Reading “The Google Story” in November 2008 made me value education more, feel the power of technology in a new way and improved my business sense.
Never did I imagine that I would be working at the world’s largest internet company in a few months. The experience was amazing as expected but 5 things stood out for me during my internship at Google Zurich and I list them below:
1. The People:
Googlers - as they are called - are mostly exceptionally talented and experienced people with a knack for solving problems. But more interesting is the fact that they were very approachable. It didn’t matter what Google office they worked at or what their background was, they were almost always willing to teach, share and help out in any way possible. That was the most incredible revelation I had there.
Never did I imagine that I would be working at the world’s largest internet company in a few months. The experience was amazing as expected but 5 things stood out for me during my internship at Google Zurich and I list them below:
1. The People:
Googlers - as they are called - are mostly exceptionally talented and experienced people with a knack for solving problems. But more interesting is the fact that they were very approachable. It didn’t matter what Google office they worked at or what their background was, they were almost always willing to teach, share and help out in any way possible. That was the most incredible revelation I had there.
2. The Culture:
One word – Unconventional!!! It is definitely one of the few places where you can truly be yourself. No dress code, no fixed working hours, no unnecessary monitoring of how you carry out your work. All you’re required to do is be responsible and deliver! And yes, there is mutual respect between Googlers and no discrimination whatsoever. Even Interns get treated like full-timers.
3. Innovation:
Emphasis is place on innovation so there’s just no time for competition. Everyone sought out improved and more efficient ways of doing things. This kept me on my toes all through.
4. Organization:
Very well organized for a company its size. This was made possible by the work attitude of the employees who take on responsibility for things freely.
5. Welfare:
Well, the whole world knows that there is free food and drinks at Google. The fact that extra care is taken by the people and the company to ensure that you are well taken care of was great for me!
The downside is that after working at Google , it becomes a challenge working at other companies because of the difference in culture and values.
Now, what am I taking away from Google? 2 things – Mentorship and Collaboration.
I really liked the idea of having a manger who was assigned to oversee my work and provide me with overall mentorship. I was able to greatly tap into this opportunity especially towards the mid-part of my internship.
One word – Unconventional!!! It is definitely one of the few places where you can truly be yourself. No dress code, no fixed working hours, no unnecessary monitoring of how you carry out your work. All you’re required to do is be responsible and deliver! And yes, there is mutual respect between Googlers and no discrimination whatsoever. Even Interns get treated like full-timers.
3. Innovation:
Emphasis is place on innovation so there’s just no time for competition. Everyone sought out improved and more efficient ways of doing things. This kept me on my toes all through.
4. Organization:
Very well organized for a company its size. This was made possible by the work attitude of the employees who take on responsibility for things freely.
5. Welfare:
Well, the whole world knows that there is free food and drinks at Google. The fact that extra care is taken by the people and the company to ensure that you are well taken care of was great for me!
The downside is that after working at Google , it becomes a challenge working at other companies because of the difference in culture and values.
Now, what am I taking away from Google? 2 things – Mentorship and Collaboration.
I really liked the idea of having a manger who was assigned to oversee my work and provide me with overall mentorship. I was able to greatly tap into this opportunity especially towards the mid-part of my internship.
I have therefore decided therefore to launch a Student Mentorship Program at my University (Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria). The idea is to connect students in advanced levels with those who are pretty new in the system. The mentees would share similar academic and career goals with the mentors and they in turn must be capable of greatly influencing the mentees in those areas. It is my hope that this venture will bring out superstars who will build innovative solutions in Nigeria.
Secondly, collaboration was key to solving problems at Google. There was always sharing of ideas and information in decision making and in creating solutions to problems.
In the light of this, I intend to hold a bi-weekly Developer Forum where students who share similar career interests can come together, share information and teach others what they know in those areas. For instance, several Google technologies and tools are available for free on the internet such as Google open source code, sites, project hosting, app engine and more. People need to be aware of these opportunities.
A big thank you to those who made my time at Google count and to those who've worked hard to make it what it is today.
Thank you for reading!
If you have any ideas or comments concerning this article please feel free to email me at:
oduntanodubanjo@gmail.com or call me on +234 805 223 6096.
