How to get a job at Google in 7 steps (hard but possible!)

By Jeanette Patindol with input from the following coaches: Yana S and Luke L . January 21, 2025

How to get a job at Google - happy woman

Getting a job at Google isn't easy: acceptance rates are very low at around 0.67%, and the hiring process is challenging.

But if you make it in, it can be a game-changer; a great salary, huge growth opportunities, and the chance to work on huge global products like Google Chrome, YouTube, and Waze.

Plus, the prestige of having even just one year at Google will open doors for you moving forward.

Below, we’ve laid out the main steps you’ll need to take to get into Google. Whether you’re a recent graduate or an experienced professional, we’ve helped thousands of people like you get job offers at Google and other top tech companies.

Here are the main steps:

1. Learn about Google
2. Understand the requirements
3. Choose the right role
4. Optimize your resume for Google
5. Create a connection
6. Apply
7. Prepare for the interviews

Ready? Let’s go!

Click here to talk to an ex-Google career coach

Okay, let's go through the seven steps you'll need to take to get a job at Google (we'll point you to all the supporting resources that you'll need along the way).

1. Learn about Google ↑

Google (under its parent company, Alphabet) is the 4th largest tech company in terms of market cap, and the 2nd largest in terms of earnings.

On both counts, it's behind Apple, but you'll be pleased to know that it pays its employees even better (more on that below).

Google's headquarters, known as the Googleplex, is located in Mountain View, California, USA.

Google has numerous offices around the world, with major offices located in the United States (New York City, New York; Seattle, Washington; Los Angeles, California) and spread out across the globe (London, UK; Dublin, Ireland; Zurich, Switzerland; Sydney, Australia; Tokyo, Japan; Bengaluru, India).

As of the latest data, Google has over 70 offices in more than 50 countries around the world.

1.1 What's it like to work at Google?

1.1.1 Culture

Google's workplace culture is often cited as one of the best in the tech industry due to its focus on flexibility, creativity, and inclusivity. It is highest-rated by its own employees for growth and employee happiness..

Google’s balanced work-life environment encourages employees to engage in creative thinking and innovative problem-solving while providing ample opportunities for professional development.

For example, it has a Googler-to-Googler (g2g) volunteer mentorship program that facilitates employee learning. This program allows Google employees to share knowledge and teach professional skills to each other through one-on-one learning.

Google’s offices have a well-deserved reputation for being, well, pretty awesome. They tend to feature attractive canteens with complimentary meals, game tables (including ping pong), wellness and fitness centers, nap pods, swimming pools, gyms, and even professional hairdressers.

In fact, the Googleplex, Google's head office, is so well-known for its unique work culture and amenities, including Gbikes for commuting and a pet-friendly policy, that it has become a tourist attraction.

1.1.1 Employee benefits

Another reason that a lot of people want to work at Google is its generous package of employee benefits and programs.

Employee perks include on-site amenities like gourmet dining, fitness centers, and wellness programs, along with comprehensive health insurance and generous leave policies.

More specifically, some of the benefits that Google provides in different areas are:

Health and wellness: medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents; employee assistance program focused on mental health; advocacy and support programs for transgender employees and menopause benefits
Financial wellbeing: competitive compensation with regular bonus and equity refreshers; student loan reimbursement; generous 401(k) and retirement plans
Flexibility and time-off: paid time off; hybrid work models; four “work from anywhere” weeks every year
Family support and care: fertility and growing family support; parental leave and baby-bonding leave; backup childcare
Community and personal development: Google-to-Googler (g2g) program; donation matching and time-off to volunteer; employee resource groups

1.2 How much does Google pay?

Google pays a lot. We used the data at Levelsfyi.com to compare Google's salaries with other big tech companies below.

For entry-level salaries for software engineers and product managers, for example, itt's number one among the Big Tech companies at the time of writing.

Google pays well at senior level, too. You can see in the table below that from senior level, Google pays the second-highest among the Big Tech companies.

Want to learn more about what it's like working at Google? This TrueUp page gives a good overview of the key stats, and Glassdoor has tons of anonymous reviews.

1.3 Is Google hiring?

Given the very rapid changes in technology, especially in the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) companies, and the regulatory hurdles it has been facing, Google has cut down on hiring for top management roles but there are increasing opportunities in AI-related roles.

