for Google), Google hiring process does not rely overmuch on grades and test scores, as they have been found to make poor indicators for actual on-the-job performance and success. Instead, what they assess is:
Expertise is the last and least important criteria that they consider in hiring because it is content-specific, and content can be learned much more readily than the four aforementioned characteristics—particularly by someone who does possess those other four characteristics. In Bocks experience, those with particular expertise in a given field will not necessarily perform the job better than someone with less experience. In spite of Google’s less traditional hiring criteria, Friedman still recommends traditional career prep routes for our youth, i.e., college. “For most young people, though, going to college and doing well is still the best way to master the tools needed for many careers,” he writes. This may be true, as Google’s way is not necessarily the model for most companies out there. Given Google’s level of success and growth, perhaps they should be. My husband and I both, (until recently), took the alternative route of jumping directly into the working world outside of high school. We both attended community college for a year or so, though eventually those plans were abandoned. (By him much more quickly than me. I spent nine years taking classes off and on, though not consistently working toward any one degree for it to have a positive impact on my job marketability.) My husband is one of the exceptions who has managed to stay with the same company for eleven years and to be promoted from within to a coveted managerial position. My story was less successful. After bouncing around from dying industry to dying industry, I eventually gave up a mediocre jack-of-all-trades position in order to become a SAHM. The job prospects once our son was old enough for me to go back to work were incredibly depressing without a college degree, as my skills and inclinations are not at all suited to sales. We made the difficult decision to take a decent hit to our financial security in order for me to go back to school, complete my degree, and embark on a path that would eventually lead to a sustainable career. You’ll have to stay tuned for at least a few more months to see how that one works out. While I don’t necessarily believe that every student should attend a traditional 4-ear university, I do agree that the majority need to pursue some kind of post-high school formal education. This could take the form of vocational/trade school, two-year programs, certifications, and apprenticeships, depending on the career involved. At the same time, I believe that even this model may change in coming years as more companies begin to follow in Google’s footstep in seeking out those who prove their abilities by actually doing, rather than just completing the rote requirements for a degree or vocational program. If this proves true, it will be very important that children are educated in the classrooms to tackle real-world problems. In a world where Google drives the job market, Project-Based Learning may need to become the new curriculum. Friedman, Thomas L. (2014, Feb 22). How to Get a Job at Google. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://nyti.ms/1eh1z02
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