Well, that didn't go well

[annathepiper]

Had my second phone interview with Google this morning, but I am not happy with how it went. It turned out to be one of those interviews that was all quiz, pretty much--and what really kicked me in the head was the interviewer spending a huge chunk of time on an area that I hadn't really had much cause to work with in my experience so far, i.e., international character sets. They just haven't come up. I tried to kludge my way through it, but it just did not go well. Bleah.

I am dubious at this point that Google will be interested in that face-to-face interview after all. Certainly if that phone interview I just had was the only one I'd given, and I was the one making the decision, I wouldn't bring me in. All I can do now is hope that they'll balance it against the good phone interview I had before, and that the good interview and my resume will still sound interesting enough that they'll decide to bring me on in.

Guh. I hate the whole interviewing process, I really do. It's very tiring to me--especially when the interview is all answer-this-question style and nothing in the way of opportunity to let me talk about my work experience and my strong points. And you can't demonstrate what kind of ability you have to pick up new information and run with it, a trait that has been identified repeatedly as one of my strongest in a work environment, in an interview.

I've been able to work off some of the stress of this experience by having a treadmill workout. Hopefully I can work off more of it by making some progress on the book.

Monday miles: 2.4 (treadmill)
Miles out of Hobbiton: 503.35
Miles out of Rivendell: 45.35
Miles to Lothlórien: 416.65

Comments

[wingedelf.livejournal.com]

Well, hopefully E. brings you in to interview here when he returns from Toronto. I think you'd fit in with the people here. Our interviews tend (or at least have trended in the past) to get more of a feel about people from the 'soft-skills' side- we figure that most people who know what they're doing can figure out how to do what they're needed to do (and we generally ask a couple of skill-testing questions, just to get a feel for problem-solving approach), but most of it is to see how personalities fit.

[annathepiper]

Ah, I was wondering if he got my voice mail and/or email. I hadn't heard from him at all, so. Thanks for the heads up on that. :) We'll see what happens!

[mamishka.livejournal.com]

*sympathetic hugs*

[annathepiper]

*snugs back* Thank you, sweetie!

[shikyrie.livejournal.com]

head up, elf-girl... the interview might not have gone well, but you may get the job anyway... when i applied for Verizon, I did shitty on the phone interview, and they initially told me I failed, but 3 weeks later, I got another call to go for a pee test and start training. I'll be thinkin bout you

[annathepiper]

Um, er, we are talking about two totally different industries here and two totally different companies. Just because you had that experience at Verizon doesn't necessarily mean that Google operates the same way.

In my experience applying for CS jobs, if your phone screen interview doesn't go well, they won't bring you in for a face to face interview. And that's exactly the decision that has to be made here: whether I am worth Google's time and trouble to bring down to their site in California for a face-to-face interview. They may still decide yes, if they like my first phone interview and my resume more than whatever feedback they'll get off this morning's interview. But my gut feeling says no.

I may be wrong, sure, and if I am that'll be totally fabulous. But.

Thanks for the positive encouragement, though. It's appreciated.

[shikyrie.livejournal.com]

the key word was "may"... true, I don't know how google operates, but I know that Verizon is picky in their screening process, and i somehow managed to squeak in after failing the phone interview.. good luck in the long run

[annathepiper]

It's a very small "may", though. Trust me on this. I've gone through this a lot of times, and the vast majority of these times, a crappy phone interview means you don't get a face-to-face. Especially in a scenario where getting the face-to-face means flying to another state.

Honestly, what I suspect happened with you and Verizon is that they called you back in anyway because the other candidates for the position just did not do as well as you did. But that ain't going to happen for a position with Google. They are pretty much The Hot Place For CS Professionals to Work Right Now. There won't be a scenario here where they suddenly change their minds and decide to call me in anyway--because there will be other contenders for the position, some of whom are highly likely to be more qualified than I am. How do I know this? Because I know what the CS market is like in the greater Seattle area. You can't swing a stick in this town without hitting a CS professional.

What will get me that face-to-face interview will only be if they decide they liked my first phone interview and my resume well enough that they'll let the second phone interview slide. Period.

Don't get me wrong, I really appreciate the good luck wishes, I'm just being realistic about my chances here. :) I'm well aware that a small "may" may still result in a victory--after all, I'm trying to be a writer. But one has to be realistic as well.

[cafiorello.livejournal.com]

Sorry it didn't go well....

Cathy

[annathepiper]

Thanks! *snugs*

[mizkit.livejournal.com]

I say this every time I see it, but man, I love that icon. :)

Also, *hugs*!

[annathepiper]

It IS a good icon. :)

*hugs back!* Thank you.