Friday, November 29, 2019

How to Get a Job at Google - No Coding Required!

How to Get a Job at Google - No Coding RequiredHow to Get a Job at Google - No Coding RequiredAh, Google. A job-seekers fantasy. No.1 on Fortunes Best Companies to Work For list six different times. And so desirable that people spent $12 just to watch a bad movie about internships there.Too bad they only hire computer science majors, right? After all, the company was founded by two PhD computer scientists. And it has mora than 16,000 CS majors on staff.LinkedIn Recruiter data 12/18/15Dont tell that to the nearly 17,000 Googlers who majored in things like economics, political science, or even English literature.LinkedIn Recruiter data 12/18/15Wait a second. Who are these non-coding Google employees? And mora importantly, how did they get in without knowing how to code???To answer that question, lets look at five paths into Google that dont involve even a whiff of programming1. Youve got business skillsIt turns out that coding makes up just a part of all jobs at Google. Because as bril liant as Googles engineers are, they still need someone to manage their code, sell their code and protect their code. And thats where you, the experienced business professional, comes in.Lets say youve been a management consultant for a few years. Well, it turns out that Google needs you to help develop strategy for its new products.Or maybe youve been recruiting top talent yourself. In that case, a company growing as nahe daran sein as Google could definitely use your help on the HR front.No matter what youve done, chances are you can find a fit between your past experience and a business role at Google.To learn more about these different roles from BizDev to BizOps check out my free book on 12 tech jobs that dont require technical skills.2. Youre in schoolBut what if you dont have any skills yet because youre still in school?Dont sweat itGoogle actually has tons of internship opportunities for students still honing their skills. For instance, the BOLD program is specifically des igned for students who want to explore fields like absatzwirtschaft, sales and HR.3. You just graduatedUh-oh. Youre stuck in recent grad limbo. Too far along to get an internship (Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughans example, notlagewithstanding) but too inexperienced to land a regular job.Game over, right?Nope. Because, believe it or not, Google actually has special programs just for you.Want to explore a career in marketing? Try the Associate Product Marketing Manager Program.Is sales more your style? How about the Business Associate Program?Either way no experience, no problem.4. You know someone who knows someoneHow does Google stay sharp even when its grown from a tiny startup to the second-most valuable company in the world? By letting its current employees serve as a filter for future employees.Instead of just hiring a bunch of random people from the outside and hoping for the best, Google believes that one great hire will lead to another, so it puts incredible stock in referrals. So much so that Google interviews are 75 percent more likely to come from referrals than interviews at Apple, Amazon or Microsoft.But what if you dont know a current Googler? No worries. Just run this search on LinkedIn. Now you can find a friend of a friend who does work at Google. Once you do so, just have your friend make the introduction and ask for a referral.Its the quickest way in. And it doesnt require a single line of code just a little bit of social engineeringTo get more tips on networking in tech, download my free book on the 7 essential secrets of the tech job search.5. Youre desperateOK, but what if you dont know anyone who knows anyone? And youre not that experienced? And youre not even a student or recent grad???Your Google dream must surely be over.Not necessarily. Because the one thing that Google relies upon, more than anything else, to keep its business growing is a steady stream of new leads. Specifically, other businesses that might want to buy advertising fro m it. And so Google requires a steady stream of people to do the hard work of finding those leads.Thats where you come in. If youve got the tenacity to work the phones, set up meetings, and ultimately get results for the sales team, you could be just the sales development representative the company is looking for.Its not the most glamorous job but, just like working the mailroom in Hollywood, its a foot in the door. And sales development reps get to eat the exact same food and jump in the same ball pits as every other GooglerSo there you have it, five ways into the most desirable company in the world. And not a drop of code between them. Just a little hustle and ingenuity that would make Owen and Vince proudSearch Google jobsJeremy Schifeling is the CEO of Break into Tech, a site for anyone who wants to launch a tech career, regardless of background. Learn how Jeremy landed jobs at Apple and LinkedIn through his free, step-by-step course.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Turning down a high-paying job for lower-level role can be good

