Re: [tlug] FWIW: Google Japan Interview Experience

["Nguyen Vu Hung" <vuhung16plus@example.com>]

2007/11/16, Jim Maricondo <jimbocho@example.com>:
> heard that in Japan there are too many product managers and not enough
> developers; that one reason for this is that it is hard to find developers
> in Japan who want to work for Google, who speak English well enough to pass
> the American interviews, and who majored in CS at school, all of which are
> required.
>
Google, like other gaishi-kei companies in Japan, fails in the search
for enginieers like such.
Every years, oversea students from Bangladesh, Srilanka, Myanmar,
Malaysia, Indosinea come to Japan. Some of the are talent in Japanese,
English and CS. I think Google misses them.

> Throughout the whole process, one gets a feeling that the interviewers are
> too busy with their regular job and really don't want to interview you.  You
> are just a bother to them.  So don't be surprised if they cancel your
> interview at the last minute, call you 40 minutes late, start your
> video-conference 15 minutes late, or otherwise act like you are interrupting
> their work and are just a bother to them.  This is rather demoralizing to a
> candidate.
The standards process iin Japan is 5 to 7 rounds. The bigger the firm
is, the longer it will take. It seems that Japanese firms are very
carefull in hiring new people. I think it is because that once they
hire you, they will not fire you easily like in US.

>
> Additionally, HR asks you to do an incredible amount of preparation for your
> interview (for Product Manager at least), analyzing Google products, the
> competitive landscape, proposing your own products, etc.
It happened to me too. We can't hide anything from HR.

> Let me add a note here: many people advise against criticizing an employer
> during an interview.  But Google interviewers seem to particularly want you
> to tell them what you think Google is doing wrong.  I do not believe this to
> be a trap (as one of my mentors and some other people have thought).  I
> believe that it is a form of research that they use to get free consulting
> from job applicants.  This is a great deal really; get your job applicants
> to spend 20-30+ hours researching your products for you, as part of the
> interview process.
Interesting thoughts!!

>
> Japanese HR is extremely friendly but almost useless.
I think they are! Japanese HR won't hire "good" people who can *think*
and research.
Japanese HR won't see creative people.

>
> The relationship between Japan and the US is also kinda crazy.  Many
> US-based interviewers ask irrelevant questions, and have no idea what is
> happening in the Japan office.  Japan HR has no idea what is going on and
> often say one thing only to find out that US HR later tells them something
> else, so what they told you is wrong.  Japan doesn't have most of the
> benefits that the US has either, so really you have worse of all worlds -
If Google is going to build a reseach center, then Vietnam, India or
China are the choices!
Not Japan.


-- 
Best Regards,
Nguyen Hung Vu
vuhung16plus{remove}@example.com
An inquisitive look at Harajuku
http://www.flickr.com/photos/vuhung/sets/72157600109218238/