ACS | Blog

My experience at Google Top Black Talent event (November 23rd 2011) was beyond inspirational. The event provided me with fresh and exciting knowledge, challenging my stance on creativity and technological innovation. Personally I’m not easily persuaded by companies’ quirky advertisements and presentation of “why we are the best place to work?” I mean which corporation wouldn’t try to persuade the best talented students to work for them, right?

Yet Google’s approach and truthfulness was very enlightening and may I add, uniquely different to any other event I have attended. There was no sense of pressure in the atmosphere, from start to finish, but simply charisma and the buzz of students eager to understand how Google continues to stride towards achieving its mission statement, ‘to organise the world‘s information and making it universally accessible and useful’.

I was gobsmacked by a presentation from one of their employees, who was informing us to work for an organisation which is compatible with our personal ethos. The genuine concern Googlers (google employees) had for students to take part in careers, which motivated and challenged them to add value to the world, immediately tore down, my armour of scepticisms, of whether this event was a pantomime to enchant students, (okay, okay maybe I may be exaggerating about my suspicions) but I just want to highlight, that Google is definitely a business, which comes across as aspiring to come up with the best innovative technology, as well as having their customers and employees profit from a landscape of knowledge to share. Their genuine aspiration is very infectious, that as a non-technical student, it has left me with a passion to keep up-to-date with the latest technological developments.

Also being able to mingle with other students, who were members of ACS, was delightful, especially during the networking sessions it provided an invaluable experience of meeting students with similar passion to myself, and also having the opportunity to hear the stories of how Googlers got to where they are now. Images which reflect my description of the day, is during the business challenge where all students are eagerly leaning across to listen to each other’s opinions, amplifying how Google can immediately engage everyone in innovative discussions.

I would definitely recommend anyone who has the chance to attend GTBT event next year to go for it, because it will provide you with the opportunity to develop your understanding of how to make ideas, (no matter how small or great) happen and make it universally accessible for everyone.

Written by Gina Antwi (a 1st year student, London School of Economics and Political Sciences)

What an experience! Rumours had it, case studies spoke of it, that Google has the best offices in town offering the most innovative, exciting and inspiring places to get the creative juices flowing. But could this be true… I had to check for myself.

Lo! And behold, that opportunity came through the “Google Top Black Talent” event kindly hosted by Google UK in collaboration with the ACS Project. This was a great opportunity, not only to view Google’s London offices, but to understand what makes Google tick, meet and network with brilliant minds from all over the UK and interact with the Googlers who wanted to share their exciting experience of working at Google.

The atmosphere was relaxed and no specific dress code applied although majority wore casual clothes and what they felt comfortable in. We were welcomed enthusiastically from the entrance right into the room where our opening talks were held.

I had tea and biscuits as I prepared myself for the welcome talk by Adrian Joseph (Managing director for Search, UK and Ireland and Executive sponsor for GTBT). He focused on the mission statement of Google, “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful” and the challenges that this brought.

Our next speaker, Ade Oshineye (Developer Advocate, Google+) gave us a glimpse of the exciting new toys at Google. His first question, “how many computers does Google have?” rattled many (the answer is ONE+ lots and lots of servers). He then went on to speak on cloud computing, mobile technology, android and gave some examples of Google’s latest products such as Google wallet, Google+, the self driving car, and Google goggles.

Alison Kanabe, our third speaker, defined the term “Googliness”. It can be described as the unique characteristics and passion of an individual which makes them come up with creative ideas and innovative solutions. From the behaviour, morale, dress code, and culture, it was evident that everyone I met had something Googley about them.

Next on the agenda was the eagerly anticipated office tour and lunch. The googlers took us around on a tour of the offices. They were pristine, comfortable and exciting. From giant android phones, massive Google Earth gadget to massage rooms and gyms, every floor had a unique feel to it. Lunch was amazing, each floor had a themed restaurant, there was a bicycle fruit blender and the food was mouth-watering and free – breakfast, lunch and dinner.

After we had eaten, we had two streams of hands-on workshops – android challenge for tech-minded people and business challenge for non-tech people. I took part in the business challenge working within creative labs. We were subdivided into smaller groups and given a brief to create an idea that uses Google’s APIs to tackle current issues. This task made me realise the vast scope of innovation still to come and the invaluable resource of the Google toolbox. Some ideas that sprung up tackled issues from unemployment, media to education. We had the opportunity to provide feedback on each other’s ideas which was very useful.

