Sebastien Gabriel tells a story about joining Google

This good article by Sebastien Gabriel witnessed himself from non-class design enthusiasts to Google home want him to join the fried chicken positive energy story, just learning design students can not only increase their confidence, you can also learn from the author's personal marketing, Hard power + good marketing, maybe there will be a big company to find you 唷.

The beginning of the text:

I joined Google more than two years ago, when some people asked me to enter my story into Google, feel the experience. I promised, but in fact did not really do. Maybe I was ashamed to say then, maybe I did not have time or I thought it was a mistake to describe it because it was not interesting enough.

Now I decided to keep my promise to write it down. I hope this article is not too late to write, and still useful to some people ~ I will try my best to summarize my experiences and stories and provide some suggestions.

It must be noted that this article is not a guide to joining Google, I do not think an article can make people join Google, or that the article's name is not called "Google Interview Guide." This article does not describe in detail the interview process (such as interview questions asked about the class), will not disclose any confidential information.

This article focuses on what I was busy before I joined Google, I hope useful to you.

First, the typical French baguette and berets

I was 27 years old, was born in Paris, France, Lagny, a suburb, and spent the first six years of life there. Later, I studied in four cities in southern France: Toulon, Hyères, Arles and Marseille.

Now, I'm a visual designer on Google Chrome and Chrome OS, living in San Francisco.

Second, study

I first got a diploma in "Sociology and Economics", then studied at General Technology School for 2 years and later went to Multimedia Project Management School for 3 years.

The knowledge of these schools is general and informal, not sophisticated. Think about it, these have made my education a fake generalist.

I first studied socio-economics, mixed with history and philosophy, with a little mathematics and then I got a diploma.

Then I learned a great deal about what can be done with a computer, screen and camera. From coding to design, from photography to image processing, a full two years time.

For the last 3 years I have a master's degree in multimedia project management. Mainly managers, projects, public speaking, how to dress well.

Looking back, learning seems useless.

I learned in school what I did not want to do

The school is actually not a place for teaching, but a place to open your horizons. I've almost forgotten the lessons I've learned, but they made me understand what I did not like and what I like.

Sometimes only learning to know this stuff is not suitable for themselves

I studied math and then found out that I did not like math. I learned the knock code, and then found that the alignment of pixels more fun than the code code. I used to dress well but also found that in fact there is no need for such a formal day. After studying the project and personnel management I think all day against PS, listening to Hans Zimmer and Amon Tobin design is actually more in line with me.

Perhaps this non-step by step to learn the course of the professional behavior is not good, but this approach is suitable for me. I am more inclined to learn the knowledge I like.

In each project I have volunteered as a designer, I like to do in this one proficient rather than touch everything.

So in my college I give up a lot of opportunities to learn other knowledge, wholeheartedly into the design inside.

Is this good? I do not know. I only know that I am learning slowly, I find more proficient skills and further consolidation, rather than a lot to learn a lot.

To summarize what I am after graduation:

An interface designer focused on web and mobile, I have enough confidence to show my ideas in front of people.

My daily schedule is spent an hour and a half on the Internet to engage in good ideas and collect integration, and then spend 8 hours on ps and AI. My English is fluent and this is a key point.

Third, work

My work and school experience are closely linked. My three years of multimedia project management let me have a transition. I spent a month in school, the other time out of the company inside the actual combat.

Fortunately, I can participate in real projects in the company, and every time I can do a good job. My deepest point is:

The best way to learn is to do things for real people in a real company.

Internships are far more effective than learning lessons in school.

I'm not saying that you can not learn anything at school. You still need to learn the basics in school. You have to be on the path of proficiency.

1, the first year

During the year I studied printing, logo and logo design. From a professional point of view, I did a terrible job, but fortunately I was right and my colleagues were very friendly and the skills were good.

If you are lucky, you will encounter some giants in your life, they teach you to detours, standing on their shoulders, you will quickly grow even more than I expected.

My boss is such a giant. Our company has only 2 people, but he is also skilled and willing to share. Once found that I have some talent, he tried to help me improve.

I am very grateful to him, there is such a person in the family to make money to feed their families are willing to promote you, to help you, really rare. I have also thought of this spirit of learning and promoting him, but it is too hard for me, which requires great selflessness.

2, the second year and the third year

One year after I worked, I left for a new company. The reason is that he can not give me more salary. But I need to make more money, so I quit.

The new unit is a small network agency, the boss does not like to give orders and fascinated by the cool design.

Need to interrupt here to explain some work accident skills:

Keep smiling.

This is also considered a simple way to self-marketing. If I had not such a performance I am afraid I did not have such a rapid increase.

OK back. During this time I participated in many projects, from web design to mobile application design, and even done e-mail promotion design. The project is complicated, some things do not seem to really want to do, but from which I learned a little:

Sometimes you do not always do what you want to do at work, but you can learn everything you do.

Very grateful for this job, it brings me not only the accumulation of projects, but also exponential growth in skills. To thank the second boss, he trusted me, gave me great authority, let me go to design.

