It’s coming on to two months since the incident and I figured that I really need to sit down and get it all out before I really forget. At first I was reluctant to blog about it cause I was still feeling kinda raw about the whole thing but then other stuff came along, and then the workload got crazy and so forth.
I’m feeling better about it now of course, but every once in awhile I still kick myself for what I see to be a really silly mistake. It’s just one of those things that will always be that “what if” kind of thought, that group of events that you will regret for a long time.
Maybe I should start at the begining.
The beginning of June marks the renewal of contract for the customer account team that I am attached to at work. So as it is usually the case, customer has decided to try to push for a more experienced level of support while still trying to cut down on cost. At the point in time, it was still not confirmed if this new contract would be implemented, but if it did it would most likely result in a decrease in manpower and thus an increase in workload while still keeping at the same or even less pay (which is what actually happened in hindsight) . So from that, disgruntled thoughts started to open up to other possibilities on the job market. Which is actually quite bullish at the moment in the IT field.
It was during an IM conversation with Vicki where she mentioned that she had attended the Google Singapore press conference as part of her work. It was announced during the conference that Google had indeed opened a local Singapore office and that they are hiring locally. Thinking nothing much of it other than curiosity as I’m a huge Google fan, I check out the job listings and lo! there is actually something that I am qualified for. Making mention of the fact to Vicki, she then encourages me to actually send in my resume; no harm done and you never know what could happen. Feeling elated that someone would actually believe that I can make it in such a big name company, I hasty updated my CV, cranked out a cover email and sent it off, knowing that Google gets 3000 resumes a day.
And of course promptly forgot about it over the weekend.
I get the reply that anyone who knows story cliches are sure to see coming, about a few days after that weekend. Of course I promptly go through roof. It is Google after all. Almost immediately, I reply back stating that I would be happy to do the phone interview with their recruiter located in New York, giving the days and timings that I would be most available, even thought they would require me to be up past midnight.
Eventually, after a slight delay, the night of the phone interview comes around. He gracefully explains that usually Google holds 4 to 5 rounds of interviews, mainly phone based ones till the final few walk-ins. And straight away the nerves start and even the opening causal conversation about my views on computing and about the job scope doesn’t help to ease it. It is Google after all. Then the technical questions start and I fumble and make several easy mistakes, thereby closing the deal against my favor.
I was depressed after the fact (as is usually how I react to stuff) and all those videos about all the free food in Google did nothing to help. Frankly I should have spent more time brushing up on my underused System Administration skills. The problem was not really knowing what to focus on. And even if I did pass that first round, I was bound to get pwned in the next few rounds. I’ve read around the net and there are high level people in their area of expertise who do not make it all the way either, although they do get much further. Sad as it may seem, I have to say being in such good company helps alot.
The best benefit is the wake up call that such a learning experience provides. Get humbled enough and hopefully you will pick yourself up and strive to improve in that areas that you are lacking.
And I intent to.
