Corporate Survivor with Mei Phing : Career Growth In The Corporate World - Ep180: How I got a job at Google and said NO.

Episode Date: August 21, 2023

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Welcome to the Corporate Survivor Podcast, where we talk about how to grow your career confidence, build your skills and value, increase your salary, and the many lessons we learn in the corporate world. For more career support, click on over to www.mayping.com. This is Mayping, your corporate leader turned career coach. I hope you enjoy, like and subscribe. Today, I want to tell you the story of how I was headhunted by Google, went through the very interesting interview process and eventually declined the job offer and some of the lessons that you can learn from that.

So if you've ever wondered what it really takes to be seen and to attract opportunities from huge multinational companies, basically the dream companies of people and why I ended up saying no, then I think you'll really enjoy this episode. So let's dive in. Now in the earlier episode, I talked about the fact that I took two career breaks in my corporate career journey so far. So the first one was in 2016 and the second one was in 2019 and we also went through in detail as to some of the questions that you might want to think about before taking a career break. So if you haven't watched the early episode yet, make sure that you watch it before this episode and if you haven't downloaded my free guide, then make sure that you download my five-day career growth guide that will

help you to really set up your career for success, whether you're going to take a career break or not. That out of the way, you know, the fact that you have contacts, then let's talk about that specific time period in 2016, towards the end of 2016, where I was on a career break. And most of the time, when you're on a career break, most people feel that we can't do anything, we will not get any opportunities. And I'm here to tell you that that is not true. In fact, it was during my career break in late 2016 was actually the time that I got headhunted by very big companies, notably Google, PayPal, and the central bank. So today's story is all about Google.

Now, I want to make it very clear, I did not make a single job application during my career break. So these are purely opportunities that I attracted. I was headhunted using this magical platform called LinkedIn. If you know what you're doing on LinkedIn, the first thing was the fact that I'm on LinkedIn. So the things that I've, I think a lot of people come and tell me that they are not getting opportunities, but at the same time, when I asked them, are you on LinkedIn? They say, what's that? Oh, I have an account, but I don't really do anything. Or, you know, I've been engaging on the feed, but I don't know what to do.

So these are really, really, really common. And I think that a lot of people don't actually know the power of LinkedIn in terms of growing your career, in terms of helping you get opportunities. Now, LinkedIn was a platform that I have been using since 2012. So that's more than 10 years ago. And I know how it works. So the fact is that, you know, if you want to be found, like, you need to be on a platform where you can be found.

So don't expect people to drop you an email randomly or, you know, dropping you a WhatsApp or phone call randomly if you cannot be found, right? So the first thing I did right was I had a LinkedIn profile. Now that's really the foundation of everything. Now the second thing that happened was when I was working in Visa, I used to work in a global team. So I was also the top performer in Visa and was obviously recognized by multiple senior management as well. So over time, you know, everybody just, you know, changed jobs and we changed companies and we changed industries and that also happened to some of my ex-colleagues and ex-management in visa as

well so back in 2016 i have already left visa so i was you know with that chartered for about one and a half years and then i was on a career break then one day i got a direct message on linkedin and it was from this director who is working at Google, which I thought was really strange. I was like, why is a person from Google dropping me a message? Because I don't really know anyone there

and I have also not made any application. Remember, I was still on a career break, so I was being a caregiver, right? So I got a message and this person who's at the director level introduced himself and he told me that, oh, hi, Mei Ping, you know,

I am currently working in this team in Google and, you know, currently my boss is this person and, you know, my boss right now used to work with you at Visa and she highly recommended

that I reach out to you because she remembered you from your past company and she thinks that you're really great and wanted me to reach out to see whether we can have a conversation on whether, you know, are you looking out for opportunities right now. So that was really one of the first times I realized that, oh, LinkedIn is really, really, really powerful because even though I did not actively build a connection or, you know, I didn't like have inroads to, you know, people working in certain companies, it doesn't mean that I cannot be found. So imagine if I didn't have a LinkedIn profile, that means that that particular director couldn't have reached

out to me. So this person reached out to me and asked me, you know, what are you doing right now? And I said, okay, you know, I'm at, I'm on the career break. Then asked me, you know, what are you doing right now? And I said, okay, you know, I'm at a career break. Then he said, you know, are you open to exploring certain roles with Google? And would you want to have a chat with me? And I said, okay, great, right? Like, why not? And if you have a chance to potentially explore an opportunity or a position with Google, I'm sure you'll say yes as well.

