How I Got Into Series: Google

The text below is a summary of a video in our How I Got Into Series.

Who is this person? 

Dante Gutierrez is currently a student at the University of Texas at El Paso where he is majoring in Mechanical Engineering. His eagerness to pursue higher education in the field, despite his struggles as a first-generation student, led him to gain an internship at Google working as a Mechanical Engineering intern. 

How did this person get into their company? 

In October of 2019, Google came to UTEP’s campus to host several resume review sessions in which Dante attended one of them. This allowed him to really connect with one of the recruiters and later receive feedback on how to tailor his resume specifically toward the mechanical engineering position. After hearing back from him only three weeks later, he had a technical interview, followed by a job offer letter in the mail by January. 

In the beginning, Dante’s unique experience as an international student created some problems for him as he could not intern at certain companies due to him failing to comply with the required citizenship status. However, he pushed himself to apply to tech companies such as Google which were hiring international students but his lack of experience on his resume wasn’t attractive to recruiters. Dante ended up moving back to Mexico with his father where he worked on developing a jet engine from scratch and shared his accomplishment with recruiters during his interview. He also ran for the Student Government Association where he was able to work alongside the Dean of Engineering, working on projects such as programming tutorials and fundraising events. Despite not having prior experience with an internship, this allowed him to show he was a good candidate for the position and gave him an edge during the interview. 

How to get into that position? 

Dante’s biggest recommendation for mechanical engineers is to not forget the basics and simpler material because the technical interviews revolve around candidates knowing those fundamental tasks. He also advises not to be afraid to make mistakes. If you are coming up with a solution and midway you come up with a better thought don’t refrain from restarting and say out loud what you’re thinking so the interviewer can see into your thought process. If there ever comes a time when you don’t know something, Dante instructs those to remain calm and be honest but let the interviewer understand that you know how to look for that information and have a plan. Most importantly, Dante stresses that you have the skills that reflect Google’s key values such as being helpful, cheerful, and a well-rounded person. 

Tips for anyone who wants to join the company? 

Dante suggests posting all your projects and passionate endeavors on LinkedIn and other popular social media sites. This exposes your work to a larger audience and increases your chances of being discovered by someone at a big company. One side project he recommends to those trying to get into Google, especially in the product design aspect, is to design your own product — document it, have a good presentation, or a simple tolerance analysis. When you’re done, share it with someone and wait for the opportunities to roll in. 

Any additional advice? 

Dante’s last advice is for what comes after you’ve earned the internship. He advises to document everything you do, make sure to ask for help and meet your coworkers. For example, a daily log where you can write down every single thing you do each day will help you to remember what or how you completed a task. Dante’s suggestion for those who get rejected from an internship — is to never give up. As said prior, you can always work on your own projects whether it’s collaborating with someone or doing voluntary work with a professor. Online tutorials such as EDX Coursera allows you to learn a new skill for free. Dante used this website to teach himself how to program in Python and machine learning AI, which also helped him connect with others in the industry and foster an overall well-rounded internship experience.