A deep dive with Google taught UNSW Business School student Catherine Hu what it takes to stand out.
Self-starter attitude: UNSW Business School student Catherine Hu.
After three months of a coveted internship at Google, UNSW Business School student Catherine Hu had the chance to pioneer a partnership between the tech giant and UNSW Sydney.
The 22-year-old worked on piloting a national launch of Google Ad Academy at UNSW after landing a role in the Global Customer Solutions team at the end of 2018.
“It will be a one-day training course and at the end of it, students will have the opportunity to network with some of our top clients and agencies to get more information about working in these industries,” Ms Hu said.
“For students who want to go into digital marketing or want to work with Google products, they’ll have the opportunity to get that first-hand knowledge from Google.”
The online certification already exists as a self-taught program, but the selling point for students is the chance to learn face-to-face from Googlers.
What it takes to be a Googler
Students vying for the ‘Googler’ title – or ‘Noogler’ for new hires – will know that Google hires the best and brightest in the industry.
Ms Hu has made her mark throughout her Commerce and Law degree, having studied at Harvard, competed internationally in case competitions and represented her cohort in societies and on the faculty board.
She advised applicants to have a good idea of the internship requirements and to think about what made them stand out as a candidate.
“Speak to recruiters about the kind of roles they’re looking for and how your experience will tailor to that,” the 22-year-old said.
“Try and think about what makes you stand out … this could be cool projects you’ve worked on – maybe you’ve tried to start your own business or gone overseas and volunteered.”
A ‘Googly’ culture
Google is consistently considered to be a global leader in workplace culture, so it’s no secret that the perks are also considered the best in the industry.
As Ms Hu explained, interns can expect a full plate of responsibilities, top-tier clients and, of course, fully catered meals.
But despite the bells and whistles, interning at Google needs a certain level of autonomy and a self-starting attitude.
“You’re not handheld through any project which I very much enjoy … it’s given me a lot of freedom to make executive decisions about what I want to do,” the Commerce student said.
“I think everyone here is super intelligent, passionate, very driven and ambitious, with big dreams and visions, and that starts at the top and feeds down all through the team.”