And that was what happened. So I said yes. I'm like, okay, you know, let's you know let me learn a bit more about the role so so after that we met which I thought was really an interesting networking opportunity as well whether I wanted or not wanted to pursue the opportunity it was still a great networking opportunity for me so I went to the office like we had a chat and the director shared the role with me and he asked me you know would you want to pursue it now this is actually a very interesting dynamic. I think, as you know, you know, some really big companies and roles and I guess you can call it dream companies. Usually, there are thousands of applicants, but

how I managed to attract the opportunity and really got into the selection slot was because I had a good positive recommendation from someone who has actually worked with me in the past, which I thought was really interesting because I think most of the time, we don't really think about the contributions that we have had in any of our previous roles, previous companies, or all the impact that we have made as well, not just like, you know, to the general department, but to the individual person who has actually worked with you. So that particular management and leadership who has worked with me, you know, she really remembered me and she even recommended her new team director to reach out to me, which I thought, oh, wow, like, the time when I've left Visa to the time that this new, you know, team director

reached out to me, I think it must have at least been two years, maybe even more as well. So I think it goes to show me that I think it was like really the first time I saw it that, oh, okay, you know, the fact that you did a good job, like people remember, right? And if there's one thing that you want to stay motivated on, like the impact that you make and the fact that people remember it is the fact that, you know, none of the hard work that you've put in really goes to waste. I think that was really an important lesson that I learned that day. Now, after that, after

sharing the details of the job with me and stuff like that, then he asked me, you know, do you want to pursue it? You know, we will go through five rounds of interview and da-da-da-da-da-da-da-da. I was like, okay. So now, the role sounded interesting. And obviously, I think the more exciting part was the fact that I might have an opportunity to work with Google. So, you know, we're not going to go into detail as to like how to choose the right job

because that's something that I have discussed in the previous videos as well. So I do teach the step-by-step in my career course. So we're not going to go into detail on that. But what I want to say is a lot of times we are very excited if it's a big brand and that's fine right you know most um almost everyone has like their ideal company that they want to work in right maybe at that time you know for me it's like oh google that sounds really fun maybe I'll go and interview and the role sounds like

something that I could do as well so that was the very simple thought process that I went through. So I went through five rounds of interviews. So two rounds was with the team in Singapore. So I spoke to the manager of the team and I also spoke to one of the compliance directors, also based in Singapore, for the Asia-Pacific office. And after the two interviews, I succeeded and I did a Google Hangout call. So these were two, three more interviews with the team based in the US, right? So it was a total of five rounds. I met very senior people as well. A lot of them were senior manager level, director level,

which was a very interesting interview experience. I do think that the interview team, the interviews at Google are those kind of interviews where they make you feel comfortable, but at the same time, I feel like it's an intellectual conversation. It didn't feel like, oh, you know, they were just reading off a script and, you know, there was like a perfect answer to everything. I do feel it was kind of conversational and it kind of gives you a better sense of like, if I were to join this team and work with these team members, how we would communicate on a day-to-day basis and I thought

that was really good so after going through five rounds right five rounds of interviews and obviously you know with any job application in Google there were many many many candidates as well but the process that I went through was actually quite fast and I think it also taught me a lesson of like okay you know if somebody really wants you most of the time the process that I went through was actually quite fast. And I think it also taught me a lesson of like, okay, you know, if somebody really wants you, most of the time the process will be seamless. It'll be really fast. So we're not going to go into too much detail on the interview process. After that, I had a conversation with HR. So, you know, HR told me that, you know, she obviously asked some questions on my salary and she also mentioned, you know, what they could offer

