How to Ace the Google GCA Interview | Tips from a Former Google GCA Interviewer and Hiring Manager

Coach Erika is a top 1% interview coach. I teach people how to refine resumes, turn recruiters into champions, and woo interviewers with powerful career storytelling. 93% of my clients land top-tier jobs at elite companies including Google, Spotify, Airbnb, and more.
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🧠🧠 What we Cover
Google's GCA Interview is tough to crack, and there's not a lot of good information out there about this unique type of interview at Google.
In this video, I teach you how to ace your GCA interview, starting with teaching you why the GCA interview exists and why it matters, what interviewers are looking for, and the best framework for answering Google GCA questions.
1️⃣ Why Google asks GCA questions 🧠
2️⃣ Adjusting your mindset on GCA questions (from candidate to peer)
3️⃣ What it means to share and show your cognitive abilities (clarifying questions, thinking (big) out loud, simplifying and stating assumptions, synthesizing)
4️⃣ 3 Most Common Types of GCA questions (your opinion about a future state, estimation questions on steroids, and (nearly) impossible scenarios).
5️⃣ A framework to answer GCA questions
6️⃣ Example GCA question with an example answer 👽
7️⃣ 💸 (Bonus) 💸 Handling interviewer follow-up questions
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What's Next & More Resources
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🎵 Music provided by KZbin and Pixabay sounds:
Nana Kwabena
Samuel Francis Johnson
Andrew kn
📸 Photos and support film provided from the incredible artists at Pexels, including:
A. Koolshooter
Jake Young
Pixabay
Rodnae Productions
Erik Mclean
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#googleinterview, #googleGCA, #gcainterview

[@nataliakrissy]

I never comment on videos lol but I just wanted to say thank you for all this advice! I am in my 3rd round of interviews and have a non-technical GCA interview scheduled for tomorrow and this video has definitely provided valuable insight. I have been practicing allllll week on sending people to Mars, opening up a bakery shop, and opening up a Google office in Bangalore, India. I'm feeling very prepared! Thanks!

[@CoachErika]

This really touched my heart 💜 Thank you! It means a lot to hear that you're getting a ton of value from the videos, and I love the idea of a GCA question about opening up a bakery!! Goooooooo! Good luck tomorrow 🤞 and let us know how it goes!

[@maninder17]

How was your interview 9 months ago? I am preparing for it now.

[@BNBTony]

Absolutely amazing video! This has been extremely helpful and informative for me and has helped ease some anxiety as I prepare for an upcoming interview process. Thank you so much!

[@CoachErika]

Great to hear! Thanks for the kind words.

[@SatriaHardinata]

OMG this is so mindblowing the way that you can tackle the question and develop that idea and expansive thinking. It is the real definition of jaw-dropping. Thank you so much for such educative and informative knowledge, Erika. I am learning a lot from you. Crossing my fingers and pls Wish me luck with my phone interview with Google next week.

[@CoachErika]

🤞🍀

[@Lamya1111]

Hey, this was helpful. Thanks!

[@intirey9845]

Thank you so much for this video ❤

[@CoachErika]

Most welcome 😁 Glad it helped you!

[@CoachErika]

Interviewing at Google? Share your experience with GCA questions! Also, feel free to ask any lingering questions you have about GCA questions in the comments!👇

[@poojasikdar3583]

Tips are really helpful. Thank you.

[@CoachErika]

You're so welcome!

[@deminitrix1]

The way you effortlessly answer the question Is amazing. As I practice my GCA interview for google, I find myself getting better but I realize that I’m most strong with /simplifying and not really the clarifying questions. Not sure how to start being able to ask clarifying questions 😭 But it’s also an apprenticeship so not sure if it’ll be as extensive as this

[@deminitrix1]

Also overall just need to learn how to think BIGGER. I have the right idea but I want to be better!!!

[@CoachErika]

@@deminitrix1 that's exactly right. Thinking big and using first principles thinking is the key. Most other apprentice candidates are unlikely to be working at this as diligently as you, but keep at it. It will help you far beyond the interview!

