I went to the same school as the VP of People Operations at Google. Can this help me get a job there?

December 1, 2006 8:25 AM

I'm trying to get a job at Google. I went to the same undergrad college as the VP of People Operations (HR). Can I use this to my advantage some how?

Would it be appropriate to contact him? I received advice from one friend (who is also a Pomona alum) and she said to contact him. Other's have said wait until I get a rejection letter before doing anything at all.

What would be a polite and professional manner of "networking" to try and obtain an advantage.

I have already passed a phone interview and have been flow up to the Googleplex for 1 day of face-to-face interviews. I am currently waiting for a response from them.

posted by zzztimbo to human relations (8 comments total)

What position are you applying for? I don't know if anyone explained to you the process but if the group you are applying for approves, they'll push your package to an executive hiring committee where it has to be approved and signed-off. I don't know what role your classmate VP has during the hiring committee but from what I understand, they are very serious about the reviews and have a well-established process for every single application that comes through.

Good luck! I recently had a similar experience with them, email/IM me if you want to chat...
posted by moxyberry at 8:32 AM on December 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

Google is very, very large.

The people in charge of determining if you get the position or not will be the people working closely with you—they operate such that they have people all along the chain of command performing interviews and phone screens and weighing in on final decisions.

If you don't have the skills to otherwise score the gig, they're not going to care what college you've been to, nor if you've been to the same college as, say, their VP of HR or hell, even Larry, Sergey or Eric. ("Well, he can't code for shit, but man, he was at Pomona, just like Laszlo! Let's give him the gig!")

The individuals considering you for the job are scoring you on an internal scale, and there are several factors, along with several individuals judging you. If you're looking for a position directly under Mr. L, assume he's already noticed you're a Pomona alum. Otherwise, assume that they've seen plenty of candidates from plenty of top-tier schools, and that making it to a face-to-face interview is tough enough.
posted by disillusioned at 8:44 AM on December 1, 2006 [1 favorite]

Not sure what TPS is on about, as Bock's name and position is publicly available info, and zzzztimbo didn't mention anything him or herself other than his/her alma mater and graduating year.

Unless you know the guy personally, or know someone that knows him intimiately -- in which case, try to give him a call -- this sort of thing will not help you one way or the other.

As moxyberry points out, there are very few shortcuts in Google's HR processes, and the link you have to him would likely not help you in any event. Besides, having a highly placed contact in HR in any company may get you in the door (which you've already entered), but it won't seal the deal. You have to get the hiring manager to close the deal for you.
posted by Hypnic jerk at 8:45 AM on December 1, 2006

I'd agree with using the guys name here on the tubes... but he might feel differently. I'm gonna take a leap of faith and bank on the possibility that this guy, as a Googleoso, PROBABLY reads the blue and the green, and hence he's bound to see this thread.

BRAVO for you!! Whether you intended to or not, you've shown a savvy bit of geekdom that demonstrates just how far your'e willing to go for a job you really want. You're collaborative (networking collectively here showing that you like to work with others and appreciate input from your peers) and technically savvy (by using MeFi!!!).

So, to answer your question - I don't think you need to do anything more - you've just completed your networking efforts.
posted by matty at 8:46 AM on December 1, 2006

When you're a VP at a public company, you get talked about on the internet.

But no, going to the same school as the one a VP went to for his undergrad wouldn't have much influence anywhere, let alone Google.

(If you'd done your MBA together, it might be another story, but even then, probably not at Google.)
posted by mendel at 10:01 AM on December 1, 2006

Imagining myself as a one-day Successful Person in a position to hire somebody, how would I feel if I got a letter from someone saying that they went to my school and would I please help them get a job?

If I had at all known that person personally, i.e. had sat in classes with them and would recognize them on sight, and I had some reason to believe that person would do a good job, or at least would not do a bad job, then I might pass on a note to HR.

If, however, I didn't know the person at all, and the only connection is that we attended the same school at the same time (but in different years as is the case here) my resposne would be 'so what' and I would direct the applicant to apply through the normal channels. I might imagine the person to be an overzealous keener and I might think less of the person for trying to sneak in through a back door that isn't really open to them.

Unless alumni from your school have a reputation as being fiercely loyal to each other - and if this is the case then ignore my advice and go for it - I would recommend not contacting him.
posted by PercussivePaul at 10:08 AM on December 1, 2006

[I made a minor edit to the question, please make the questions about you not other people.]
posted by jessamyn at 10:09 AM on December 1, 2006

I used to work at Google and interviewed many people for engineering jobs. I left a year ago though, so my info may not be entirely up to date.

I think your sharing a school with the VP would only help you in two ways. One: getting past the initial resume screen and getting an interview. Or two: getting a job directly with that VP. You've already got the interview (congratulations!) and my guess is it's not going to matter beyond that.

Good luck!
posted by Nelson at 11:58 AM on December 1, 2006