Skipping Google Phone Screen?

May 6, 2021 15 Comments

I interviewed at Google on-site about 5 years ago right out of college. Didn’t make it in, but the feedback was generally positive. I know where I messed up.

I’ve been searching lately, wanting to at least try for FAANG. I’m disappointed with my current salary, so I’m mostly just trying to up my TC (and work on large scale products, yada yada). I used to work in low power systems and only switched to backend services in the past year, so I personally don’t feel like the *most* qualified person for these companies, but I’m learning a lot in my current role and am a decent programmer (I like to think).

Just got rejected from Amazon after on-site. They made me feel very special by telling me my cool down is “only” 6 months.

I’ve got some other smaller company on sites coming up in the next week.

Talked to Google recruiter this morning. They want to go ahead and skip the phone screen and schedule a virtual on-site in the span of two weeks.

I feel happy that my previous performance in their on-site might have allowed me to skip the phone screen, though I’m not sure what exactly informed this decision. However, I also feel like the phone screen is usually a good barometer for what the on-site questions will be like.

I feel pretty nervous now following my Amazon rejection, previous Google rejection, and going in blind without a phone screen. Is lack of phone screen a good sign? Are they just desperate for hiring quickly? Leet code medium or hard? Googliness interview is scaring me, because I actively hated all the LP stuff in my Amazon interview. Do they take it as seriously? I also will only prepare for 2 weeks....

Anyway, probably isn’t much advice to gain here that I can’t find online, but just looking for some generic tips/inspiration or answers to the above questions!

Thanks!

YOE: 5
TC: 146k (Texas)

#Google #interviews
#engineering #software

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TOP 15 Comments
  • LeetCode has some of the recent google questions. A lot of graph and trees. My google friend is asking LC hards, so it's luck.
    May 6, 2021 1
  • Skipping phone interview doesn’t mean anything to the final outcome. It just means that they think you have a chance at the onsite. Take it easy
    May 6, 2021 0
  • Google / Eng
    QGgb57

    Go to company page Google Eng

    QGgb57
    Amazon freezing period is always 6 months, afaik.

    Skipping phone screen is a sign that they think you met their minimum bar to risk 4 engineering hours.

    But regardless, prep well and good luck!!
    May 6, 2021 2
    • Yeah, my recruiter was just kind of full of sh*t about it I think. She was like “I’ve never seen the cool down this low, it’s usually a year or two.” 😂

      Came to Blind, 6 months seems *very* standard.

      Anyway, thanks for the luck. Do you like it at G? I actually dont know anyone there anymore who hasn’t left for some reason.
      May 6, 2021
    • Google / Eng
      QGgb57

      Go to company page Google Eng

      QGgb57
      I joined a few months ago, been liking it so far :) The amount of design docs h that people write here was a massive culture shock to me haha, but I think it’s helping me work on my communication skills a lot

      People come and go. That’s every company :P But I do see a lot of senior colleagues who’s been here 5-10 years+ and still like it here
      May 6, 2021
  • Skipping phone screen isn't very uncommon
    They skipped the phone screen for me when I was interviewing for new grad SWE at Google

    Just prep as usual
    May 6, 2021 2
    • Wow, I just remembered that they did that for me too as new grad. I had completely forgotten before writing this post lmao. But I had found one of their little hidden coding challenges at the time and completed it. So it was a little more than a complete skip.

      How did your new grad interview go? I see you’re not there now, but did you make it in then?
      May 6, 2021
    • Oh yeah, the terminal kind of a test which opened up after googling something! XD

      Sadly, they don't use it anymore, that test, for recruiting

      And no, it didn't go well. I was rejected at HC. Gonna try with them when I'm looking for a switch
      May 6, 2021
  • They had skipped phone screen for me too. The person who referred me had written very strong words about me, probably that's why. Good luck! You'll do great
    May 6, 2021 2
    • Thanks for the reply! How’s Facebook these days? I actually was supposed to a phone screen for their Production Engineering team, but I backed out because I want to do more dev. My recruiter was kind of cagey about putting me in touch with anyone else.

      I get pigeon holed into this kind of role a lot with recruiters because I used to work on an OS and did a lot of driver development and what not. But, I’m really trying to move on with my life from that... 😂
      May 6, 2021
    • Facebook is good. High on pressure and impact. But, good place to learn and grow. I don't know what to do about the recruiter pigeon holing problem. But, I believe you are doing the right thing by taking control of where you want to end up and how you want to grow your career. Especially in roles like production engineering, which are very busy on a day to day basis, once you join a team, to changing roles becomes even harder.
      May 6, 2021