Google is taking its recruiting efforts to its search engine, looking for programmers who search for particular programming terms. When Max Rosett, an aspiring computer engineer, took to Google search to get help on his project, he found himself on the other side of a two-sided mirror being cross-examined by Google without even knowing it.
“One morning, while working on a project, I Googled ‘python lambda function list comprehension.’ The familiar blue links appeared, and I started to look for the most relevant one,” Rosett wrote on The Hustle. “But then something unusual happened. The search results split and folded back to reveal a box that said ‘You’re speaking our language. Up for a challenge?’ ”
(Related: Five skills Linux job-seekers should have)
Rosett’s answer? Yes, he was up for a challenge. That prompted a series of programming challenges from the website foo.bar. After the sixth challenge, the site asked for Rosett’s contact information, and a couple days later a Google recruiter contacted him.
“The office visit was the first time I felt confident I wasn’t the victim of an elaborate prank. When I first encountered foo.bar, I asked several friends (including Google employees) if they’d ever heard of it,” he wrote.
Rosett interviewed at Google, and is now a Google employee.
What would have happened if Rosett didn’t accept the challenge? Well, for one he wouldn’t be working for Google. Most companies I talk to say they look for developers who like to solve problems. Rosett could have said no and went about his day, but he was intrigued and interested, and was willing to devote his time to a random challenge, which in turn led to an intrigued and interested Google.
The funny thing is Rosett wasn’t even looking for a job. He didn’t feel confident in his software development abilities, but Google thought differently.
You never know what you will find in a Google Search… You could find the answers you were looking for, or find yourself in the midst of an interview evaluation process without even knowing it.
