Information Technology: Learn from Googlers

Name: Diana Vincent Title: AdWords Senior Representative Company: Google Q: Please describe Google's Online Operations Group – what is the group's mission and how do they support the company? A: Our team’s mission is to provide exceptional customer service to Google customers all over the world. We help our advertisers advertise more efficiently with Google. Q: How did you come to choose a position within this team? A: I was fresh out of college when I got the offer. I was more than excited to join this great company and the team. Q: How did you wind up working at Google? A: I was finishing my bachelor's degree when these smart people from Google came to our college looking for more smart brains to join their organization. I received the offer after going through nine rounds of interviews. Having majored in English Literature, I found this to be the most suitable position for me. What more could I ask for? I did not think twice before accepting the offer. Q: What do you do in your position? A: As a Senior Representative, I review AdWords ads, making sure they comply with our policies and guidelines. Apart from reviewing ads, I respond to product-related customer emails. Q: Tell us about your typical day. A: I approve ads, reply to customer emails, attend training sessions and meetings, and help new Googlers with process-related questions. Q: What are some of the satisfying things about your work? A: I'm a part of the team that approves ads that are shown on Google and its partner sites. I'm a recipient of all the credit the team receives for its good work with the approvals process. I find this very satisfying. Q: What are some of the challenges you enjoy in your job? A: It’s essential that we provide the best customer service to our advertisers, and since we have to directly interact with them, it is quite challenging. I really enjoy this. Q: What's the best advice you could give to someone looking to get into your field? A: Concentrate on the ads. Get a good grasp of the fundamentals.. That'll help you go a long way. And don't forget to enjoy what you’re doing. Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Google? A: Well, this is the best question.  From my previous answers you'd know that I really enjoy my work. But there's something else I enjoy. When I picked English Literature as my major in college, people made fun of me, saying it was a foolish decision. When I tried to tell them that the language was my passion, they didn't believe me. Instead, they looked down on me as the one that didn't go for medicine or engineering. But after I joined Google, the same people ask me how I got this job, and if they can get one, too.  And (with an evil grin) I tell them "Yeah, why not? Send in your resume." So I love my work, in one of the world's best organizations Q: How important is it to have a life and interests outside work? A: Very important. Too much of work makes one a stranger to family and friends. They tend to forget about you, and you end up a zombie. The inner resources that are spent at the workplace have to be replenished by indulging in one's hobbies. My hobbies are reading and playing tennis and I find time to indulge in both activities. Q: What's the most inspiring book you ever read? A: Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. He writes about his struggles through, and how he overcame incredible obstacles. Name: Kalpana Behra Title: Online Operations Specialist (Training) Company: Google Q: Please describe Google's Online Operations Group – what is the group's mission and how do they support the company? A: Google's Online Operations Group supports our ever increasing customer base.  Our team’s mission is to provide excellent customer service and help the advertisers get a good return on investment. We support the company as product experts helping our advertisers use AdWords to run their online businesses. Q: How did you come to choose a position within this team? A: I joined Google as an AdWords Coordinator. My role was to review the advertiser's ads to ensure that they follow our policies. When there was an internal opportunity for a role of a training specialist, I jumped at the chance because I love training people. In my previous job, I trained engineers in the use of various software applications. Q: How did you wind up working at Google? A: I have a personal website, and I used to be obsessed about having it appear in Google's top 10 natural listings when searching for my name. It was a difficult task because of Google's complicated algorithm, and due to the fact that Kalpana Chawla, the astronaut who shares my first name, happened to be more popular than me. My friends knew of this obsession of mine, and one of them mentioned that Google was hiring in. When I read the job description, I felt like it was tailor-made for me. I thought that this job would be interesting and challenging at the same time, and I decided to apply for it. After four interviews, I was on board. Q: What do you do in your position? A: In my current role, I train Googlers to respond to customers' questions regarding their AdWords accounts via email. I also specialize in Google Analytics, and help the team support customers using this product. In addition to that I am involved in curriculum development, content development, content management projects. Q: Tell us about your typical day. A: A typical day during training weeks would be training the whole day, evaluating the emails sent by the trainees, and providing