Overseas internship interviews
This article is machine-translated by Google.
August last year wrote an article accidentally makes me a little a fire, a short time in the transfer amount to micro-Bardon thousands, even as Sogou CEO Ms. Yu such industry heavyweights that are transmitted microblogging. Microblogs voices have two factions, one supporters that "This idea is very young," another voice is my idea, he questioned the behavior that I belittle academic, too impetuous. I had the boss of Microsoft Research Asia, the system group of my thoughts, especially dissatisfaction, and even I was semi-public criticized, and warned others not be wasted chance intern at Microsoft Research Asia.
Later I learned that when I write this is August, just on the eve of a big Internet company campus recruitment began. Since this article which discloses praised Hulu, and encourage young people like me to join the industry, at the same time he expressed dissatisfaction with big companies, considered by many to be in line with their interests. Due to excessive forwarding it has even attracted the attention of Microsoft's PR department that put pressure on me before the Microsoft boss, asking him to immediately "solve problems." I suddenly realized, had shouted to be utilized!
(NOTE: This article was published, Microsoft has contacted me to say that the above is not correct, the following explanation)
This does not fit the facts yo, I do not want to have unnecessary misunderstanding. Actually happened is University Relations Department is responsible for our internship program has been committed to quality assurance internship program, I feel we did not do the work, only to find us. We also found the problem and take immediate measures to strengthen the focus on interns. I do not want everyone to know and the facts.
Blink of an eye a year has passed, the summer has been approaching my junior year, and then the school is a senior, eyes look to graduate people. I'm going with Tsinghua farewell day, while I was sixteen years of school career will be coming to an end. Some people say that now is too early to sigh, a senior yet begun, still a year away from graduation too! But I was told that, in fact, only three college seniors and the first three years "through law" is not the same. In my opinion, the university from year to year, this year I met a lot of new stuff, and I thought last year I've been a big difference, as the saying is "One year spent similar, but each year people are different. " Think about this time next year to graduate, internship opportunities are not much, so I wrote articles about the record was rough experience it.
Interview Preparation
With an interview last year, American companies failed experience , I began to prepare early. Since last October, I began to browse various Silicon Valley companies to recruit summer interns of the information. Since there is no a priori knowledge, I do not know which companies recruit interns, only to find the same like reptiles. Find the process learned how to use LinkedIn and Glassdoor, these two sites is a very good tool, especially Glassdoor, you can also see salary information for many companies, face questions like. This information is anonymous employee disclosed without breaching confidentiality rules, and was even encouraged many companies HR.
English
Last year, the interview failed big reason may be English. At that time I saw a foreigner did not know how to mouth, let alone on the phone inside. Each time I interview are gingerly treading on thin ice may be ready to answer all the questions to ask, and then read out the content of the event did not prepare imagined.
Recognizing a problem in the future, how to do that very clear, it is to practice English, especially spoken language. But how to practice it? Thanks to Gmail ads. Google later in detail scan my e-mail and instant messaging records, analyze the plans I have to learn English, so he continued on the mail interface to push me to learn English ads. I found that there is something called "Telephone English" ads seem very interesting, so I try holding the mentality of English find a few phone watch (please do not call me consult English-related issue, I would not recommend any specific a). Before buying telephone service in English, these companies have a free trial of the service, or call placement test, so I found several test your own rating. English phone model is a teacher and one English-speaking countries in the phone conversation, in order to improve my English. Since the United States and Europe higher labor costs, coupled with the time difference factors that telephone companies hire foreign teachers of English, many of the Philippines. The Philippines has long been a colony, the average level of English in the Asia-Pacific region is the highest, and unlike Indian English accent serious. Many American companies regard the telephone hotline service outsourcing to the Philippines. Comparison of various learning styles, I have to admit that English is an inexpensive phone, and can guarantee the quality of learning pathways. After months of practice, I have spoken a great deal to improve the level of a hierarchy, so I dare someone to the United States of.
resume
I bought an " at The the Google the Resume ", carefully read the inside on resume writing and interview portions. "The Google Resume" can be said to help me a lot, and book author, founded the site CareerCup above perspective of an engineer-turned-HR comprehensive introduction to the technical details of the job interview. Based on the book proposal, I carefully wrote a resume, but back and forth dozens of modified versions.
Ready to resume, I respectively, in Google, Facebook, Apple, Twitter, Amazon site above cast a resume, including Google, Facebook, Twitter seniors have pushed me inside. After a tough wait, the final addition to the Amazon, have got the opportunity telephone interview.
Google is an interview I received the first company, in November began the interview. After I receive e-mail notification, HR asked me one day have the time, then I arranged a phone interview. Google's HR did not give me a call, but directly to arrange an interview. Because of the time difference, so the interviews are between midnight and into the early hours, so you must stay up late or get up early. If the rest is not normal, have a great impact on their ability to play, we need to take it seriously. Google arranged for me to interview two consecutive, each round one hour interview from Beijing two o'clock to four points.
