I really want to work for Google

Is it possible to get an entry-level software job at Google just by doing FCC courses? I am almost done with the web dev, I plan to do Javascript next and then Python?

I live in the San Francisco Bay area, so their campus is not far from me!

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That is a very prestigious job and there is a lot of competition. Possible? Yes, probably. But it’s going to be a hard slog. But even if you don’t get that, having that as a goal will help you learn a lot and increase the odds of getting something else. And who knows - you might get it.

Google has a page on how they hire. Stack Overflow has a page talking about the company (including their tech stack - I don’t know if it is complete.) Glassdoor has a page on them, including a section where people talk about their interviews. And if you search for this topic you will find a lot of advice.

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Thank You. The resources are very helpful.

And looking at LinkedIn, I see that there 204 people that work at Google that list FCC as one of their skills. I would read their resumes and maybe try to connect with them on Linkedin. You could ask their advice. You probably live near some of them and in post-covid times you could take them out for coffee and pick their brains.

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Hi @tajb36. Welcome to FCC. I am afraid I don’t think completing only FCC courses will be enough to get you into Google. You have to do much more than what FCC is offering even for an entry level position in a lesser-known company than Google. FCC teaches you the fundamentals and most people who have gotten jobs after going through FCC curriculum did it by going an extra mile after completing FCC curriculum.

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Thanks for your opinion. Extra mile such as what?

Well, much of FCC curriculum has been Web development until this year when python was introduced. Most of the testimonies I read talked of building apps that solved real-world business problems or full-stack sites that real businesses might need. Knowing how to code, in my opinion, is just one step and putting the knowledge to solve business problems is another and that to me is where the real hurdle is. You will not be paid for the knowledge in your head but applying that knowledge to problem solving. The projects here on FCC are just small projects to help solidify the concepts you have learned. You have to go ahead and build bigger projects too to become hireable.

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I see, so I need some killer projects on my portfolio!

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I am afraid so and from what I hear, to get into Google you need to be good at solving coding challenges too (Data structures and Algorithms ).

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Yeah, I’d second those last two posts. If you don’t have a degree or a lot of experience, then your portfolio is what gets attention. And yeah, google is kind of famous for their coding challenges. There are even some examples online. But both of those are possible - people can build great portfolios and with hard work you can get good at algorithm challenges. (Cracking the Coding Interview is a great book.)

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Good luck with your new career

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