Our next session was on CV prep and interview advice. This session emphasized the point of having a good understanding of Google and finding out if our goals aligned with Google’s mission. We were encouraged to discover and highlight that unique feature which will make us into future Googlers. We then listened to a recent intern at Google and he shared with us his experience of working at Google in the summer.

Coming to the end of the day, Adrian Joseph concluded the day by throwing back questions at us on our experiences, Google and the future of the technology industry. He thanked us for our attendance and wished us luck with our applications. We then had a networking reception with Googlers from different tech and non-tech specialities. It was interesting and exciting discovering the diverse range of roles available within Google and every person I met had a clear enthusiasm about their job.

And did Google live up to all the hype and my expectations? – It surely did and even surpassed them. One major take home message for me was that once you have the Googliness within you, the possibilities are endless…..

Written by Chike Eduputa (Masters student, Imperial College London)

We find ourselves, at this point of our lives, in search of answers. That is, us university students who seek, simply, to turn the theory learnt into a tangible career. The transition, however, is not so simple. We have questions, doubts and perhaps fears to contend with. Often, a career in the financial hub that is the city seems impossible for many of us. However, the Success in ‘the City’ event held by Goldman Sachs on the 21st of November 2011 did leave quite a few spirits lifted.

The event opened up the idea of possibilities. Students attending came from as near as London and as far as Edinburgh but the purpose was universal. We all wanted to know how to succeed in the dynamism of the city’s square mile not only for a summer internship but to remain there and shape, consequently, a career there.

We learned from the very enthusiastic and engaging Rebecca Vine from Goldman Sachs on how to make a first impression that sticks. Charting her own experiences, Rebecca introduced the room to the basics of networking, she then revealed the anatomy of such an exchange looking at both parties and issue that may prevent one making a good impression. The session ended with us putting those skills to test getting dynamic feedback from our networking partners.

The session led to a bird’s eye look at the Goldman Sachs corporate offerings spearheaded by Kunal Shah from Securities. This allowed most of us determine our best fit in the wider picture that is Goldman Sachs. An honest session on how to differentiate your self from the rest followed. Elaine Cole, from the Human Capital Management Division, spoke to the room about the Goldman Sachs application process and note common mistakes made by applicants. She urged honesty in completing the form and, perhaps most importantly, cautioned against spelling errors. Alongside her on the podium, Brian Robinson from Securities, who gave a very frank talk on interview skills and, particularly, on the importance of commercial awareness when attending interviews. He also added on to Rebecca Vine’s earlier message on making a lasting impression and stating that demonstrating strong research when asking questions can make you stand out.

Next was a panel discussion with representatives from Securities, Global Investment Research, Investment banking, Operations and Technology. The panellist gave students a good idea of their responsibilities day-to-day as well as their academic backgrounds, which were wide and varied. The last session of the day gave students a glimpse in the banks philanthropic investment delivered by Lisa McDougall from the bank’s Office of Corporate Engagement.

The event ended on a high note with students, markedly, using their newly acquired skills to network with members of the Goldman Sachs’ family, to ask questions where need be and perhaps most importantly to learn that they too asked the same questions once.

Written by M. Shabaya (a 2^nd year Economics students at the University of Durham)

So we all think that Google is the most amazing search engine on earth, a part of everyday life and even our lifeline when we’re lost (Google maps). If you don’t feel that way I certainly do so imagine how surreal I felt walking into Google’s London office.

The weather was perfect for such a life-changing meeting. Google made a great first impression with our high security passes and goodie bags, who wouldn’t love that. We then went in and started the day with an introduction from Adrian Joseph who gave a tantalising taster as to what the day would be like. We had talks on a variety of perspectives ‘toolbox’ to the benefits of working at Google. What struck me most during those talks was the emphasis Google places upon doing the right thing.

The next part of the day was without doubt very exciting. The tour of Google’s office brought ooh’s and ahh’s from all attendees because it is certainly a unique environment within which to work. From the free food (including ice-cream and popcorn and TGIF) to the gym to all the gadgets to play with, it was clear that working at Google is an exceptional environment where ideas are bred and people have freedom to affect change. It is rare to find a company which places so much importance on the happiness of its employees and it is clear Google goes beyond what is standard.

Another highlight of the day was the challenges posed during the programming and business workshops. It gave us a chance to gain an insight into the type of work Googlers partake in on a daily basis. It gave the students a chance to reveal creativity as they came up with interesting ways to tackle problems.