Since late 2022, Google has been implementing a major restructuring with significant job cuts by 10%, which were mostly for top management roles.

As of 2025, Google is focusing its hiring efforts on several key positions reflecting its growth in technology, cloud services, machine learning, and product development.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai told employees in December 2024 to gear up for 2025 as “the stakes are high.”

Google highlights the following roles it is most interested in: Google Cloud, AI and ML, consumer hardware, platforms and ecosystems, and site reliability engineers.

At the time of writing, Google has around 180,000 full-time employees.

2. Understand the requirements ↑

Google can afford to be extremely picky about who it even interviews, let alone employs.

Still, there are always a lot of job openings available and what Google is looking for varies a lot across roles and teams, so you don’t have to fit a certain profile to get in.

Yana, a former Tech Recruiter at both Google and Meta, shares: “Some roles at Google may have titles that differ from standard industry norms. For example, a Project Manager is referred to as a Program Manager (PgM), and the Human Resources department is called People Operations.

“Additionally, due to the organization’s size, you’ll come across many unique roles that don’t exist in other companies. To navigate this, invest time in researching current employees on LinkedIn, and thoroughly reviewing their role descriptions to understand their responsibilities. Ideally, reach out and speak with them to gain deeper insights into how your experience aligns with specific roles.”

Now, let’s take a look at some of the basic requirements for any role.

2.1 Academic qualifications

College degrees are often required for open jobs at Google. If you don't have one, you'll need to demonstrate the 'equivalent practical experience' which could be professional experience, or work on personal projects and volunteer work.

If you're applying for an engineering role, you'll need a "Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, relevant technical field, or equivalent practical experience."

Keep in mind that the more years of professional experience you have, the less important your degree (or lack of one) becomes. Same goes for your test scores and GPA.

This leads us to the next point.

2.2 Experience

Most job openings at Google require at least five years of role experience, as it wants to hire people who can perform their jobs to a very high level.

If you’re very early in your career, your best bet is to apply for a Google internship or graduate program. Google has internship programs for business, STEP (Student Training in Engineering), software engineering, associate product manager (APM), legal, BOLD (Building Opportunities for Leaders and Development), MBA, Korean Veteran Business, and hardware engineering.

If you're a product manager (or want to become one), you'll want to apply to Google's APM program. If you're an engineer, you could try Google’s engineering and technical internships.

These programs are very well paid (for internships) and if you do well you have a great chance of securing a permanent position. Of course, that means they're highly sought after, so making it in successfully isn't easy.

Alternatively, you could target a non-FAANG company with lower barriers to entry to gain more experience first. You’ll be more likely to get interview callbacks from Google when you’ve got a few years of experience and impact to show on your resume.

2.3 Technical skills

Google looks for job applicants with strong technical skills across various roles.

Even for product management, Yana shares that few people know that Google typically hires product managers (PMs) with a technical degree and/or background.

“Unfortunately, candidates without a technical education or background face significant challenges in these rigorous interviews. As a result, recruiters often list ‘computer science or software engineering background’ as a must-have requirement,” she says.

We took a random sample of 50 Google PMs and found that 74% of them had a technical degree. If you’re a PM without a technical degree, don’t worry—you can still become a PM at Google.

Yana advises, “A strategic approach is to apply for other roles first, such as Program Management, Strategy, or Product Marketing, and then pursue an internal transfer to a PM role. Internal candidates benefit from exceptional training and preparation for technical interviews, enabling them to succeed even without a formal technical education.”

2.4 MBAs as a route into Google

Google doesn't specifically require an MBA for most job positions but it can be a good route in. However, having an MBA can be beneficial, especially for roles in product management, sales, finance, marketing, and operations.

If you don’t have an MBA, you can also apply with Google through its business internship program, as well as other specialized internships. The median Google intern salary is around $7K per month, which is still higher than the median full-time working American’s salary of $5,677 a month.

According to Google, business interns come from all backgrounds and different countries in the world. Once hired, interns have the opportunity to work on important projects at Google. The company’s internal recruitment team place newly hired interns in one of the following areas based on the experience and the preferences indicated on their application form:

GMS Sales and Operations
Large Customer Sales
Google Cloud
Marketing

Google values diverse educational backgrounds and skills, so an MBA can be an asset but isn't a strict requirement.

