Do you need a PhD to work at Google?

Doing a Ph.D. simply does not train you in professional software development skills, and that is (primarily) what a Google interview tests for. Undergrads, paradoxically, often do better because (a) they may have done internships at companies writing code, and (b) have practiced for this style of interview in the past.

Should I get a PhD or a Masters degree?

We know that graduate school requires time, money and commitment for both Masters and a PhD. So, which should you choose? Masters degrees tend to be more career-oriented. While PhD’s tend to be more focused on research since they are preparing people for research-oriented careers or in academia.

What happens to PhDs who never get a job in business?

But nothing happens. In fact, the number of PhDs who will have a business job at or soon after graduation is below 40\%. And the number of Life Sciences PhDs who will have a business job at graduation is below 20\%. The truth is most PhDs will never get a job in business even though they’re doing all the right things.

Can I build software with a PhD degree?

Unfortunately, most PhD students do internships at research labs, which may or may not provide much opportunity to build production-quality software. If you’re interviewing at Google, bone up on your basic algorithms and data structures.

Is the Google interview process harder or easier than other companies?

The Google interview process is rather slower and more bureaucratic than the Microsoft or Amazon processes. It also generally produces less variance in result quality, though that does not mean that the bar is higher, just that it has fewer failure modes. So, I would not say that any are harder or easier.

What is the hiring process like at Google?

The hiring process is calibrated to bring in smart, passionate people. Google has honed the recruitment and interview process over the years. The brain teaser questions are long gone. Nowadays candidates are chosen based on coding ability, technical knowledge, and Googleyness.

Do PhD students do worse on coding interviews?

Ph.D. students often tend to do worse on coding interviews than, say, bachelors’ or masters’ level candidates. Why? Doing a Ph.D. simply does not train you in professional software development skills, and that is (primarily) what a Google interview tests for.