The path to Google of a former Ams student

Amidst a challenging tech job market in the US, 23-year-old Bui Quang Huy secured a position at Google thanks to his early experience.

Huy officially joined the software engineering team, Search Experience department, at Google, USA, in February. This is one of Google's prominent departments, which owns the search toolbar that received over 84 billion visits in 2023.

Huy's job is to develop software and features that make the search process easier and more enjoyable. Prior to this, he had also received job offers from several large companies, such as ServiceNow.

According to Huy, to convince recruiters, setting long-term plans and preparing early is crucial. At companies like Google, reaching the interview stage is the result of a long and arduous process. Huy has accumulated experience working on numerous large and small projects over more than four years to demonstrate that he is a suitable candidate.

"Opportunities can come at any time, so I proactively hone my skills and accumulate experience, preparing myself to seize them when the opportunity arises," he said.

Quang Huy on his graduation day from the University of Miami, USA. Photo: Provided by the subject.

Quang Huy has been passionate about technology since high school. The student from the specialized Math class 1 at Hanoi - Amsterdam High School has participated in numerous science competitions. Huy's most notable achievement is winning first prize at the ASEAN+3 Odyssey Science Camp for teenagers from 13 countries, organized by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Vietnam in 2017.

Huy later studied in the US, pursuing a major in Computer Science at the University of Miami and earning a degree in 3.5 years with a GPA of over 3.7/4. During this time, to satisfy his passion, Huy participated in many programming competitions. He twice participated in HackOHI/O, the largest annual hackathon in Ohio.

Quang Huy also got accepted as a Google intern, his first time in his second year. According to Huy, Google's recruitment standards are very strict, with multiple selection rounds, from resumes and professional assessments to interviews.

"To catch their eye, my resume has to be outstanding and meet their criteria," Huy said, noting that Google doesn't care whether a candidate has worked at a large or small company, but values ​​their contributions and understanding of technology.

Huy shared his experience interning at Rakuna, a software startup supporting recruitment, while studying online in Vietnam due to Covid-19. Besides the experience gained from directly programming new applications, Huy also demonstrated his unwavering dedication and willingness to learn, even during challenging times.

Next came two rounds of professional programming interviews. Huy considered these to be the most challenging rounds, as the technology and programming knowledge tested wasn't limited to school curricula but was highly practical, requiring candidates to learn and practice extensively on their own.

First, the company gave Huy two programming assignments, requiring him to complete them within an hour and submit his solutions through a self-scoring platform. After achieving the required score, he was interviewed twice by phone, receiving in-depth questions about programming. Not only did he answer questions about data structures and algorithms, but Quang Huy also asked questions in return to the recruiters.

"When faced with a problem, I couldn't think of a specific solution for the first 30 seconds. Instead of continuing to think, I said I had 3-4 possible approaches and asked if they could suggest which direction I should consider next, thereby opening up the knowledge needed to arrive at the solution," he recalled.

Huy devised this "strategy" after researching Google's selection criteria, which include communication and teamwork skills.

He was then asked more detailed questions about workplace conduct. For example: Tell me about a time you encountered difficulties on a project and how you overcame them; Have you ever disagreed with a colleague?; How did you handle new technology and how did you adapt?... Having served as the deputy secretary of the Youth Union and head of the organizing committee for the 2018 Talent Showcase, one of the school's most prominent activities, Huy had no trouble with these questions.

This was also a situation Huy encountered during his early internship. He was assigned a project with incomplete details and requirements, and the person responsible for product design had just left. Huy immediately started researching on his own, devising ways to program the parts that weren't clearly described, and proactively meeting with colleagues to seek feedback. Afterward, he presented a highly generalized data system design that could be easily expanded as more details about the project requirements became available. The final product met all requirements and was successfully tested.

At the end of 2022, Huy completed his first internship at Google, right when American tech companies were laying off employees en masse and tightening hiring, even for interns. However, with thorough preparation, he succeeded once again. In his second internship, the display language conversion product that Huy helped program was officially launched.

Huy on the grounds of Google headquarters in the US. Photo: Provided by the subject .

Graduating during a challenging job market, Huy realized that no job or company was "unsatisfactory." The reason is that the technology industry in the US has many different areas and fields.

According to Huy, building professional relationships is crucial. Getting letters of recommendation from acquaintances working at the companies he's applying to is how Huy has repeatedly made it to the interview stage. "Distributing applications" is also a strategy Huy employs. He gives the example that if the average acceptance rate for the application screening is 2%, it means an applicant would have to apply to around 50 places to have a good chance of even getting an interview.

Mr. To Duc Thien, the technology director of Rakuna Company, was particularly impressed with the intern a few years ago. According to him, Huy was careful, diligent, ambitious, and had a deep way of thinking.

"Huy not only excels technically but also has strong organizational skills, knows how to connect, collaborate, and support others. Even though his internship ended a long time ago, he's always been dedicated to helping with tasks at his former company," he said.

Joining a leading global technology corporation, Huy realized he still had areas for improvement. He set a goal to learn more about technology in general, search engines in particular, and to continue developing his programming skills.

"I will observe and learn about the working style here. I hope that in the future I can bring that knowledge back to work at domestic companies or my own company," Huy shared.

Phuong Anh

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