What types of questions will be asked in a google interview?

Google, one of the most well-known and powerful tech companies in the world, is known for hiring the best and brightest. However, getting a job at Google also means surviving an often grueling series of technical interviews. Understanding what kind of questions Google is likely to ask in its highly competitive interviews can help you get one step closer to achieving your goals.

One major factor Google considers when selecting applicants is problem solving and coding strategy. Expect a lot of theoretical questions that test your problem-solving skills like: "Given two sorted lists of length n, how would you merge them into one sorted list?" or "How would you design a system to compress an image file?" These questions will deepen your understanding of computer science fundamentals, as well as give insight into how Google solves complex problems.

The focus on problem-solving skills often carries over into coding interviews as well. Commonly asked coding asked could include: "Write a function that takes an array of integers and returns the k largest values" or "Write a function that reverses the order in which elements appear in an array." These kinds of questions will test both your knowledge base and coding skills, such as time complexity, space complexity and edge cases.

Google also enjoys asking brain teaser style questions such as: "How much should you charge to wash all the windows in Seattle?" or "You have eight balls all of the same size. 7 of them weigh the same, and one weighs slightly more. How can you find the ball that is heavier by using a balance scale only twice?" While these sorts of questions may seem intimidating at first glance, they are actually more open-ended than coding or problem solving questions; they give you the opportunity to showcase not only your analytical skills but also demonstrate how you think through complex problems creatively and come up with unique solutions.

Finally, it is important to not overlook soft skill type questions during your interview process with Google, as this company values communication within teams just as much as individual expertise. Some sample questions include: "Describe a time when working on group projects was difficult for you" or "What does excellent communication look like for a technical project?" As these types of hard-to-measure soft skills become increasingly valued by employers across all industries, being prepared for these types of queries can give you an edge over other applicants.

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