Google Mini Interview

My friend submitted my resume and I soon got an e-mail from one of their recruiters. Today I had an interview with her and had the following questions asked:

Please rate the following from:

1-3 I have read and studied it, but wouldn't feel comfortable using it
4-6 I feel comfortable using it in my routine work
7-9 I could teach others
10 I'm an industry expert in this topic

Then she asked me to rate things like C, C++, Java, SQL, Python, Shell coding, Linux-specific coding, UNIX-specific coding, Mac-specific coding, testing web sites, and writing automation.

Finally, based on those results she asked me:

C++
1. How would you go about removing an array that was created with the new operator from memory?

Java
2. What is the difference between a string and a string buffer?

General Coding
3. What is the average runtime for the quicksort and what is its worst runtime?


I'll find out if I get an interview within a week or so!

#1: Applying to Google

Today I started with applying to Google as a Associate Product Manager - New Grad for Seattle/Kirkland. Here is the job description:

Positions are based in Mountain View, CA, Kirkland, WA and New York, NY. Do you want to design the next Google product? Google's Product Management team is looking for talented, ambitious, self-motivated technologists to guide our products from conception to launch. If you have a proven track record of excellence, we have several projects waiting for you! As an APM you will be given great responsibility--GMail, Google Maps, and Google Desktop were all developed by APMs!--and generous access to resources within Google to grow both personally and professionally. The APM role is designed to help new Product Managers develop leadership experience in a variety of Google's product areas, and is intended for candidates with up to three years of job experience. Responsibilities: Understanding and analyzing user needs. Helping to define a product vision and strategy. Working with world-class engineers to build and launch new features. Requirements: BA/BS in Computer Science or related technical field (MS a plus). Passion for new technologies. Excellent written and oral communication skills. Strong organizational and analytical skills. Strong technical abilities. Demonstrated capacity for developing and understanding strategy.

After filling out the page, I received the following message: Thank you for applying to Google. You will receive an automated email confirmation message within 24 hours. A recruiter will review your resume and contact you if we think you might be a match for a position at Google.

I'm crossing my fingers!

Applying for jobs

My fiance Steve accepted his offer at Microsoft. So I'll be moving to Washington in May, and I'm looking for a job.

There are other great companies in the Seattle/Redmond area. The ones I think I will apply to first are:

• Google
  
• Amazon
  
• Adobe
  
• Expedia
  
• Volt (Microsoft contracting company)
  
• Nintendo
  

From there, I'll check out various game companies. GamaSutra came up with quite a few. I've highlighted the ones I'm looking at. I'm sure that will change and I will add more companies as I research the rest of the companies.

Amaze Entertainment	Kirkland, WA	Monolith Productions	Kirkland, WA
Anglerfish Studios	Sammamish, WA	Moulder Consulting	Redmond, WA
Astryde	Kirkland, WA	NeoSpawn Games	Burlington, WA
Big Fish Games	Seattle, WA	Nightlight Studios	Seattle, WA
BlackAngel Software	Tacoma, WA	NINTENDO OF AMERICA, INC.	Redmond, WA
Bungie Software	Redmond, WA	Orasund	Snohomish, WA
Cat Daddy Games	Bellevue, WA	Paganimation	Redmond, WA
Cavedog	Woodinville, WA	PixelSoft Films	Kennewick, WA
CSForest	Bothell, WA	PopCap Games	Seattle, WA
cutopia.net	Redmond, WA	Primate Games, LLC	Renton, WA
Cyan	Mead, WA	Quardev Laboratories	Seattle, WA
Dadgum Games	Issaquah, WA	Reaxion Corp.	Seattle, WA
Digitalfix Studios	Issaquah, WA	Remcycle	Seattle, WA
Englobe Inc.	Renton, WA	Saint MediaWorks	Redmond, WA
GameHouse	Seattle, WA	Sierra Inc.	Bellevue, WA
GameWarlords/Planet Zio Entertainment	Redmond, WA	SkewSound	Longview, WA
Gas Powered Games	Seattle, WA	Soni-Fi LLC	Seattle, WA
HeartRate Games, Inc.	Bellevue, WA	Sucker Punch Productions	Bellevue, WA
HipSoft LLC	Redmond, WA	Superempire Interactive Inc	Bellevue, WA
Humongous Entertainment	Woodinville, WA	Surreal Software	Seattle, WA
Jason Robar Consulting	Issaquah, WA	Testing Testing 123	Redmond, WA
Kissing Gravy Productions	Seattle, WA	Tooned In, Inc.	Seattle, WA
Know Wonder Digital Mediaworks	Kirkland, WA	Trailer Park Software Inc.	Renton, WA
Leviathan Games, Inc	Seattle, WA	Valve	Kirkland, WA
Lifesim	Redmond, WA	VMC - Volt Management Consulting	Redmond, WA
Liquid Burns Studios	spokane, wa	Waverage	Everett, WA
Liquid Moon America, LLC	Bellevue, WA	Wildfire Games	Edwall, WA
Louis S. Carrozzi	Seattle, WA	WildTangent	Redmond, WA
MetaGear	Vancouver, WA	WXP	Seattle, WA
Metaworx Software	Vancouver, WA	Zipper Interactive	Redmond, WA
Microsoft Corporation	Redmond, WA

Possible Job Switch?

I was all prepared to jump right back in to Outlook for the third time this summer. Then, two days ago the GM of Frontpage messaged me and asked me to work for him this summer instead of Outlook.

I was a little shocked and flattered, to say the least!

I don't really know anything about the project for Sharepoint they want me to work on, nor do I know anything about the Outlook project. I'm a little worried about just abandoning my old group. A) I love the group. I love the people, and I love the job. B) They only have 4 interns, and they'd be losing 1.

So, I've got some things to think about...

Class Petitions

Today I found out that my work in my Game Dev class, ArtIS 409X is being counted as an engineering course!! That means I get to replace 3 credits on my schedule with another class.

I am still working to substitute my internship with IBM this semester for my final semester in Senior Design, since they're practically the same thing. I have to write documentation on what I did this semester and present it to them before they'll allow it.

Microsoft Ambassador

Today I got an e-mail from Microsoft about the Student Ambassador award I applied for! They want to set up a phone interview with me next week about me and my activities on campus and community.

I'm looking forward to it. I hope I can provide my campus with more of a Microsoft presence.

MentorNet Post

I got a call a couple of weeks ago from a woman at MentorNet, saying that the essay I'd entered in their essay contest peaked their interest and they wanted to interview me. She called me last week and asked me a bunch of questions for half an hour. She also called my mentor, Marie Wieck from IBm.

Here's the fruits of that conversation: http://www.mentornet.net/news/2005/maynews2.aspx

Daniel T, the "Human Computer"

I was watching the Science Channel on TV today and they were featuring this guy called Daniel T. He sees numbers as objects and landscapes in his mind and can do incredible things with them. He can memorize a language in a week and the positions of an entire chess board in a matter of minutes.

The whole show was basically about seeing how he thinks and testing him, and he passed every test they gave him. They made him learn Icelandic, which he did. They also made him position pieces of a chess board after memorizing their positions for 5 minutes. They made him use play-dough to display the shapes in his mind, and tested his mathematical skills by asking him if something was prime or not or asking him to figure out what x^y was. The most crazy thing of all, in my opinion, was asking him to speak out 20,000 characters of Pi. And, he did! He sat there for five and a half hours and did it, and didn't mess up once!

So the guy is a flat-out genius. They had a name for him, and I can't remember now.

Very cool. If he wasn't in England I'd see if I could meet him!