Jobs in Belarus for Belarus - a dream or a reality?
In 2011, Google plans to increase its staff by 25%. Mojazarplata.by learned from Google employee Igor Makhanka about whether it’s easy to get a job at Google, what mistakes candidates make during an interview, and why a company can see an interviewer with a dog.
This year, Google will host 6,200 new employees. The company plans to break the hiring record set in 2007. Then 4,500 people were hired by Google.
At the same time, Google is chasing not so much for quantity as for quality, and wants to see among its employees the most talented people who can think outside the box and work independently. Belarus Igor Makhanyok became one of them. Since 2007, Igor has been working as a programmer at the Google office in Zurich. He is currently improving the Android Market app for mobile phones. Mojazarplata.by asked Igor to remember how his work at Google began.
Igor Makhanyok, 26, graduate of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Informatics of BSU, twice winner of the Russian Yandex Search Cup on the Internet, holder of the title “The Man Who Found Everything”. He took an active part in the inclusion of the Belarusian language in the Google Translator service, was engaged in checking translations into Belarusian for the Google Cartographer service.
Jobs at Google: where to start?
- It’s easy to submit a resume and get among the candidates for work at Google. To do this, you first need to go to google.com/jobs and see what kind of employees the company needs. Everyone can apply for a job open in any office.
The company has a good recommendation system: any Google employee can propose the candidacy of a friend. So it was in my case - a friend recommended me, - Igor recalls.
Then there was a telephone interview, and then an interview at the company’s office in Zurich.
The whole process - from submitting a resume to employment took almost six months.
- The most difficult was an interview in the company. It was necessary to show a professional level and answer unexpected questions from interviewers.
In order to get a job at Google, you need to demonstrate that you can achieve goals yourself, without constant monitoring by the manager.
Candidates who are going for an interview on Google, Igor Makhanyok advises to refresh the basic knowledge in their professional field, and to be friendly and polite during the interview itself.
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Google Interviews
Sometimes, candidates make mistakes that make it impossible for them to join the Google team. In order to increase his chances of getting a job in the company, Igor Makhanyok advises:
• Remember that the most expensive thing in the hiring process is not paying for the transportation costs of candidates, as many people think, but the time of Google employees themselves. Three to five interviewers talk to each candidate.
• If you are ill or for another reason cannot fully participate in the interview, ask to postpone it to another day. Even if you have already flown to the city where the company’s office is located. Do not waste time with Google employees in vain and deprive yourself of the opportunity to get a job. You will be given a second chance.
• Look for solutions to the interviewer's tasks yourself, without asking a lot of additional questions. The company appreciates the ability to cope with tasks on their own.
• Even if you think that you were asked a question not of your level and you are too qualified to deal with these types of tasks - take the task seriously - your reaction is also important for the interviewer.
• If, on the contrary, the question seemed too complicated for you, do not give up and do not immediately ask for another task or question.
• Do not be nervous.
• And of course, don't be late.
Adaptation to work at Google
- Beginners at Google (they are also called "nouglers", from the words new + googler) are greeted friendly. The company always needs workers, and new colleagues who will take over part of the work are always happy, ”Igor smiles. - Most of the employees in our office are foreigners. Of these, eight are Belarusians. And everyone understands new colleagues well, because he himself went through a period of adaptation. Personally, it was difficult for me only in the first two weeks, due to the language barrier. Everyone in the company speaks English. But very quickly I adapted.
- The most difficult thing is to adapt to a developed salary market. For example, in Belarusian IT companies, a sharp increase in salary is possible immediately by 50, or even 100 percent, and rapid career growth. At Google, there is no mad pace of salary growth and career advancement. A 10% salary increase is already considered large, ”Igor shares. - On the other hand, the company has a developed bonus system for successful employees.
In Belarus, rapid career growth in IT is possible due to the fact that you stand out from other employees. Here, initially, strong employees are selected for the team, and there are practically no less qualified employees.
Google salary: not for the time, but for the result.
However, this does not mean that the Google employee has little chance of raising the salary.
“You just need to work better than others,” Igor advises. “And they will definitely notice it.” Working at Google makes it difficult to become a billionaire. But to earn everything you need for life is quite.
Working at Google means focusing on results. Managers do not write specific plans and instructions for employees, but formulate general tasks. At the end of each quarter, the performance of each employee is evaluated. If the results of the work coincide with the expectations of the company, the employee receives a bonus.
The company does not have a hard work schedule. There are hours norms established by a perpetual labor contract (in Switzerland it is 40 hours). But the company does not pay overtime hours. It is important for the company not how much time you spent at work, but what results you achieved. That’s why every Google employee is interested in doing their job faster and better.
Igor explains such traditions of the company by the fact that Google is a company with American roots. And in the USA it is customary to agree on an annual salary, rather than an hourly rate. Of course, there are exceptions - for example, the work of technical support staff who need to be on duty at the office around the clock is paid differently.