We then had a session on recruitment and how to start a career at Google, which everybody was certainly excited about at that point. Matthew Sealy was fantastic at breaking down the essential requirements for a cover letter and answering questions after.

Adrian Joseph ended the talks for the day piecing together everyone’s experience and then we had a networking reception where we were able to speak to Googlers who were able to share their insight and gave deeper knowledge in the relevant areas attendees were interested in. We spoke to trainees who were certainly aware of how lucky they were to be in their jobs

The Google experience is most certainly a whole new world and I feel lucky to have experienced it. From the office design to the breakfast, lunch and dinner experience and most especially the opportunity to affect change, Google is ‘the dream’!

Written by A. Adelakun (a 3rd year law student, University of Aberdeen)

The warm smiles on arrival were enough to make up for the chilly November morning, and immediately I knew that the trip to Google’s London offices was going to be worth it.

Adrian Joseph, Managing director for Search, UK and Ireland at Google, welcomed us all to the event. We listened to the Executive sponsor of Google Top Black Talent as he told his personal story and I felt privileged to be in the room brimming with so many interesting and bright people. By the end of Mr Joseph’s welcome it was clear that there is much more to a Googler (Google employee) than technical know-how, and he stood as testament to the fact that if we work hard there is hope that an innovative company such as Google will spot our potential.

Google+ Developer Advocate, Ade Oshineye, was next to take to the lectern and address rows of eager faces. With the help of a short slide presentation Ade spoke of ‘Google’s Toolbox’, explaining how Google goes about its mission to “organize the world‘s information and make it universally accessible and useful”.

‘Friendly yet focused’ was the style of the presentation, and the sporadic use of open questions such as, ‘how many computers do you think there are in Google offices?’*, made the presentation interactive and fun. There was one question which really stuck in my mind though, and it became a recurring theme for me, underpinning the rest of my day; ‘do you know what is meant by subtext?’

There seemed to be ‘subtext’ everywhere from the kitchenettes fully stocked with both healthy and ‘comfort’ foods to the gyms, beanbags and massage rooms. An office like no-other, full of fun and perks on the surface, but the subtext speaks volumes about the recognition of value in each individual Googler and the ethos of ensuring that all employees are as happy and as healthy as possible.

Next Alison Kanabe spoke to us about her role as Head of Employee Benefits EMEA at Google, and she also explained the concept of ‘Googliness’. Googliness is the Google equivalent of ‘the force’ to a Jedi; it’s an aura which seems to surround everybody in the office and is no doubt maintained by 20%-time. Each employee at Google is allowed 20% of their time to dedicate to their own projects away from their usual contractual duties within the company. I thought this was a fantastic way of keeping staff motivated by encouraging innovation and part of the reason that Google stands apart from the rest.

The office tour and ‘Lunch and Learn’ gave us a unique opportunity to speak directly with a Googler and to ask any questions we wanted whilst enjoying a range of food including sushi, fresh fruit and veg and ice cream.

I was ushered back across the road with the rest of the Business students after lunch, ready to take-on the ‘Business Challenge’. We found that chairs had been arranged into three large circles, each with a flipchart and easel.

The afternoon workshop was led by Simon Morrison, Copyright Communications and Policy Manager; his dulcet Caribbean tones evidence of the diversity of culture and backgrounds at Google.

Anthony, a Manager of Public Policy and Communications sat with our sub-group of Business students. Our ‘team’ soon became engrossed in anecdotes from the PR department and issues of Privacy with which Anthony is also concerned in his dualistic role at Google. The flipchart became obsolete as the group launched into a dynamic discussion over issues of Public Policy and what we would do in situations faced by the PR team.

The session on CV Prep and Interview Advice given to us by Google Recruiter Matthew Sealy was invaluable; from how to set a CV-out to be clear and reader-friendly to CV ‘do’s and don’ts’, I genuinely felt better prepared to present my résumé to perspective employers afterwards. Similarly, the address by QMUL student Farouk Umar, who was lucky enough to intern at Google last summer, gave us great insight as to what it would be like to be a part of the dynamic Google office.

The careers hangout and networking reception was a fitting and informal way to end the day’s events and provided yet another opportunity to meet Googlers from all departments in the company. Whatever the interests or specialities of those selected for the Top Black Talent programme, there is definitely something for everyone to be found in a brilliant day at Google.

Written by H. Palmer (Masters student, University of Edinburgh)

*A: As many employees as Google has!