Representatives from Google spoke to students about innovation during an event in Gleason Performing Arts Center at noon on Sep. 25.
Rahul Chaturvedi and Kim Day both spoke about their respective roles at the company during the Google event.
Day earned an internship with Google during the after her Junior year at Florida Tech, and was hired full-time after graduating in 2014, and she was able to meet with students after the event and have one-on-one discussions for a short time.
In a presentation titled “Google Cultures and Opportunities,” she outlined her experience working for Google and how Florida Tech students can get involved.
There are certain qualities that Google looks for in hiring employees, she said.
“We’re looking for people who want to come in and make an impact right away but also want to continue working toward their goals long-term,” Day said.
During the interview process, Google representatives will assess a candidate’s leadership skills, role-related knowledge, and less tangibly their, ‘Googleyness.’
But what is Googleyness?
Googleyness is what drives Google employees to find creative solutions to problems, she said. “At Google, we aim high, not just 10 percent more, but 10 times higher.”
She provided examples of real Google employees showcasing their Googleyness in day-to-day tasks at the company.
“It may sound nuts, but it’s often easier to make progress on mega-ambitious goals than less-risky projects,” Google employee Larry Page said this year, on one of the slideshows in the slideshows in the presentation.
Google started as a plan to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible. Day shared a closer look at some initiatives the company has undertaken to make that dream a reality.
“Project Loon,” for example, is a plan to bring the internet to rural areas using a network of high-altitude balloons. “I’m interested in seeing how far it will go — hopefully up, but not too far up,” Day said.
Many other projects have been born out of the company’s unique culture and the Googleyness attitude, such as Google Cardboard and project Tap-and-Go.
At google.com/careers/students, students can learn more about what it takes to earn a spot at Google.
In the other half of the event. Chaturvedi, spoke extensively about changes to the Android operating system, emphasizing parts of code that will change users’ experiences with their devices.
All of Android’s software is written in Java. Java is more standard, more accessible, “And we wanted to provide that for the interface for all application programs,” Chaturvedi said.
A considerable amount of the Java coding for Android is done on computers running Linux, as the creative possibilities are vast due to the high level of control and freedoms it affords users.
He also outlined Android’s aggressive power management policy. Most mobile devices use a concept of “If nobody’s using me, I’ll turn off,” for their apps. On Android, Chaturvedi said, it’s much different.
Instead, being asleep is set as the default behavior, so applications will say “I’ll only wake up if somebody needs me.”
However, “Sleep mode is different for each device,” he explained in answer to an audience question.
This is a vastly different approach from how Android has been operating up until now.
Students interested in applying for an internship should visit google.com/careers/students, where they can upload a resume and transcript (unofficial transcripts are accepted.)
Internships are offered for both summer and winter, with deadlines quickly approaching.
Students can expect two to three phone interviews, three to four on-site interviews and committee interviews before a job or internship offer.