In general, work standards and approaches to assessing employee productivity at Google’s offices are the same in all countries. The differences relate only to those areas that are regulated by the national legislation of the countries - for example, vacation duration, regularity of salary payments, work on national holidays.
Google doesn’t need men or women, but professionals. The
Swiss Swiss office specializes in programming and development. And most of the office employees (and there are about 700 of them) are men.
- But in general, the company is not looking for male employees or female employees, but specialists and individuals who stand out from the majority. The company is making efforts to achieve gender balance among employees. For example, to encourage girls to learn about IT, Google annually awards scholarships from the Anita Borg Foundation.
Google Traditions: Fridays beer and dog kennels under the table
Legends circulate about the originality of the Google office interior and the freedom of internal routines. And Igor confirms that all this is not fiction and not the work of Photoshop lovers.
You can go down from the ground floor to the ground floor in our office on a slide. Here and there are fire poles. There is a games room - there you can escape from work, playing table football, billiards, on the console. There is a rehearsal room for a musical group that was born inside the company (by the way, one Belarusian is also part of it). And there is a massage room, says Igor. True, it is recognized that playing during working hours is good if every few months.
Igor devotes free time to studying the German language.
Friday is another matter. Google honors the traditions of TGIF (Thanks God It's Friday - thank God, today is Friday), and every week they get together - they drink beer, wine, exchange news. Sometimes cultural events are organized at the expense of the company - for example, a trip to the opera by the whole office.
The company’s cafeterias always have free food and desserts for employees. Which is certainly very convenient. But, when someone celebrates a birthday, the question often arises - how to treat colleagues, because everything is in the office? An original solution was found in the Swiss office - employees bring national dishes of their countries. Igor, for example, brings glazed curds from Belarus :)
By the way, you can come with dogs to the Google office. Some employees have booths under the desks. Some even interview candidates may come with dogs. But with cats you can’t. This happened historically - the first employees of Google had dogs. And since cats and dogs do not get along, in order to avoid conflicts, cats are not allowed to enter the office.
How does the phrase “I work at Google” help in getting to know a girl?
- Inside the company there are jokes on this topic. And people, of course, have conflicting experiences on this issue. Most still want to find a soul mate who appreciates him for his personal qualities, and not for his place of work and salary, ”says Igor.
The salary of an employee of the corporation allows you to provide for your family, and working at Google does not take all your free time. According to Igor, the company takes family / work balance seriously. If the manager sees that a person spends too much time at work, he tries to figure out the situation and fix it.
This year, Google will host 6,200 new employees. The company plans to break the hiring record set in 2007. Then 4,500 people were hired by Google.
At the same time, Google is chasing not so much for quantity as for quality, and wants to see among its employees the most talented people who can think outside the box and work independently. Belarus Igor Makhanyok became one of them. Since 2007, Igor has been working as a programmer at the Google office in Zurich. He is currently improving the Android Market app for mobile phones. Mojazarplata.by asked Igor to remember how his work at Google began.
Igor Makhanyok, 26, graduate of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Informatics of BSU, twice winner of the Russian Yandex Search Cup on the Internet, holder of the title “The Man Who Found Everything”. He took an active part in the inclusion of the Belarusian language in the Google Translator service, was engaged in checking translations into Belarusian for the Google Cartographer service.
Jobs at Google: where to start?
- It’s easy to submit a resume and get among the candidates for work at Google. To do this, you first need to go to google.com/jobs and see what kind of employees the company needs. Everyone can apply for a job open in any office.
The company has a good recommendation system: any Google employee can propose the candidacy of a friend. So it was in my case - a friend recommended me, - Igor recalls.
Then there was a telephone interview, and then an interview at the company’s office in Zurich.
The whole process - from submitting a resume to employment took almost six months.
- The most difficult was an interview in the company. It was necessary to show a professional level and answer unexpected questions from interviewers.
In order to get a job at Google, you need to demonstrate that you can achieve goals yourself, without constant monitoring by the manager.
Candidates who are going for an interview on Google, Igor Makhanyok advises to refresh the basic knowledge in their professional field, and to be friendly and polite during the interview itself.
Avoiding Common Mistakes in Google Interviews
Sometimes, candidates make mistakes that make it impossible for them to join the Google team. In order to increase his chances of getting a job in the company, Igor Makhanyok advises:
• Remember that the most expensive thing in the hiring process is not paying for the transportation costs of candidates, as many people think, but the time of Google employees themselves. Three to five interviewers talk to each candidate.
• If you are ill or for another reason cannot fully participate in the interview, ask to postpone it to another day. Even if you have already flown to the city where the company’s office is located. Do not waste time with Google employees in vain and deprive yourself of the opportunity to get a job. You will be given a second chance.