Since the signing of a confidentiality agreement, I can not disclose specific topics interview. Title type algorithm are problems, there is a probability calculation math. The answer is to open the way to a Google docs page, you and co-editor of the interviewer, while maintaining the telephone conversation. The interviewer will have a direct say in the content of the subject, or the subject written on Google docs, after reading to answer questions. Generally is the first description of the algorithm, then the interviewer will continue to ask or demand proof, and finally write the program. Programs written directly on Google docs, because there is no syntax highlighting and indenting, or very uncomfortable. Whether the issue will not, must take the initiative and exchange interviewer to clarify the issue, perhaps less what conditions or misunderstood, the most taboo is not a word that he had been thinking about, or up to write code.
After the interview is over, after about two weeks, HR email me interview the results are good, give me about a time to call. HR phone told me that I passed the interview, the next step is to enter Google's Host Match the process. At Google, the United States must have a intern Host, probably the manager (Manager) or tutor (Mentor) responsibilities. Each intern interview by the need to wait for a Host fancy your resume and contact you later decide whether to accept your exchange. I waited until January, HR told me to say with Host willing to contact me. Host and telephone talked later, I told them to do quite interested in the project, but I did not leave in July, and their plans some conflict, so there is no then the. After some time there a Host contact me, but I told them not really interested in doing something, so I refused. Later, because HR seems to know that I have internship at Google Beijing entry, and no intention to find me again Other Host, so the final Host Match failed.
Apple
Got the news of the second company is Apple, my resume through HR screening was arranged telephone interview. The same is the Silicon Valley company, in an interview to be midnight on energy is a great test. Apple is a name of great importance to design, and even HR send me e-mail and other companies are not the same as HR, general corporate mail came plain, Apple Mail is stationery, the default Gmail also closed , after opening to see.
Interview is conducted by telephone, by writing code is called collabedit online editing tools, many companies like to use this interview stuff, including Twitter and Facebook. The interviewer to ask me a question algorithm, very simple, I continue to ask new questions answer came out, then let me prove their own ideas, and write code. After writing an interviewer asks what I've done most interesting project, I told him Continuation.js , and briefed him about. Finally, he asked what I used the Apple product, why I like Apple, I say I use Mac, I really can not say why I like it, because I do not particularly like Apple. It seems Apple is really a requirement for employees to be loyal followers of formula companies.
Apple is a company of my own online delivery without any interpolation, in which case the interview by the probability very small, after all, you're still a foreigner. After an interview later, there is no news, send e-mail to ask repeatedly for HR, says progress, but were still no results for a long time, so I know I was the silent refusal.
Twitter I interviewed with only one private company (not listed), so all decision-making power in the hands of the CEO. Unlisted companies and funds are limited, the high threshold than other big companies interview interviewed a lot. Each Offer Twitter reportedly made to go through the CEO is personally signed, including trainees. As an intern, Twitter actually arranged for me to interview six, than I before the interview rounds Hulu also more visible or more stringent.
Twitter each round of interviews are conducted by Skype, writing code is collabedit. Compared with several other companies, Twitter interview algorithms quite difficult, but also very carefully examine the degree. A feature of Twitter interview is the need to write a large amount of code in which an algorithm on an interview I wrote a hundred lines of the program, not only complex, but also to ensure correctness. Interview algorithm involves backtracking search, binary operation, dynamic programming, greedy and cache replacement policy and proof.
The first round of interviews I went to the United States before the interview, the impression is my final exam the night before, so I was really struggling with do not know what to prepare. The second round of interview time is coincidence, happened to be in the American journey , the day I had to hide Berkeley hotel in a phone interview. I'd quite like to go directly to Twitter interview, but HR is not arranged for me, I had to find later seniors to visit his past. The third round is when I return home, is just the beginning of three, the more tragedy, my computer due to be splashing water damaged , and nobody repair New Year, I had a man went to a cafe inside Wudaokou, spent the night . Onsite fourth fifty-six supposed to be an interview, but considering I interview an intern but also in foreign countries, they changed the phone, this three attached to the surface, the time up to a total of four hours, from three in the morning to seven in the morning, exhausting, and the need to maintain a high degree of sobriety.
I finally got the Twitter offer.
Facebook listed soon, many older employees have the money took a leave, a large number of vacant posts, plus a lot of money to public financing, Facebook has been expanding rapidly, and even the intern position a lot. Twitter and similar interview, when I interviewed Facebook just in New York , so I had to come up with valuable sightseeing time hiding inside the hotel interview.
Facebook a total of two rounds of interviews, separated by more than one week between the two, and the difficulty of the interview before the interview Google (USA) almost. Interview questions are mainly involved in the planning and dynamic binary tree, I feel these two things is a favorite interview to the test. Including an interview the interviewer or a Chinese person, after he finished listening I suddenly had the confidence of my English, and finally I said a few words and his Chinese, he immediately said, "I am not supposed to speak Chinese with you . ", really speechless. Facebook's Offer I also successfully got.