An enlightened boss is the boss who trusts employees, who respect employee decisions and empower employees.

3, self-study

In addition to studying at school and learning to master self-study is also extremely important.

If you have a great interest in something, then you do not need to be spurned by the outside world to consciously learn.

I am more inclined to look at other people's PSD analysis of other people's practices. Even if I'm in Google now I still use this method.

What we need to do is to learn from others who are more timid than ourselves and try to overtake them.

4, social networks and design circles

Internet social networking this thing, we all know is a good space for their own development. Even if a person is quiet, you can use this platform to improve yourself. My initial social platform was the Tumblr blog, more personal than Pinterest.

If you are happy to share, then even if the fans rarely adhere to.

I have been updating my personal blog. Followed by a French website, the site focuses on web design and material sharing. After that, my audience kept increasing, and I started to share my ideas and design materials on my blog.

Sharing is a great way to improve yourself. Then I started writing tutorials.

Then someone asked me "Do you want Dribbble Invitation Code?"

Dribbble

I joined Chase Wave on March 6, 2011 (on the Dribbble crowd) and published my debut:

This work soon attracted a lot of fans. I keep the blog updated at the same time. These things are very time-consuming, but also brought a lot of opportunities. Some companies started to contact me, including foreign companies.

Google is here to find me later.

5, those single private thing

Recall that I'm getting orders while working at that network agency. The first one is a Swiss printing company. Fortunately, I can communicate well in English. However, it really makes me feel a bit less confident in controlling the whole project.

Because of my lack of commercial experience. So I discussed with the boss next to the project as a company's project. I'm mainly responsible for the design part, but the boss taught me a lot of business stuff.

From an experience point of view, if the designer is able to communicate face to face with the customer it would be best, which helps to control the entire project and is useful for the entire process.

Customer is very satisfied. We've built very friendly relationships, which has also become one of my portfolio's content. This project made me more confident.

Moderately add yourself a little more challenging to help improve their own.

I continue to update the chase works, I can be involved in any design, including a variety of renderings, web design, mail, ah, iphone applications, ipad applications, everything. More and more of my fans, more and more business partners.

I took over the outsourcing projects in France, Denmark and the United States, and each project made me a huge improvement. Let me understand the design rules in different fields.

As the project increased, I started to pick it up. I pick some live to do for the company, but also pick some to yourself.

If time and circumstances allow to do more projects, but do not be too greedy.

All of this is enhancing my portfolio.

6, free design

This issue has always been controversial.

I think the point of gratuitous design is to add color to the portfolio. Designing for fun can add a lot of fun. And you can meet some interesting people.

So I took a lot of free design projects. The premise is meaningful. Design free posters for kids to design for small websites, even at low budgets.

When you're still a student, do whatever it takes to make a gratuitous design. They take a lot of time, but they are good ways to provide skills.

But not everyone can happily do gratuitous design. Not everyone can have their own rights to choose their favorite. The reason I can be based on the premise that I have a full-time job, I have also got married. If you also want to make a gratuitous design, then serve the right people.

Talk about it?

I got an offer to hire a Spanish company. This is the first company to dig up my company. And abroad. Their intention is to find me "chatting", all the round trip and accommodation expenses they reimburse.

I reflected this to the boss. Boss even support me in the past! I remember in front of those who wrote "you will meet some who are willing to help you improve" it?

I talked over in the past, anyway, I do not like to live in the city now, then the past, the past can grow.

Opportunity in front, even if only a little bit must hold.

I prepared for the past until I received an email.

At first thought it was spam

Yes, this time you already know the mail from google, but then I thought it was a spam :)

However, I still reply ... you know ... in case of winning it

I was on vacation in the United States so I had five days waiting for a reply. Ah, it really is not spam! Fortunately, I've seen a series of American TV to strengthen the English ~ After a telephone interview, I was notified into the design session. This is my strong link. This part is very exciting for me. I have a chance to prove my ideas and deliver visual effects.

About two weeks later, I was informed of the interview in Mountain View.

8, a small interview interview

At that time, my classmate and I planned to go to the United States for vacation on the first 4 months, so I was in that country at that time. I took a flight to California and interviewed the next day.

The interview was so fast that I had to respond when I was not aware of it. I remember one of the questions raised in the two rounds of interviews was when I considered joining google. I never thought about it. It was like a dream. I felt it was very unlikely to join.

It is obviously very unwise to recall this answer. But then I was tired and lost the way to think of the answer.

So honestly answer it.

I left the city by plane and did not realize that this is the city I will be based in the future.

9, blessing goddess of luck

That was when I got a call from google on Friday asking me if I was interested in joining google. I immediately agreed, in fact, no better! The Internet made me, google gave me the opportunity to make the Internet better.

The following figure is my catch on the wave of statements

I have to admit that I have been very lucky. I learned a lot during my school and laid the foundation. The first company is to improve my professional skills, the second company let me go make me master a lot of business skills. Then I got a dribble invitation code, and a Google employee found my artwork at the right time.

Opportunity awaits those who are prepared.