• Look for solutions to the interviewer's tasks yourself, without asking a lot of additional questions. The company appreciates the ability to cope with tasks on their own.
• Even if you think that you were asked a question not of your level and you are too qualified to deal with these types of tasks - take the task seriously - your reaction is also important for the interviewer.
• If, on the contrary, the question seemed too complicated for you, do not give up and do not immediately ask for another task or question.
• Do not be nervous.
• And of course, don't be late.
Adaptation to work at Google
- Beginners at Google (they are also called "nouglers", from the words new + googler) are greeted friendly. The company always needs workers, and new colleagues who will take over part of the work are always happy, ”Igor smiles. - Most of the employees in our office are foreigners. Of these, eight are Belarusians. And everyone understands new colleagues well, because he himself went through a period of adaptation. Personally, it was difficult for me only in the first two weeks, due to the language barrier. Everyone in the company speaks English. But very quickly I adapted.
- The most difficult thing is to adapt to a developed salary market. For example, in Belarusian IT companies, a sharp increase in salary is possible immediately by 50, or even 100 percent, and rapid career growth. At Google, there is no mad pace of salary growth and career advancement. A 10% salary increase is already considered large, ”Igor shares. - On the other hand, the company has a developed bonus system for successful employees.
In Belarus, rapid career growth in IT is possible due to the fact that you stand out from other employees. Here, initially, strong employees are selected for the team, and there are practically no less qualified employees.
Google salary: not for the time, but for the result.
However, this does not mean that the Google employee has little chance of raising the salary.
“You just need to work better than others,” Igor advises. “And they will definitely notice it.” Working at Google makes it difficult to become a billionaire. But to earn everything you need for life is quite.
Working at Google means focusing on results. Managers do not write specific plans and instructions for employees, but formulate general tasks. At the end of each quarter, the performance of each employee is evaluated. If the results of the work coincide with the expectations of the company, the employee receives a bonus.
The company does not have a hard work schedule. There are hours norms established by a perpetual labor contract (in Switzerland it is 40 hours). But the company does not pay overtime hours. It is important for the company not how much time you spent at work, but what results you achieved. That’s why every Google employee is interested in doing their job faster and better.
Igor explains such traditions of the company by the fact that Google is a company with American roots. And in the USA it is customary to agree on an annual salary, rather than an hourly rate. Of course, there are exceptions - for example, the work of technical support staff who need to be on duty at the office around the clock is paid differently.
In general, work standards and approaches to assessing employee productivity at Google’s offices are the same in all countries. The differences relate only to those areas that are regulated by the national legislation of the countries - for example, vacation duration, regularity of salary payments, work on national holidays.
Google doesn’t need men or women, but professionals. The
Swiss Swiss office specializes in programming and development. And most of the office employees (and there are about 700 of them) are men.
- But in general, the company is not looking for male employees or female employees, but specialists and individuals who stand out from the majority. The company is making efforts to achieve gender balance among employees. For example, to encourage girls to learn about IT, Google annually awards scholarships from the Anita Borg Foundation.
Google Traditions: Fridays beer and dog kennels under the table
Legends circulate about the originality of the Google office interior and the freedom of internal routines. And Igor confirms that all this is not fiction and not the work of Photoshop lovers.
You can go down from the ground floor to the ground floor in our office on a slide. Here and there are fire poles. There is a games room - there you can escape from work, playing table football, billiards, on the console. There is a rehearsal room for a musical group that was born inside the company (by the way, one Belarusian is also part of it). And there is a massage room, says Igor. True, it is recognized that playing during working hours is good if every few months.
Igor devotes free time to studying the German language.
Friday is another matter. Google honors the traditions of TGIF (Thanks God It's Friday - thank God, today is Friday), and every week they get together - they drink beer, wine, exchange news. Sometimes cultural events are organized at the expense of the company - for example, a trip to the opera by the whole office.
The company’s cafeterias always have free food and desserts for employees. Which is certainly very convenient. But, when someone celebrates a birthday, the question often arises - how to treat colleagues, because everything is in the office? An original solution was found in the Swiss office - employees bring national dishes of their countries. Igor, for example, brings glazed curds from Belarus :)
By the way, you can come with dogs to the Google office. Some employees have booths under the desks. Some even interview candidates may come with dogs. But with cats you can’t. This happened historically - the first employees of Google had dogs. And since cats and dogs do not get along, in order to avoid conflicts, cats are not allowed to enter the office.
How does the phrase “I work at Google” help in getting to know a girl?
- Inside the company there are jokes on this topic. And people, of course, have conflicting experiences on this issue. Most still want to find a soul mate who appreciates him for his personal qualities, and not for his place of work and salary, ”says Igor.
The salary of an employee of the corporation allows you to provide for your family, and working at Google does not take all your free time. According to Igor, the company takes family / work balance seriously. If the manager sees that a person spends too much time at work, he tries to figure out the situation and fix it.