[@deminitrix1]

@@CoachErika thank you so much Erika! You definitely have a new subscriber! Hopefully I’m able to show my potential and land the apprenticeship! But if not, I know it’ll be a great experience regardless. I dont want to attach myself to any outcome :)

[@mezza001]

I am having my first ever interview on 1st Sept 2023!! I am so nervous and excited at the same time. I think I am going to have fun with the interview and do my best!

[@CoachErika]

Good luck!

[@cesarniyomugabo3097]

Very helpful

[@CoachErika]

Glad you think so! Thank you for taking the time to share your appreciation.

[@ParrotPodo]

Hi Erica! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and experience. I found this one as I searched for Google's interview process. Recently, a friend of mine who is a former Google employee recommended me to apply for Google as a marketer(currently open position) in a local Google office. I was hesitant when I heard it from that friend for the first time because of my age (47, 20+ years in marketing). But as I get to understand more about Googliness and the culture Google has, I get to wanting to work with the great team and to give it a try at least. I'm not sure if I will even get a chance for the interview, but still, through this video, I've gained the confidence to think I could do this. Thanks a lot!

[@CoachErika]

Go for it!

[@charlywwood]

Thanks!

[@keranafamily7721]

Thank you! I think removing the background music would help. What we want to hear is your voice!

[@CoachErika]

Yes! I'm lowering or removing the background music for future videos! Really appreciate the candid feedback. Let me know if there's anything specific you want me to cover in future videos.

[@anupamsantara8776]

@@CoachErika I believe the Background music was fine, its soothing, and will keep us glued.

[@CoachErika]

@@anupamsantara8776 awww thanks, I appreciate it!

[@roderickmccleary903]

Hi Erika - awesome video, so thorough and helpful for candidates. I saw in a comment that you were interviewing folks for Product/ENG roles. I am doing my GCA interview for a sales role, would you say the themes you've laid out in this video will be similar to the Sales GCA interview?

[@CoachErika]

Expect more market sizing questions in sales roles. Less Mars, more estimation questions on steroids.

[@obrienortega6942]

Thank you Erika for this informative video. Question, are Google GCA panel interviews?

[@CoachErika]

All Google interviews, with rare exceptions, are single interview. No panels.

[@akashdambhare627]

Hi Erica, Thanks alot for this amazing video,the video helped me to understand the concept and got really good example question, I've applied for Salesforce Analyst role do you think I should be preparing all 3 types of questions?

[@CoachErika]

I'm not super familiar with Salesforce analyst interviews, but I assume you should be prepared for some market sizing or other estimation questions, for sure.

[@midnighthill]

Thanks for the great video. I am on the way to a google CGA test for EPM role and I would like to find a coach to help me practice/improve the way I think during those hypethetical questions. Is there any candidate you suggest with?

[@CoachErika]

You can check out my coaching options at coacherika.co (linked in the video description as well)

[@patrickdevlin3164]

Thanks for this guide Erika, I would have bombed my interview tomorrow without this. Any special tips or advice for neurodivergent candidates?

[@CoachErika]

Lean in to your gifts. It's very common to interview neurodivergent candidates in tech, so rest assured that your interviewer will be rooting for you, not against you.

[@himanigulati6922]

This was helpful! I have a suggestion though! The volume of the music in the background is so loud, I was having trouble focusing on the words you were speaking.

[@CoachErika]

I know! I'm so sorry, and I can't fix it! I'll change it in future videos though. Thank you for the feedback!

[@shishirjaiswal5907]

Hi Erica, I am interviewing at the firm next week and the role is in Finance Operations, the job is first in the country as they are trying to expand at different locations and it is directly with the hiring manager, what type of questions do expect and how to address those?

[@CoachErika]

I'm definitely not a mind-reader and can't tell you exactly what to expect, but you should prepare to tell your career story and why you want this role. And most likely a number of behavioral questions based on your past experience.

