Lauren Gellman, a first-year Haas MBA student and MBAA VP of Admissions, won this month's unofficial classmate appreciation award for organizing an amazing Tech Trek to the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA. As a former Googler, Lauren was able to arrange a visit for about 50 Haas students to the Google campus on February 5.
The day began with a tour of the campus. Much of what we saw confirms what the Googleplex is known for -- amenities such as free food, fitness centers, free food, on-call masseuses, and free food. But there were also a few surprises, including a life-size replica of Space Ship One and a T-Rex skeleton that greets you at the entrance to one of the main buildings,
The design and layout of Google's office space is a true reflection of the Google culture. White boards, the primary mode of communication and idea exchange between engineers, are widespread. There is a "take a bike, leave a bike" policy that many Googlers take advantage of to travel from one part of the campus to another, and laundry facilities are available so that you can get a load done while you work.
After the tour, the group congregated in one of the areas typically used to bring in speakers (book authors are frequent visitors) for a panel discussion with several Googlers who graduated from Haas, including Sung Hu Kim (MBA '06), a Senior Product Marketing Manager for Android, and Mickey Kim (MBA '08), a New Business Development Manager.
When asked about the most rewarding and challenging aspects of being a Googler, members of the panel seemed to be in agreement. The people, they said, are the best part about working at Google, and you can also count on never being bored. The biggest challenge, one seen across many companies in the tech industry, is managing and prioritizing workload.
Panel members also offered some advice for those seeking internships and jobs at Google: be yourself. Authenticity and making a personal connection are keys to a successful interview. And of course, it's important to show that you understand and have experience with responsibilities specific to the job you're applying to.
The panel discussion ended with what makes for any successful company visit -- free giveaways! Five lucky students, by way of raffle, went home with a brand new Verizon Droid phone. And the rest of us went home with pockets full of free snacks.