3. Choose the right role ↑

It isn’t always obvious which sort of roles you should apply for.

One of the most common questions people ask our coaches is “What are my chances of getting through Google's hiring filters for this role with my current resume and experience?” And “Is this a suitable goal for me or should I aim higher/lower?”

For instance, you might be a senior software engineer at a medium-sized company; should you apply for senior roles at Google, or aim lower?

If you’ve got management experience, should you aim for Google manager track positions or are they more difficult to land?

Meanwhile, if you’re coming from outside tech, picking the right role is even more challenging.

You’ll need to build up an accurate understanding of which roles interest you most, where you can bring the most value, and where your knowledge and experience gaps lie.

To some extent, you can do this via careful reading of relevant job descriptions, but talking to a career coach who has worked at Google is the most effective way to gain clarity.

3.1 Temporary vs. full-time roles at Google

The open roles on the Google Careers website are generally full-time roles. But there are other, temporary roles that you can find elsewhere, and Yana explains that these can be a good way to get your foot in the door at Google.

Yana says: “It’s important to note that many roles at Google—such as recruitment, UX design and research, sales, operations, and many others—are available as both full-time positions and temporary roles.

“Temporary roles involve working at Google as an external contractor and are not advertised on Google’s official careers website. Instead, they are listed on vendor websites. You may come across recruiter titles with a note like ‘powered by [Vendor Name],’ indicating that the vendor is responsible for hiring in that specific location. Make connections with these vendors, as they might have other temporary roles at Google.

Starting at Google through a temporary contract can be an easier pathway to joining the company and eventually converting to a full-time role (although competition is still tough). This was my own path into Google, and it’s definitely worth considering as an alternative to applying directly for full-time positions.”

4: Optimize your resume for Google ↑

Google is one of the most prestigious companies around. As you'd expect, acceptance rates are low.

Most candidates don’t get past the resume screening and you should invest at least a few hours making sure your resume is as good as it can possibly be.

Yana emphasizes, “Google is a data-driven company, where decisions and directions are shaped by data. Every employee is expected to incorporate data and metrics into their daily work. Therefore, your CV should reflect this mindset—quantify your achievements wherever possible and use data to showcase your impact. While the specific outcomes of your achievements are important, what truly stands out is your ability to think and work with data.”

Luke, a former Tech and Sales Recruiter at Google and Twilio, affirms this and points out that this data-driven approach should not just be reflected in the resume but also during the entire interview process later on.

“At Google, data informs every decision, and in interviewing, brevity is key. So the best way to consolidate your answers is to leverage the following framework: "Accomplished X as measured by Y doing Z." What quantifiable data can I present to illustrate my experience such that it aligns with the specific needs of this role? Being able to concisely express your achievements will help you get further along in Google's interview loops,” Luke says.

But, first, let’s concentrate on preparing a good resume to get you those interviews. Here are more tips on crafting a good resume for Google:

Study the job description. The work experience that you showcase on your resume should relate directly to the role qualifications that you’re applying to.
Be specific. Use data to back up your claims. How many people were on the team that you managed? How were your successes measured? Give numbers, percentages, whatever you can to quantify your impact.
Emphasize leadership. Google values emergent leadership. As much as you can, highlight instances where you took the lead and managed others. Remember, leadership isn’t about titles - you can demonstrate leadership without having had a leadership position.
Facilitation skills. If you're applying for a management role, you need to show you'll be able to help your team progress, removing obstacles and solving blockages. Try to include an example that shows how you unblocked a project, took preemptive action to avoid a bottleneck, or improved a process.
System design skills are often needed for engineering roles at Google. You'll need to be able to discuss engineering architecture and make decisions relating to efficiency, scalability, and performance. If you have any experience in designing systems, or related experience, make sure it’s prominent on your resume.
Engineering skills. This is obvious if you're an engineer, but can also be an advantage when applying to non-technical roles.
Be concise. Google recruiters often don’t have the time to study a resume in-depth, so make sure to keep your resume clear and concise. Cherry-pick your highlights rather than giving a comprehensive summary of everything you’ve done.