It is worth mentioning that Facebook's HR is a very reliable person, she has been helping me from beginning to end, to get me to a critical opportunity, if not her, I probably would have failed to apply for the internship. I was in her LinkedIn resume above to see the legendary experience: In 2000 she entered the University of Washington, majoring in English literature. In 2003, when in response to the call of the country, she decided to leave the campus, he joined the National Guard, the Iraqi expedition. She served in Iraq and Kuwait and other places war correspondent and editor, until 2006, was home in glory, then finish school, opened her career.
Tough visa
Final Offer valid I got two: Twitter and Facebook. Where Twitter is to get, to get at the same time HR called me to tell my salary, team and visa information, and gave me a decision in the previous deadlines. Facebook is to get in the Offer within two weeks after Twitter, HR told me almost the same information.
It sounds all well and good, but the visa problem. Under US law, the intern should apply for J-1 visa, also known as the Exchange Visitor visa. This visa is called a two-year provision (2-year-rule) something, then I mean as "exchange visitor" access, two have returned to the motherland service obligations. In these two years, I can not apply for any American tendency to allow immigrant visas, such as H-1B or L-1. Obviously this is the governments and the United States in order to prevent brain drain result of the game. For those who took the J-1 visa to the United States, then the United States to study, and finally those who left to work in the United States is how they do it? In fact, although there are provisions for two years, but you can find Chinese Embassy to apply for an exemption, then took "no objection letter" can be exempt from restrictions two years rule. Generally apply for exemption if not the national public school will give the almost, but then the problem in a very long time, but only to take more than six months or more visas to Chinese citizens do, as I finished on the back of this practice is not enough .
This problem is very difficult, and we only constraints on the Chinese people, so many large companies and HR departments do not know legal advice. Some companies even very arrogant, did you explain to them, because they feel that they themselves are correct, in their eyes J-1 no problem, anyway, be exempted Well, everyone knows the Chinese Embassy with Chinese characteristics requirements. Only a handful have been plagued by this problem, and has first-hand experience of HR will understand these subtleties. Fortunately, I'm pretty lucky, before I interviewed a Facebook's HR Chinese people, because he has a J-1 in the body, but also people in the country, finally exhausted all means to accomplishing or not, both sides suffered heavy losses. So to me it would be the experience, she gingerly helped me figure out all the problems.
In addition to J-1 outside, there is a way that can be considered is the H-3 visa, also known as "training visa." In fact training visa is a better choice, it does not have any consequences, but slightly more expensive for companies, some of unfamiliar materials need to be prepared. I to Facebook and Twitter HR asked to see each can help me do H-3 visa, the answer was no way, on the grounds that H-3 visa requirements for trainers are trained to be unacceptable in the country, and the purpose of after returning to training others. For it is Microsoft, Google such multinational companies, for the H-3 visa is reasonable, but Facebook and Twitter in China does not have an office, you said you returned to training who?
So I was caught in a dilemma: either to accept the J-1 visa and two years of rule incidental, or give up this practice opportunity. In fact, two-year rule for me is mainly psychological costs, because it took later as a set of shackles on me. The only people who can lift the yoke in mainland China after two years to be enough, even though I graduated and went to work the United States is not my first choice, but the choice is less frustrating. Human nature is such a thing lost is much greater than the pain of joy get the same thing.
Just when I hesitate, Facebook suddenly the HR application to help me a new opportunity: you can go to London office. Britain does not exist United States visa problems so that I can apply for a temporary work visa Tier-5, only Facebook can guarantee. In this way all problems can be solved, so I accepted the Offer, and politely declined Twitter.
Google Beijing
Last December I also applied Google Beijing summer intern, since the short distance, go directly to the Google office interview. I interviewed a total of three rounds, where the first two rounds is carried out continuously. The first round of interviews I met difficult combinatorial mathematics problem, because wrong ideas, wasting a lot of time, they did not answer them. The second round of interviews difficulty is relatively large, involving the C language string handling, dynamic programming and greedy algorithms prove, but I was pretty good answer. A few days later, HR feedback interviewer told me that two quite different, so I added a third round of interviews. The third round of interviews is a very experienced engineer, to my surprise he carefully looked at my resume and listed on my website before I interview all the projects I have done , and for my resume was a question Some content includes functional programming, and JavaScript conversion of CPS .
A few days later, HR tell me through the interview, but the start time is the summer. I contacted Google Input Group Beijing Yang Fan seniors, I hope you can start earlier practice. Google Taking into account my particular situation, agreed to my request, so I started from February this year, Google Beijing internship.
to sum up
I will go to London on July 1, and then began a two-month summer internship. The opportunity for me is very hard to come by, but eventually got his wish because I'm lucky. Without Facebook, HR as I fought to chance in London, I'd probably give up in doubt. If she does not come across the same situation on a Chinese man, she would not fight this method for me. If many seniors do not correct me, help me, I'd probably still in ignorance. I believe that the opportunity to be random, but the face of the choices is determined by the will of the individual.