[@davidkatusa3577]

Thanks for the video...all of the video is super helpful and aligns with tips I have received from a handful of others, however the question types you mention are a bit different from my experiences. are you able to provide information on the roles you interviewed people for? I ask because I will be having my third attempt at a virtual on-site day, and after getting through several GCA questions (and a few GCA specific interviews) none of them have been opinion based, estimation based, or "almost impossible to solve" scenario based. I have been interviewing for PgM roles and every open ended question has been a hypothetical situation relative to project/program work. Any feedback will help, thanks!

[@CoachErika]

At Google I interviewed for tech roles: product managers, program managers, engineering managers, technical program managers, and test engineers.

[@davidkatusa3577]

@@CoachErika OK thanks. Do you think it is just by chance that I did not get any of the question types you mentioned, or might the question types have changed to be a bit more role specific since you performed the interviews? Asking so I know what to prepare for, as I have been going mainly off my experiences thus far. Thanks!

[@CoachErika]

@@davidkatusa3577 I need more context to help. What role were you interviewing for, and what GCA questions did you get?

[@edjung3977]

I'm wondering how can I approach the first sample GCA question you mentioned (What industries will change most in the next 20 years, and how?). Do you have any recommendation how I should clarify and breakdown?

[@CoachErika]

Happy to walk through this in a coaching session in detail, but at a high level you should use the same framework I present in the video.

[@lauracaicedo10]

Great video. Would suggest to reduce the he number of ads in such short video

[@CoachErika]

Gotta take that up with KZbin!

[@christopherndz]

Hi Erica, I have an upcoming APMM interview @ Google. Looking for any interview tips. Hoping we can connect. Thanks! 🤞

[@CoachErika]

Feel free to reach out. Check out my website coacherika.co

[@sakshitayal8045]

what kind of GCA questions i can expect for Tech recruiting role

[@CoachErika]

Less out there, more grounded in reality. More estimation questions. "What's the size of X market in ten years?" And you might even get "how many Z's are there in the US ?" (Where z is walkie talkies, pixel phones, golden doodles, etc)

[@snowmeltstudiosPNW]

How are GCA interviewers stressed tested for implicit bias? How do these types of interviews create space of candidates with ADHD or Autism?

[@CoachErika]

At Google, all interviewers are trained on these topics.

[@prathviirajj]

Can I selected if I have 61% in 12th. I'm good at coding also graduation score upto 8.5+ CGPA.

[@CoachErika]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by 61% in 12th? GCA and college GPA have nothing to do with one another.

[@anonymus5316]

I'm preparing for Google apprenticeship interview. Can i expect questions as farsighted as this for apprenticeship?

[@CoachErika]

Unlikely.

[@anonymus5316]

@@CoachErika thanks 👍🏼

[@quantumhelium]

11:09 - most important part

[@CoachErika]

Thanks for helping others who are watching!

[@multiversomental6893]

Too late. I already screwed up mine

[@CoachErika]

Oh no! What happened?

[@diilite]

Thank you for creating these videos! I just watched a video published by Google, which indicates that they no longer ask questions like "how many golf balls can fit inside a 747". Instead, they are moving toward situational and hypothetical questions. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3qwg2topLRlesU Do you know if that statement is still accurate? The video from Google is old (3 years), so I wanted to ask. Thanks!

[@CoachErika]

You're right, there are definitely way more situational behavioral questions today than before. Personally, I prefer situational Q's for non business roles anyway -- the response process is similar, starting with clarifying questions, so hopefully this video is helpful to you!

[@CoachErika]

I should note that when I talk about "estimation questions on steroids" in this video, I'm referring to what the golf ball question has evolved into that (see video for the full context) -- and these estimation questions on steroids are still asked, though they now focus more on how you size a market or a problem relevant to the role, rather than the volumetric capacity of a 747.

[@quantumhelium]

The background music is driving me insane,

[@CoachErika]

I know, I'm so sorry.

[@megg8475]

😮😅 is this hypothetical question? Or Google would really ask about something so... imaginary?

[@CoachErika]

It's real 👽🛸