Technical Writing Internship at Google — My Story
The views and opinions in this article are solely mine and they do not represent the opinions of Google in any way.
This past summer (2018), I interned at Google’s Kirkland office as a technical writer intern. A lot of people have asked me about my internship at Google and why I chose that particular internship. So, I have decided to sum up my thoughts in this article and I hope that it will provide some meaning and help to aspiring technical writers.
Being a technical writer can mean a lot of things depending on the company, the team and the needs of the project. The internship that I applied for was titled “Technical Writer Intern, Software Engineering” and it required that the applicants have experience with programming in one or more languages such as Python, Java and C++ and that they also have a passion for writing. To meet these requirements, you can demonstrate technical class projects, hackathon projects or previous internship experiences along with writing samples. The writing samples do not have to be published but having an online presence where people can view your work is always beneficial when it comes to standing out among a pool of many qualified candidates.
I always had an interest in writing and I had participated and won multiple essay writing competitions during my secondary school years. I also love programming and working on side projects. I am currently a senior undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Systems with a focus in Software Development at CUNY-New York City College of Technology. When I read the job description for this internship at Google’s careers site, I felt as though it spoke directly to me and I could imagine myself doing well in the role. I did have a bit of self-doubt but that didn't stop me from applying.
Interview Process
A few weeks later, I was contacted by Google’s recruiter and I couldn’t believe that I was being considered for the role. The interview process and the questions asked during the interview can vary depending upon the role and the interviewer. For me, there was one initial phone-screening, a take-home assignment and one technical interview. After clearing these two rounds, I proceeded to the host-matching phase. During this phase, your application package that includes your background, your resume and your interest in different teams, is made available for multiple hiring teams across Google. If a host (your potential manager) expresses interest in your application, you then get an opportunity to speak with them through another interview which is generally to gauge your skills and to see if you could be a match for their team. It is also equally important to you as an applicant to see and decide whether or not the team and the project sounds interesting to you. Based on the needs of different teams, you can have either one or multiple host matching interviews and your recruiter will inform you about the team that you are matched with, after all the interviews.
Post offer acceptance
I joined the Android team at Google because I love Android products, I had previous experience with Android development through Udacity courses and I had also built an Android application during a hackathon in Boston called SheHacks. I wanted to continue building that skill set while utilizing my existing skills. I also liked learning about the team through my host and it made my decision easy. After accepting the offer, I flew to Mountain View, CA for my orientation and then to Kirkland, WA where my team was located. To say that it was the best summer of my life would be an understatement.
From day one, I was not treated merely as an intern, but rather a key team member who was there to make substantial improvements and changes to the Gradle documentation . My host kept inspiring me to do better and to not be afraid to seek help when I was confused about something. I had only basic knowledge about Gradle so it was difficult initially to understand its complexities. Needless to say, I also had to deal with impostor syndrome and I considered everyone around me an expert and didn’t value my strengths for some time. However, I quickly started adapting to the role and developed a good sense of the projects that I was assigned with. As I continued working on my projects, I also asked for feedback on how I was doing and how I could continue to improve. A few weeks into my internship, I heard about my uncle’s death. My initial breakdown and grief were followed by a series of devastating moments where I constantly felt guilty of not being close to him during his final days. I had a difficult time concentrating on my work for a few days but talking to my manager and my friends about it helped me establish a balance between my emotions and my work. I reminded myself that I only had a few weeks to publish my documentation that could help unblock various issues faced during Android development by Android developers across the globe. During this process, I did research, conducted interviews with different developers and leaders on the Android team, travelled to California multiple times, explored Seattle, and also made friends at work. By the end of my internship, I had updated different sections of the Gradle documentation and I also published a document on AAPT2. I could sense that my team was happy with my work and I received great feedback and I also acknowledged that I had some room for improvement.
As I write this article and reflect on my twelve weeks at Google, I feel a great sense of joy for getting such an incredible opportunity to meet and work with some of the smartest and yet, surprisingly humble people across various departments and for being able to make a difference. Google values talent and the hiring managers understand that one person cannot know everything from the beginning. As long as you have a growth mindset and you are not afraid of learning something new, you are more than capable of being a Googler and that applies to many other companies as well.
