Karan: Interview tips from a hiring manager

Hi, I'm Karan.
I'm a security engineering manager here at Google.
As part of my job, I do participate in hiring candidates.
And so far I've spoken to like hundreds of candidates, potential candidates, people who actually got into Google.
Almost every time I meet somebody, I get to see a new path.
And that's always fascinating for me to learn about somebody else.
One thing I'm seeing very interestingly is the increase in the number of people who come from non-technical backgrounds.
So that can be recruiting, sales, like you name it, we're seeing a ton of people.
So, for preparing for interviews, I think you can break down that question into technical preparation and non-technical preparation.
And so for technical preparation, I advise people to build up on, you know networking fundamentals, information security fundamentals, get all those concepts right, so you understand how things work, how are they related, and all of that.
Make sure you ask clarifying questions to get to the root of the problem and what the interviewer wants from you.
A lot of people just dive into the problem without really clarifying.
If you don't know something, don't be afraid to say, "I don't know" and say, but here's how I would approach the problem.
For the non-technical pieces, I think practice with a friend, have an interview partner, and see how you respond.
See where you fumble, and be kind to yourself as you're doing that.
Focus on bringing your whole self to the interview.
So that means showcasing how you'll work with a team.
Bring up examples of projects you have done with others, how you have led those projects?
Have you done open-source collaborations?
A lot of these soft skills, if I may put them as are super crucial even when you're solving a security problem.
So those are some key aspects that we're looking for when we are interviewing for roles.
For new folks in the industry, the main thing we would be looking for is curiosity.
Personally speaking, I look for people who have drive, who are very driven to learn more about the field, they may not know everything and we know that, but we want to make sure that they are asking the right questions and getting through the problem by working with others.
So, if you get an answer like, I don't know, but I'll figure it out, and here's how, that's amazing.
Also, I'll say don't be afraid of rejection, because it takes time to find your first role.
It took me hundreds of applications to find my first job.
And then don't be afraid to apply even if you don't meet all the required or preferred qualifications, just look at the minimum qualifications.
And if you do pass that, you know, it doesn't hurt to apply.
So, please keep applying.