When one thinks about the job interviews of a great technological company like Google, it is inevitable to believe that it is reduced to mathematical or programming issues. Although technical knowledge is extremely important, so is demonstrating our ability to solve complex imaginary problems. Let’s talk bluntly. These are more or less complicated riddles that a candidate must be able to solve if he wants to pass a Google job interview.
Are you able to solve them all Google job interview questions?
Riddles raised to Google candidates
Why are manhole covers round?
The manhole covers are round because it is the geometric shape that prevents the lid from falling in any way we try. A square or rectangular can fall if we introduce it diagonally.
Throughout the day, how many times do the hands (without counting the second hand) overlap the clock?
Once every hour, so in theory they are 24 times. But the truth is that they are only 22 times, since the needles never overlap between 11 and 12.
How many golf balls fit on a school bus?
Here the trick is to develop a solid argument based on assumptions that take you to the end. You calculate the volume of a bus that of a golf ball and divide it.
How many piano tuners are there in the world?
Again, there is not a single solution. In this case, the mental process is more important until a solution is found that the solution itself.
If you look at a clock at 3:15, what is the angle of the hands?
The answer is not zero, since while the minute hand is on the 3, the schedule moves 1/4 to 4. Therefore, the angle is 7.5 degrees.
You are the captain of a ship with 100 pirates on board. At the time of distributing the treasure, the crew votes how the gold is distributed. If less than half of the pirates agree with you, you die. How do you divide the treasure in such a way that you guarantee a good portion of the gold and at the same time survive?
You share 51% of the booty among 51 pirates. You keep the remaining 49%.
What would you do if you were the only survivor of a plane crash?
The answers given by some candidates range from “calling by phone to say that you will be late for work” to “being happy to fly alone”.
How many ways do you think of finding a needle in a haystack?
The imagination of each candidate is the limit. From burning the haystack to submerging it in water or using a magnet to remove the needle.
Some months have 30 days, another 31 days. How many have 28 days?
The answer is short: 12. All months of the year have 28 days; February is only 28.
The succession of numbers continues: 10, 9, 60, 90, 70, 66.
This question has a trick and that is that you must read the numbers. The figures are arranged according to the number of letters the number has, so 10 = ten, 9 = nine, etc. The number that follows 66 must have 9 letters, since 66 has 8.
Who is the shortest? Pedro is as tall as Juan, Pablo is shorter than Miguel, Miguel is taller than Juan and Pedro is shorter than Pablo.
There is no answer because Pedro and Juan are the two shorter ones.
A man pushed his car and lost his fortune. Explain what has happened.
He ended up in the Paseo del Prado, playing Monopoly.
Google job interview: Beware of human resources questions
The questions asked by the human resources department are usually the most thorny and most likely to create the candidates. They are quite generic in the sense that they can also appear in selection processes of other companies. So surely you have heard them before.
Tell me something that does not appear on your résumé.
Take the opportunity to talk about situations different from the average you have lived throughout your life. A trip, a stay abroad, something that has profoundly changed you. You should also tell why it is important to you that you count.
What should we have for dinner tonight?
Whatever it is, never respond with “whatever you want” or “anything”. It is a question to know if you are capable of leading a daily situation. Do you have leader wood or not?
Tell me a joke.
Another cheating question, because the candidate does not usually expect these kinds of issues. Try to tell one that is brief, that you have listened recently so you do not have to think too much or make mistakes. Think about who your audience is and what they may like most: a joke about their profession can be a success. Above all, avoid being a green joke, cruel or black humor.
Why do you want to work in Google?
Well, that tells what is what has brought you to the candidacy in this company. Try to make it a unique answer, that can not be easily transferred to other companies. Things like pay, conditions and others tells you that you would leave as soon as you found another better opportunity. It is best to focus on what makes Google a different company, for example, the problems they face are not found elsewhere.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Typical question that is asked in a job interview, which could not be missing in Google. It is too open to be clarified in a few sentences, but you should know that your answer serves to determine the degree of maturity of a candidate as well as their long-term planning capabilities.