The tips above include abbreviated information from our big tech resume guides. For more detailed steps, templates, tips, and real examples from successful candidates at Google and other top tech companies, take a look at one of our resume guides below:

The guides above are great starting points for you to make a competitive resume for free. However, if you want personalized feedback and tips from those who know Google's hiring processes firsthand, you can get input from our Google resume coaches.

5. Create a connection ↑

If you have a connection to someone at Google, use it! Ask them to refer you for a role you’re applying for.

This may increase your chances of getting into the interview process. At the very least, it makes it likely that your application will get a fair viewing, avoiding the possibility that it’s lost amidst the vast amount of general online applications.

If you end up landing the job, your contact should get paid a bonus for referring you, so it’s a win-win.

If you don’t have a contact in Google, consider investing some time in improving your network.

Here are four actions you could take:

5.1 Build a networking funnel

In essence, networking is a sales process, and getting organized in advance will set you up for success.

Begin by creating a spreadsheet of potential contacts. Okay, so maybe you don’t know anyone at Google. But do you know someone who knows someone?

Make a list of acquaintances or ex-colleagues who could connect you with someone inside Google. Your last priority should be cold contacts.

5.2 Feed the funnel: go to Google events

Once you have your spreadsheet set up (i.e. your funnel), then you need to create as many new connections as possible to feed your funnel.

You should specifically target events organized by Google or an event where someone from Google is speaking. Go to an event and talk to them!

If you can’t get to events, try online events/webinars.

5.3 Send good emails and keep following up

Whether you are following up from an in-person conversation, or you are cold-contacting someone, it's important to send good emails and follow-ups. Aim to build rapport, and to make it easy for the person to say yes to you.

It's also important for you to follow up until you get a clear answer, many people will be open to a short phone call or coffee meet-up.

We like this advice on how to write effective cold emails.

5.4 Be ready to sell yourself

This is a critical step. You want to make sure that you are prepared for impromptu “interviews” as you begin to have conversations with your contacts.

They’re not going to grill you as if you were in a Google interview, but it’s worth practicing talking about your motivation for joining the company and what you think you could bring.

You need to be ready to sell yourself (without coming over as overbearing) and this takes practice.

5.5 Don’t just ask for a referral straight away

If you manage to get in touch with someone at Google, don’t just straight up ask them to refer you before you’ve even met them. If they don’t know anything about you, it’s unlikely that they’d feel comfortable referring you even if your resume is outstanding.

Instead, explain that you’d like to pick their brains about the company. Once you’ve established some connection with them and they understand a bit more about what you can bring to the role, they might be happy to refer you.

6. Apply ↑

Right, so you’ve got a stand-out resume and you’re confident you’re targeting the right role at Google. It’s time for action!

Hopefully, you’ve managed to get a referral, but if not, apply through one of the company’s main jobs pages:

7. Prepare for the interviews ↑

Once you’ve applied, hopefully you’ll get put through to the start of the interview process.

The interview process at Google usually takes two to three months. The stages include: resume screen, recruiter call, initial screen(s), interview loop, interviewer debrief, hiring committee, and salary negotiation.

The steps that will require the most preparation are the phone screens and full interview loops which are usually onsite at the company’s local offices.

If you’re a software engineer, you’ll need to prepare for coding (yes, you’ll be solving Leetcode problems in your sleep), behavioral questions to test you on leadership and other soft skills, and system design. Plan for months, not weeks, of prep.

Whether you're targeting an engineering role or something completely different, we recommend you use one of our Google interview guides as a starting point.

Given how competitive getting into big tech is, you should also try to practice Google mock interviews with Google ex-interviewers. They’ll be able to give you accurate, actionable feedback that will take your interview performance up a level and increase your chances of landing an offer.

And don’t be disheartened if you get rejected from Google on your first attempt. Most people do! One of the keys to getting into Google is to get feedback from an expert and then keep trying- we’ve worked with plenty of candidates who landed an offer after multiple attempts.

Take a big step towards a job at Google

Navigating your path toward that job at Google becomes a lot easier when you’ve picked the brains of someone on the inside.

Browse the 100+ ex-Google coaches on our platform. You’ll find many who have worked there in your target role. Book a coaching session and start building an actionable plan of attack to achieve your goals.