Wednesday, December 19, 2007

How to get hired by Google

I have realized that I have a perfect recipe to passing a Google interview. It's not easy, but if you do it, you have 95% or more chance of success. The good thing is that the result is portable - you will be equally employable by Microsoft, as well as most other good software companies.

Here it is.

Read and do all exercises in the following books:

(1) Introduction to Algorithms

(Except chapters on advanced data structures (including B-trees, binomial and Fibonacci heaps, representing disjoint sets in data structures); sorting networks; polynomials and the Fast Fourier Transformation (FFT))

(2) Computer Architecture, Fourth Edition: A Quantitative Approach

and

(3) Hacker's Delight

If you do this and you're not hired (but you can prove that you've done all the exercises and tried to pass the interview in good faith), I will pay you $200 :-).

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thanks. Nice recipe, got to try this one. Hope this one blog doesn't make Google change the recipe.

Sergey Solyanik said...

I don't think Google will change anything - if you've done it, you're the person we're looking for :-).

Anonymous said...

I do not know if my list will work for Google :-) But here are 3 similar books that may be less fundumental then exelent selection proivided by Serge, but may be a bit more practical or entertaning if you will :-) Up to you to try.I am not betting any money but let me know if it worked :-)

http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Algorithms-Programmers-Andrew-Binstock/dp/020163208X/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198181533&sr=1-14

http://www.amazon.com/Inside-Machine-Introduction-Microprocessors-Architecture/dp/1593271042/ref=pd_sim_b_title_1

http://www.amazon.com/Puzzles-Hackers-Ivan-Sklyarov/dp/1931769451/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198181663&sr=1-1

Anonymous said...

i know all about b-trees, too:) do i get the job?:)

Sergey Solyanik said...

To while(1) { knit; }:

Why !try :-)?

Anonymous said...

Well my recipe goes like this:
Invent something ingenious, promote it good, and then let Google, Microsoft or anyone else ask to hire (or buy) You.
:-D

Directx.

smok said...

Well, add D.Knuth's "The Art of Programming" to the list.
But anyway, all these books won't make you smart if you are not.

Anonymous said...

smok > You wouldn't be able to complete these if you aren't smart.