Hey guys, would any google/ex google zurich insider be kind of enough to share some tips on how to standout in the recruiting process when applying via the carreers page - assuming you have the skills and experience required for the role ex: in software engineering the right technical stack background?
I heard that messaging the hiring managers in linkedin could be a solution. But I also heard its detrimental.
So if you have any tips would really appreciate.
Not (ex-)google, but: don’t be evil! 
Yes, I dont want anny unethical tips, just nice stuff that could work out
Get a referral, in the past it meant a recruiter would look at it.
There’s so many googler in Zürich that if you’re decently active with sport activities/hackathon/etc you probably know some of them.
That said would be surprised if there are many positions offered (and those open might be fairly competitive as a result).
If you are not applying to ML/AI adjacent positions, it’s very hard to get a position in their Zurich office even with referrals. I have a lot of former colleagues working there, so I have strong referrals, but since the big layoff of January 2023 and subsequent hiring freezes applying with those referrals no longer worked for me, it is just a generic rejection, while I could get interviews before.
My friends who work there tell me that hiring is mostly frozen (unless it’s a ML/AI position) for Zurich office, and the candidates are encouraged to apply to the office in Poland, where TC is way lower. I see this sentiment also in Blind app, there people say the same thing that getting position in Zurich office is almost impossible due to off-shoring to the offices in Poland and other cheaper locations.
Not to discourage you, you can still get a position in their Zurich office, but nowadays you need to have a lot of luck.
In the early days of this forum, some of the most active users were Google employees. Sadly, I think they have all left since then. Search for Hooli(e) as it was a synonym for Google back then.
Simple tip is to be excellent at what you do and apply to an in-demand area.
When you are excellent at something, there’s no shortage of companies wanting to hire you.
It has been a while but Mr RIP was a former Google employe
He wrote a post from his 100 interviews
I cannot find his calendar anymore but he use to be open to hire for advices.
Thanks sir, I am not a software machine/geek/tech wizard so hard for me to go that route. I am better at providing clinical software fixes, build a feature properly, ensure code quality and delivering on time, and making sure everyone on the team is happy, friendly, direct, and doesnt bubble up conflict.
It’s hard to go that route for almost anyone. The vast majority of big tech employees are smart but they aren’t inventors of new technologies like the Internet or a new programming language.
It’s the same in other industries. The vast majority of people working in big pharma like Roche or Novartis aren’t inventors of new drugs. Most employees of Jane Street Capital haven’t invented new market models.