in terms of the career level as well as the department and what are the career growth opportunities within Google and obviously all the perks as well, like, you know, you have like free lunches, you know, there's, you know, the employee chill out area and all those things that, you know, you read online, right? so all with all the information that i had right then the question you know whenever i tell this story to my friends or to my clients my students in my program one of the questions they always ask me is that maybe then why did you end up declining the offer because everybody wants to work with google it's a good company to have on your resume and it's also a good company

to just chill out, right? You know, you have like nice lunches, the office is really beautiful and all those things. Now, I think those are really, really fair questions and the thing is that it, in my view, right, the company is important but it's never as important as, you know, the contribution and the growth opportunity and the learning opportunity that you will be able to get when you join the job. So I explained to you my thought process of ultimately declining the job with Google. And even though, like I said, they have a huge brand and it's everybody's dream job. But eventually I declined due to multiple reasons. The first one is the fact that the career level is a lot more junior than where I was at that time. So at that time, when I

left Standard Chartered, I was the associate director. So fairly senior position. However, the headcount that they had at Google was only like a specialist or like junior level, right? But that was the only headcount available. Even though, you know, there might have been plans to upgrade it to a senior or some manager equivalent, but those were not concrete plans. So one of the things that I thought of is, okay, if I were to restart at a junior level, what does that mean? Because does it mean that I'm going to erase all my past experiences and just start fairly fresh, which I wasn't sure if that was really what I wanted to do? Then the second thing I thought of was really around the department as well. So it was the audit department. And by that time, I had a good mixture of audit compliance and risk management positions, right?

And at that time, I asked myself whether, like, do I foresee continuing on the audit journey? So, given that I've tried so many things already, like, would this be the most, like, would it be the best path, I guess is what I'm trying to say. Like, would it be the best path to move forward? Because if I reroute back into another specialist zone, then could I foresee myself doing audit for the next 10 years? And my honest answer was like, I don't think so. Because for me, as I gradually moved from audit to, you know, internal controls, compliance, and a bit more like the business advisory stuff, I found that to be a lot more fun. And when, like, the job offer came, right, I felt that looking at the actual responsibilities, the day-to-day responsibilities, I didn't feel that that would be exciting and that would be a real growth, at least for me, not for you, but at least for me, I didn't feel that that would be something that I would want to do

if I were to think forward in the next few years. So that would then mean that, okay, you know, all the experience that I'll be getting in Google is not going to really go anywhere if I don't feel that that's the path for me. Now, I know it sounds a bit abstract, but again, right, it's just the thought process I've gone through and you might have your own, you know, thought process as well. So that was the second reason. And the third reason I also thought of is the fact that, you know, if the position that's being offered is kind of like a, I guess, junior or

specialist position, then, at what point, is the promotion, going to be guaranteed? Because, you know, headcount is very complicated, and I'll tell you that,

from someone who's actually been, in leadership and management, I used to, also look into headcount, and budgeting for, in my role, as the senior director, at Standard Chartered,

and I can tell you that, headcount is very complicated, right, there are no promises, until you see in black and white, okay, whatever your boss tells you, like that's still floating in the air, I'll just be honest with you.

So knowing that it was kind of a junior position and even though, right, Google could match the pay that I was making at that time, remember I was the associate director of Standard Chartered, even though they could match the pay, one of the questions I asked myself was,

like, does it mean that I'm at the upper tier and that would mean that unless the headcount opens up, I will not be able to get promoted? Now, this is a bit more complicated, but my point here is that if you are someone who take a demotion, right? Maybe you are a manager, you end up taking a senior executive role.

Don't forget that you need to wait till the headcount opens up again in that new company before it can be promoted. It's not a matter of just hard work, okay? So this is a conversation around promotion that we're not going to get into because it's a bit more complicated and I do teach the step-by-step

on positioning yourself for that. So I'm not going to talk about that, but my point is the ability for me and rather how fast for me to get promoted within the department, career ladder was something that I really, really thought of as well. And I told myself that, you know,

after working for so many years and really getting recognised and as I climbed the career ladder and increased my income, I'm not sure whether taking on this role with Google would be something that would help move me forward faster or you kind of like keep me stuck and eventually I get nothing but the name Google on my resume. Does that make