Turning down a high-paying job for lower-level role can be goodTurning down a high-paying job for lower-level role can be goodHave you ever turned down a high-paying job, and if so, why did you do it?It may sound counter-intuitive, but turning down a senior punkt for a lower-level role can benefit your career in the long-run.I know this from personal experience.There were promising options in front of me. I could have been recruited into director-level positions at a number of major pharmaceutical companies on my credentials alone. I even watched my peers step into upper management roles. But I decided to go another direction.I could have been recruited into director-level positions at a number of major pharmaceutical companies on my credentials alone. I watched my peers step into upper management roles. There were promising options in front of me, but I decided to go another direction.I stepped backwards.My background at this point welches in medicine, and I didnt have any family me mbers or mentors who could guide me in the business world. So rather than taking a high-level position at a corporate company, I decided to work in an environment that provided optimal learning opportunities. I accepted a manager role at a small startup- an entry-level position that offered one-third of the salary of the director roles.I learned more during those 18 months I spent in that job than I have in any position since.Most people arent crazy about starting near the bottom of the ladder after getting an advanced degree. I understand its not the route everyone wants to take, but it has some very real benefits.Heres when this trajectory makes senseWhen you dont know the mechanics of the businessIf you enter a company at a senior position, you can miss a lot of the low-level mechanics of how the business actually functions. This is the origin of your eventual limitations- the Peter Principle in the making.Some people may think youre overqualified in an entry-level position. Dont focus on that. Instead, work on being a complete sponge. Learn the startups inner workings better than people at the most senior level. And in doing so, youll set yourself up for success later on.My entry-level role was at a typical lean startup without adequate legal resources, so part of my job was navigating contracts and agreements. When I first looked at one of the agreements, I was shocked. Every word of it was English, but I couldnt understand a single sentence. Id never seen anything like it, and I had no idea what I was doing.But all that time working with legal documents paid off, because today, I can read them nearly at the level of an attorney. Thats extremely helpful, because much of my current role as CEO revolves around managing legal agreements and contracts.If you dont know the basics of a business, get close to the low-level work. Perform under-appreciated, but necessary, tasks. I guarantee it will benefit you in some way later on.When you want a broad scope of wo rkSenior positions typically have narrowly-defined functions. In big pharmaceutical companies, these roles tend to be analysts, sourcers, or negotiators.In a smaller company- like the startup where I began- every position is more generalized. And its the same with entry-level positions at a bigger company.For these roles, you need to perform as an all-around athlete. Rather than being an expert in a particular field, you have to be a quick learner who is adaptable and multi-faceted. That means you naturally get a chance to perform a broad scope of workMy first company didnt have the resources to hire specialists for every task. So I had an opportunity to dip my toe into a number of different areas. I wasnt immediately pigeonholed into a very narrow component of business development.The range of knowledge I learned in that first position is still paying dividends today.When you want to meet your highest potentialTheres a concept in management called the Peter Principle. It states tha t people in a hierarchy rise to the level of their incompetence. Put simply, a good employee will be promoted based on their past success, no matter the role. Eventually, they reach a level at which they can no longer perform competently because their skills dont necessarily translate from one position to the next.Entry-level and mid-level positions are where you establish the building blocks to thrive in your career. As you move from rung to rung, you broaden your skill set, establish important relationships, and expand your areas of knowledge.When you spend time building your base of knowledge in a measured manner, youre less likely to be thrust into a position where the Peter Principle comes into play.Ive seen many people land narrowly-defined senior positions, where a lot is at stake, simply by getting lucky or having superior interviewing skills. I certainly dont fault them for taking those positions. But I do caution young professionals that a meteoric rise based on a thin lay er of expertise is often followed by a similarly rapid fall.Remember, you wont be stuck in an entry or mid-level position forever. By creating a base from which to grow, youre giving yourself an opportunity to continue moving upwards without plateauing - or falling back down - when you find yourself in a difficult role.While accepting a lower-level role isnt the only way to grow, its the route I recommend for maximum career-security, growth, and learning opportunitiesThis article first appeared on Quora.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Life Insurance Adds Value to Employer Provided Benefits

Life Insurance Adds Value to Employer Provided BenefitsLife Insurance Adds Value to Employer Provided BenefitsLife insurance is an employee benefit frequently offered by employers. Life insurance is an insurance policy that provides, in exchange for monthly, quarterly, or annual premium payments, a lump sum of money to the designated beneficiary of an employee who dies. Life insurance marks an employer as an employer of choice when desirable candidates select job opportunities. It is one of the comprehensive set of benefits that employees look for when the job search and choose an employer. Especially employees with families like the security of the safety net that life insurance provides. Life insurance provides peace of mind for an employee who is concerned about how his or her family, or heirs, will make out financially in the darbietung of his or her death. Life insurance provides a certain financial cushion for the employees survivorsif the employees death is not due to his faul t. For example, life insurance carriers generally exclude some deaths, including death by suicide, civil commotion or riots, death occurring during military service, and other events that vary by policy. Life insurance is purchased through a vast variety of options. Term Life Insurance Term life insurance, in which the insured or his employer pays a monthly, quarterly, or annual fee for the stated amount of insurance coverage is typical. No investment or cash value accumulates or is built up in a term insurance account, but the account pays out the insured value at the death of the employee. Some term life insurance policies have a time limit. Others increase their premium fee annually as an employee grows older. Other policies have expiration dates such as at age 70. Many financial advisors recommend term life insurance as most other insurance options cost more and involve an investment component that muddies the waters. Permanent life insurance policies that build up cash valu e in the policy over time are available and are more costly. Older participants pay a substantial premium in return for the benefits as time is not available to build up the cash value of the policy. Types of Permanent Life Insurance The most common forms of permanent life insurance are whole life, variable life, and universal life. Whole life insurance is insurance that you purchase as an investment because it accumulates money that you can withdraw if you experience an emergency. Whole life insurance covers you for your entire life as long as you pay the premium. You may also cash in your policy before you die and this would cause the policy to end or no longer cover you in the case of death. Most investors regard these policies as a bad investment. Despite the fact that you can cash them in, their rate of return is typically small. Variable life insuranceprovides money to your beneficiaries when you die. What makes it variable is that it allows you to allocate part of the pre mium you pay to a separate account that is composed of various investment funds provided by the insurance company. These may include a stock fund, money market account, and/or a bond fund. They differ from whole life in that their value fluctuates based on your investments with usually a nadir guaranteed by the insurance company.Universal life insurancehasa savingscomponent that grows on a tax-deferred basis. A portion of your premium is invested by the insurance company in bonds, mortgages and money market funds. The investments return rate is credited to your policy on a tax-deferred basis. A guaranteed minimum interest rate provided by the policy, which is usually around 4%, means that, no matter how the companys investments perform, you are guaranteed a minimum return on your money. Life insurance is an appreciated employee benefit. Sought after employees expect life insurance as a component of a comprehensive employee benefits package.