Comments on: Do Not Ever Apply For A Job At Google

By: lawyergay

lawyergay — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:31:13 +0000

I worked for a couple of years as a recruiter for a hedge fund, and we had to ask stupid shit like this. "What's one percent of one million?" was a typical go-to question. When we took references, the final question we asked was always, "Would you describe the candidate as a 'superstar'?"

By: lawyergay

lawyergay — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:27:20 +0000

Ha!

By: My Number Is My Address

My Number Is My Address — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:17:49 +0000

I thought it was a sweep for "Fucked if I know."

By: slinkimalinki

slinkimalinki — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:38:06 +0000

most of those questions can be answered with the word "shitloads".

By: DorothyMantooth

DorothyMantooth — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:01:30 +0000

Whoa! I am totally hiring riotnrrd for my imaginary venture!

By: HiredGoons

HiredGoons — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:49:35 +0000

The bread is stale.

By: emceegee

emceegee — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:42:58 +0000

I went through the whole interview process at google and it was in many ways off-putting but also quite a hoot!

and, back then, free lunch. yum.

By: mathnet

mathnet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:39:10 +0000

I feel mild vindication–thank you!

By: DorothyMantooth

DorothyMantooth — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:32:06 +0000

Now is the time in this blender when we dance.

By: riotnrrd

riotnrrd — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:24:48 +0000

"itâ€™s the only shape that wonâ€™t fall in on itself"

That's the common answer (and probably what Google are looking for) but it's not correct! With a sufficiently wide "lip", any reasonably shaped manhole cover can be made to not fall in on itself. For example, in Japan lots of manhole covers are square. I've seen triangular-ish (specifically, a Reuleaux triangle) manhole covers in Austria.

The reason why manhole covers are round is that the hole they're covering is round. To be less tautological: the extruded shape that is strongest under compression is a cylinder; so vertical access tunnels will generally be cylindrical. Thus, it makes sense to have a cover that is closest to this shape, i.e. round.

In short: eat me, google.

By: Choire

Choire — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:13:53 +0000

Oh it sure does. Bully for you.

By: brilliantmistake

brilliantmistake — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:07:33 +0000

Cheer up, stupids. There's still hope "Clever Fools: Why a High IQ Doesn't Mean You're Smart" http://tiny.cc/Prcsm

By: Bittersweet

Bittersweet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:00:21 +0000

These questions are exactly like the standard McKinsey management consulting interview, only maybe harder. Does this mean the Googlers are even bigger assholes than McKinsey-ites? Cause, you know, wow.

By: kitten_witawip

kitten_witawip — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:37:19 +0000

"You must write the question on a card which and give it to Eve who will take the card to Bob and return the answer to you."

Is a "card which" something like a sandwich?

By: mathnet

mathnet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:37:09 +0000

Wait, what? When the manhole's closed, it has to fit flush with the street so people can drive over it and girls who are texting won't fall in, right?

By: NotAndersonCooper

NotAndersonCooper — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:33:56 +0000

If the hole is round, you can any shape for the cover as long as its minimum dimension exceeds the diameter on the hole.

By: kitten_witawip

kitten_witawip — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:32:03 +0000

You mean they don't already have a boiler plate contract for that?

By: mathnet

mathnet — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:29:32 +0000

I think it's the perpendicular planes scenario I'm having trouble with. I mean, I don't really see how/why that would happen–a manhole cover resting somehow in a position perpendicular to the street? I mean when a manhole is open (in the movies!), the cover is laid to rest on the same plane as the street, right, just pushed aside? So I can't understand why that would be the determining factor in their design.

Also, HEH

By: HiredGoons

HiredGoons — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:26:12 +0000

Heh, falling into man-holes, aeh.

I AM A MATURE ADULT!!!

By: Baboleen

Baboleen — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:26:00 +0000

YOU'RE HIRED!!!

By: giovanni

giovanni — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:25:54 +0000

My immediate thought was "stand on tippy toes to get it over with as soon as possible." In fact, all my answers to employer questions usually involve suicide.

By: garge

garge — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:18:54 +0000

This is giving me PTSD flashbacks of past job interviews. I once had a 2.5 hour behavioral-question-style interview for a position that was basically a remedial task sweatshop (Frederick Taylor-style benchmarks), with a hands-on practical component. It concluded with having to show my "portfolio," which demonstrated dexterity ability, to a department of 35 people.

Also, this was a part-time job.

By: Mary HK Choi

Mary HK Choi — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:18:45 +0000

it's the only shape that won't fall in on itself. like if a manhole cover was any other shape you can turn it a bit and make it fall in the manhole. not so with circles.

By: h_bee

h_bee — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:17:54 +0000

True. At least I'm not alone in my obsolescence.

But… fact about me vs. Google! I once hit a line drive straight at their pitcher's kneecap in a heated game of corporate league softball. That has some value, I think.

By: Tuna Surprise

Tuna Surprise — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:16:51 +0000

I SERGEY BRIN in consideration of Ten Dollars ($10.00) and other good and valuable consideration paid to Sergey Brin by SATAN a/k/a PRINCE OF DARKNESS a/k/a LUCIFER a/k/a BEELZEBUB, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, hereby sells, conveys, assigns, transfers, delivers and sets over to Satan, my soul.