sense? So addressing the last thing that I always get asked is, hey, wouldn't you feel excited that you know, actually they are giving you like free lunches and the office is really cool and stuff like that. Now, here's my very honest answer to that question. Like if you want free lunches and the office is really cool and stuff like that. Now, here's my very honest answer to that question. Like, if you want free lunch, right, you can pay for yourself, you know, if you are in another job or another role that has growth opportunity, you can probably, you know, double your income in the next few years and you can probably buy it yourself. So, that was what I thought. And in terms of like, you know, the chill out area, you know, just having to be like in a nice culture

and stuff like that. Now, here's the reality, right? And I think this is something that people don't really want to recognize is the fact that like, if you're not happy with your day-to-day job responsibilities, it doesn't matter if the company actually has a playground for you

or they give you like, I don't know, entertainment, free coffee, free food or whatever because at the end of the day, like whatever you're doing every single day in terms of your KPI, it's not something that you enjoy and I don't think anything else can take away from that frustration of doing something that you don't like. In consideration of all of the above points, I decided to decline the offer. And I'm sure a lot of people thought it was a stupid decision because why would you say no to Google? But if you follow my thought process,

I truly believe that that was the right decision because the next role that I got right after my career break was a director level in Standard Chartered with a salary increment as well. And that actually helped me to gradually move up and work much closer to the business CEOs managing multi-million dollar projects and multi-million dollar portfolio.

So that was something that I was really good at and I was really glad that I made the right decision for myself. So I'm not saying that that's how you're going to make your decisions but what I am saying is that sometimes the opportunity is really interesting but the opportunity may not always be for you. So you know always think about what's important for you and what your career will look like as you plan forward. And lastly, I also want to emphasize that, you know, yes, we want to have a good LinkedIn profile strategy. And I teach the step-by-step in my course, right? That's the technical part. But once the thing that most people forget is the fact that you need to be really good at what you do and people remember the contribution that you make. So that was to me, I think the most important

lesson in which if you want referrals, you want to have a long-lasting career, you want to have fulfillment, happiness and new opportunities on an ongoing basis, you really want to work on your skills. You really want to work on your ability to get along with people, your ability to manage expectations, your ability to really deliver your performance goals. And I think that was something that truly helped me a lot and really opened up a lot more doors for me. Even though I was on a career break and I was supposedly quote-unquote doing nothing, but it's not really doing nothing because at the end of the day, your career is a journey. So just because you take a bit of time off, it doesn't mean that

you are gonna completely ignore everything that you've done in the past and it's a much better strategy to think of it holistically and really position and set yourself up for success. Whether you're taking a career break or not, whether you're on a holiday or not, whether you want to do something else, all this is totally possible. As long as you set yourself up with the right career growth strategy, and that was what I found really helpful for me. So finding opportunities,

that's like the final part of it. But what about the steps to get there? What about the steps to making sure that you have clear clarity on your job description? You have inner confidence to be courageous, to make decisions, right? To feel confident and motivated. And as well as making sure that you have the skills that are really in demand. And most importantly, you know actually how to sell your value.

So those are the things that I found super duper duper helpful for me. Even though during that time, I didn't have a clear framework. Like nowadays, I teach my career course, the three-step framework, I didn't have any of that, it was kind of a trial and error, you know, this was really many years ago, but I think having that step-by-step, having a clear strategy keeps you focused, and definitely kept me focused at that time, so that, yeah, even though there are new opportunities that came, I never forgot what was the most important thing, and the most important thing is always with me, right, If I'm good at what I do, if I'm clear what I want, if I'm truly confident and I'm really competent, I know my value, I'm able to communicate and sell my value, then getting the opportunity is the easy

part. Getting visible, attract new opportunities, actually that is the easy part. But everybody is focusing on the opportunities. They don't think about, are you someone that's worthy of getting the opportunity? So this is what I want you to think about. And if you haven't already, make sure that you download my free guide. And that is the 5-Day Career Growth Guide that will walk you through step-by-step on finding career clarity, job confidence,

work competence, and really how to position your value and sell yourself using online branding. And I think you'll really enjoy the quick guide that I've prepared for you. So download it and you can grab it for free at www.nipin.com. So with that, I'll see you in the next episode.