feedback. During non-training days, apart from attending meetings with specialists supporting the email team, I work on the training presentations, post-training support, and quality reviews of coordinators assigned to me. I also respond to customer emails about AdWords and Google Analytics, and provide online support on Google Analytics for the team. Q: What are some of the satisfying things about your work? A: Training in itself is a very satisfying role for me. Another major satisfaction is working with a team of very bright people. Q: What are some of the challenges you enjoy in your job? A: High standards and higher standards. Q: What's the best advice you could give to someone looking to get into your field? A: Delivering a presentation is just 30% of the fun. Taking charge of all aspects of the training completes the picture. Q: What do you enjoy most about working for Google? A: Freedom to choose the projects that I want to work on, and the high bar that people set for themselves is always an inspiration. Q: What do you look for Q: when you interview people on behalf of Google? A: I've done over 100 interviews in one year at Google. I look for people who are bright, willing to learn, team-oriented, have an ability to think out of the box, and can cope with and enjoy change and new challenges. Q: How important is it to have a life and interests outside work? A: Extremely important. I have a two-year-old old son, in-laws who live with us, and parents who stay very close to our place. All of them need my time. I also like to spend time on my interests. Google helped me to strike a balance between my career, family, and my interests, and I must say I am extremely satisfied on all three fronts. Q: What's the most inspiring book you ever read? A: I read books that are informative and are related to the work I do. My favorite book is Ian Glynn’s Anatomy of Thought.  It explains how the human brain processes thoughts. Name: Roy Gilbert Title: Online Sales Director, Google India Company: Google Q: Please describe Google's Online Operations Group – what is the group's mission and how do they support the company? A: Our team’s mission is to provide exceptionally high quality service and support for Google advertisers around the world.  We help businesses get online, and we help them resolve problems related to their marketing with email-based support.  And for the thousands and thousands of small businesses that rely on Google for their sales, members of our team become their most trusted advisers in online marketing and lead generation.  Our job is to make our advertisers more successful. Q: How did you come to choose a position within this team?  A: I've been at Google nearly 3 years.  I knew how important India was for Google, and I wanted to help find and develop the talent that Google needed to scale our business.  Coming to India and working with the hundreds of amazingly gifted people we've hired here has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life.  Q: How did you wind up working at Google?  A: I was a product manager at a Silicon Valley software company, but before I went to business school I was an officer in the US Navy.  I wanted to come to a company which was a technical leader and also offered an opportunity to do what I did before: lead a large difference-making operations team. Google was a rare opportunity and I've enjoyed it immensely.   Q: What do you do in your position?  A: I manage the Hyderabad office, and work with our other executives in India as we expand our services to more and more users in India every day. Not only is India a major source of talent for Google, it is also one of the fastest growing markets for online services in the world.  Q: What are some of the satisfying things about your work?  A: Working with our employees.  I jump out of bed looking forward to seeing our team each morning.  They are smart and hard working, but also creative and full of energy.  They are the reason I love my job.   Q: What do you look for when you interview people on behalf of Google?  A: We look for people who are passionate about helping customers. They have to be smart, eager to learn and grow, and able to work in an exceptionally fast-paced environment.  We ask so much of our employees -- the challenges of this job change from day to day, and we expect people to be able to adjust in a dynamic system.  People who are bright, selfless, and able to think on their feet do well here in Online Sales Operations. It also doesn't hurt if you are a fanatic for Google's products.   Q: How important is it to have a life and interests outside work?  A: Very. Our employees work hard but enjoy life outside the office. We are the site of the world's first Google Cricket Club. We also have a theater club, soccer team, dance class, and quiz team. And our team loves movies, so several times a year we rent out the local Imax theatre, so employees can take their friends and family members to the biggest premier movies.  Q: What's the most inspiring book you ever read?  A: "Theodore Rex," by Edmund Morris.  This is a biography of Theodore Roosevelt, who was the youngest president in American history and the first US president of the 20th century.  He had to lead America during a time of great change with courage and vision.  He surrounded himself with some of the smartest people of his time; I think that is a pretty good way to lead any organization which faces huge challenges and equally huge opportunities.

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