Serena Gao
Braving the high winds, heavy rain, and the terrifying prospect of riding the Sydney light rail, we arrived at the Fairfax Media building, which doubles as the engineering building for Googlers. And yes, Google knows how to make an impression. The first thing we saw when we exited the lifts was the enormous games room, filled with video game consoles, arcade machines, and neon lights.
We were corralled into a room covered with wallpapers of a slightly pixelated Bondi Beach, where several Googlers talked to us about the GMS (Google Marketing Solutions) team and the recruitment process. One huge piece of advice that I completely didn’t expect: don’t be afraid to showcase what you’re passionate about, because that’s a huge part of your identity and you shouldn’t have to detach yourself from it at work.
Google really cultivates that sense of community, and it’s clear in everything that they do. Walking around the office, there are “micro-kitchens” stocked with snacks and the quintessential coffee machine for you and your colleagues to chat over. Games room, puzzle room, billiards room, music room, dance room: there’s something for everyone, and you’re actively encouraged to mingle over new or favourite activities. The Googlers are friendly, the colours are bright, the overall atmosphere is buzzing with creativity and energy.
And sure, we marvel at the high-tech products, the fantastic decor, and the infinite amount of food, but at the very heart of it, it’s the people that make the company so fantastically brilliant. People made all these things happen, and Google values its people above all else.
I’m incredibly thankful to the Careers Office for organising this trip because now I have a better idea of what I want out of my career and I feel like my options have branched out. I hope there’s many more trips like these on the future (hint hint)!
The big takeaway of this experience? Get you a company that values you as a person, not a position.
Kim Nguyen
On Friday 5th October, I had the opportunity to visit Google under the ANZ Talent Program and immerse myself into the organisation. Although we had a rainy start (blame the Sydney weather!), we began the day with talks from current Googlers on what a work day in their life is like. We got to hear from Googlers who work with small and large scale businesses, Google ads, and how Google products have revolutionised business promotion and advertising.
After listening to the panel of Googlers, we had the amazing opportunity to tour the Google Sydney office. The significant focus that Google places upon the cultivation of a positive workplace culture is evident through the office itself — walls splashed with different colours, nap rooms for employees to rest in, yoga and handstand classes, a hidden room only accessible by pushing a particular book and an unlimited snack bar. The day ended off with a delicious lunch of rump steak, roasted potatoes, frittatas, and ice-cream in the cafeteria.
Although every part of the day was amazing and out of this world, the highlight of the event for me was being able to converse with the Googlers and hear about how much they loved working at Google. They were all genuinely passionate about the organisation and what it did, and emphasised the inclusiveness and diversity of working at Google.
A section of the day was also dedicated to providing us with tips on how to boost our future job applications and interviews. My take-home tips included focusing on creating a short and concise resume that emphasised my most important qualities, and taking advantage of every resource or opportunity given to me. The Careers and Employability Office (CEO) was definitely one of the resources that popped into mind when we discussed this since it’s such an important and completely accessible job resource for USYD students.
This learning experience definitely made me consider a career at Google, especially due to the great deal of focus that they place upon their employees and employee wellbeing. Google spotlights diversity and inclusiveness in their organisation and hearing from the Googlers solidified this fact. More organisations are now dedicating a larger proportion of their resources to cultivating a positive workplace culture, and it would be rewarding to be engaged with an organisation that excels in this area and has been doing this for a long time. Thank you to everyone who made this day and experience possible!
Angus Thatcher
To start our Google visit, Georgia (a Googler from the Recruitment team) introduced us to Google’s unique culture; highlighting the importance of diversity and inclusion within the organisation. She emphasised that the foundations of Google’s culture are centred around accepting people for who they are and subsequently creating a supportive environment that encourages individuality.
Following this, we met Jordan, a member of the Google Marketing Solutions (GMS) Team, who primarily deals with small to medium businesses, to help create and build online traffic for them. This was particularly interesting for me personally as I am studying a Commerce degree and prior to this visit, believed the stereotype that Google was almost entirely technology and coding based. However, Georgia and Jordan made it clear that there are plenty of teams at Google that are not just technology based. In addition, they also emphasised the unique mobility opportunities at Google such as their “Bungeeing program” which allows employees to work in a completely different team for a specified period of time.
We then met three more Googlers, who discussed their insights and experiences at Google and showed us around the offices. One of these Googlers studied a History Degree at university and stressed that you don’t need to be studying Software Engineering or Commerce etc. to work at Google. This was incredibly eye opening for me and I think is a message that many university students need to be aware of so that they do not dismiss applying to work for companies, such as Google, just because their degree and knowledge does not match their stereotypical image of a Googler being a technology expert.
Georgia shared her advice on resumes. She stressed that the “must haves” include: education (degrees, majors/minors, GPA, studies abroad), experience (past jobs, dates), leadership/extracurricular activities, and that your resume should be no more than two pages overall (at least at this point in our career). This was one of the main highlights for me and is invaluable knowledge that I will be applying to future job applications and interviews.
Finally, I would like to personally thank the Careers and Employability Office (CEO) for organising this day for us. I would not have been able to be part of such an enriching and invaluable experience without their incredible efforts. I highly encourage students to seek out information from the CEO team and get involved in the numerous events that they host throughout the year as this could ultimately lead to opportunities that could kick-start their career in one way or another.
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