My internship at Google

Name:  Maytal Maor

Major: I am double majoring in human resource management and marketing, while earning three marketing certificates. I’m also an Honors College student.

Hometown: Miami, Florida

Where you interned: I interned at Google as a BOLD Intern. I was part of a recruiting team; it was a project-based internship.

How did you get your internship? After going to a Google talk at FIU during the fall of 2015, I was inspired to apply for the internship. FIU Honors College helped me revise my resume and expand on my experiences and skills. I submitted my best résumé and boom, I got an interview. I really did my research on Google before my interviews to make sure I was prepared.

What projects did you work on? I collaborated with remote offices to make hiring easier; implemented best practices for better candidate experience in the Global Business Operations & Portfolio (GBOP) Staffing Division; and assisted in the creation of interview feedback rubrics regarding role-related knowledge.

How did your internship connect back to your coursework? It really gave me a firsthand opportunity in the world of HR and let me apply what I’ve been learning in my classes to current situations.

What was the coolest thing about your internship or that happened during your internship? Having the opportunity to hear so many of Google’s leadership speak right in front of me, in addition to all of the free food perks and interning in Sunnyvale, CA. I’d never been to the west coast.

What did you like most about your experience? The friends I made. We all realized that we were there for a short 12 weeks and instantly made connections and traveled to have new experiences.

What did you learn about yourself? I learned exactly what I wanted to do in five years. The internship made me realize that I do want to be a recruiter and it gave me the guidance to know how to begin my journey.

How did the position increase your professional confidence? Because of this experience I know exactly what I am looking for when it comes to job-hunting for post grad opportunities. I graduate in December so this gives me direction on where to look.

How did you expand your professional network? I’ve connected with everyone that I’ve met on LinkedIn and I wasn’t afraid to ask Googlers about their career stories and advice while I was there. I learned much more than I ever have sitting in a classroom.

How did it help you prove yourself in the “real-world?” It definitely did help me prove myself to the real-world. I now know I can juggle many things at once in an environment I’m not familiar with. I worked Monday through Friday while balancing tourist activities and an FIU online class (in which I earned an A), and it made me excited to graduate and begin my career!

What advice do you have for those beginning the internship process? As simple as it is, be yourself. Look for something that you’re genuinely interested in, not something that you think would be “cool.” Think about what you want to get out the programs your applying to and think about the industries you’re interested. My biggest piece of advice is, don’t be afraid to venture out of Miami or your respective hometown!

For more on my internship, take a look at an article I wrote about my experience. It went viral!