What students need to read.
Monday, August 18th, 2008Here is what google is looking for in their employees:
… analytical reasoning. Google is a data-driven, analytic company. When an issue arises or a decision needs to be made, we start with data. That means we can talk about what we know, instead of what we think we know.
… communication skills. Marshalling and understanding the available evidence isn’t useful unless you can effectively communicate your conclusions.
… a willingness to experiment. Non-routine problems call for non-routine solutions and there is no formula for success. A well-designed experiment calls for a range of treatments, explicit control groups, and careful post-treatment analysis. Sometimes an experiment kills off a pet theory, so you need a willingness to accept the evidence even if you don’t like it.
… team players. Virtually every project at Google is run by a small team. People need to work well together and perform up to the team’s expectations.
… passion and leadership. This could be professional or in other life experiences: learning languages or saving forests, for example. The main thing, to paraphrase Mr. Drucker, is to be motivated by a sense of importance about what you do.
Another good read is an essay by Paul Graham called: What you’ll wish you’d known.