Google GCA Question and Answer

[@anati32]

hey Jeff, just wanted to leave a thanks here. I have been consuming your videos over the last couple of weeks and they really helped me getting ready for my google interview yesterday. I passed and they are preparing an offer right now. so thanks a lot! :-)

[@jeffhsipepi]

CptBumsgewitter, amazing!!! Remember to negotiate!!

[@shailja3592]

Hiya! I am through my assessment and rrk rounds and have GCA and leadership +googlyness scheduled next week. Would it be okay if I email you to ask few queries. Any help is greatly appreciated. X

[@Factstelugu5]

Hey.. can you suggest any tips for who are attending google data analytics apprentice

[@jeffhsipepi]

Hi everyone, in this video we cover a common GCA question for GCP candidates at Google, I hope it helps!

[@zangofreak01]

Great Jeff.. some of the questions I had in this round were 1. Pastry shop price and location decision for a friend 2. Very random Question: How will I host a Sales meeting ?

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@zangofreak01 Yes, the pastry shop one is so common, I did a video on that one (kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6rIqGmrhbOep9U). The other one is also pretty common, it requires you to think about so many different possible scenarios that could occur in just one meeting. Good luck with the results!!

[@zangofreak01]

@@jeffhsipepi Thanks Jeff. Can you pls share some thoughts on structure and response for "How do I host a sales meeting" question?

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@zangofreak01 The clarification would be about understanding who will be attending that meeting, have I ever hosted this type of meeting before, what is the focus of this sales meeting, how long do I have to prepare for this meeting, etc. I would use the operation framework (GHBTRRSSS). And in the solution, I would keep it role focused. I hope this helps!

[@pawankumar-zr1rx]

Thank you,Jeff. The last time at google interview I was asked "How do you learn a new training or skill" I said from channels like LinkedIn, KZbin, training materials, experts in that field, your friends who might have expertise... I jumped straight into the answer... I have improved the approach from your and other videos but How do you build a framework for this and answer this in a structured way

[@jeffhsipepi]

pawan kumar, great question! Sometimes when we see what appears to be a very clear question, we just dive in, but your interviewer may have something more specific in mind. I might want to clarify whether I had ever done something like this before, if I had any limitations on budget or timeline, and or if this was just in general or if I should assume that I am a Google employee with access to their training materials as well. Then you could set a simple framework of a few approaches you like to take before learning a new skill, like doing research, communicating with others in your industry, etc. Then you could dive into the solution. Straight up questions like this, sometimes a framework is too much, but I always like to clarify these questions to build a connection with my interviewer.

[@pawankumar-zr1rx]

@@jeffhsipepi Thank you... you have already guided in live connect few days ago and this is super helpful for me. Essentially I understood that the way you answer is how you think through throughly and how far and deep can you think, probe and cover all the max. Possible bases...

[@cloudgenai]

Just watching this video, moments before the interview, watching you itself makes me feel confident and makes me to believe that I can do it too. Thanks.

[@jeffhsipepi]

Mayur Rathi Cloud, let us know how it went!

[@cloudgenai]

@@jeffhsipepi GCA interview went well. I am positive for the interview result, will keep you updated.

[@vinayananth07]

Jeff, I have my final round scheduled for this week where the Hiring-Manager will be assessing customer empathy, stakeholder management and also my team work skills. Please share any pointers /clue on these topics, to smash this virtual interview (video-call) and nail it! Kind regards Vinay

[@jeffhsipepi]

Vinay, the biggest item to focus on with all three is getting into the details. Typically, what I see from clients in these areas is they say they did it, but don't explain how. Did you ask questions, if so, what type? If you created an action plan, what did it look like? Etc. Demonstrating the how you actually did it will be critical to success, good luck!

[@jankidepala]

Hello Vinay, Could you share you experience?

[@OluseyiLala]

Hi Jeff, I am interviewing with the hiring manager for the TPM, GEN role next week. What type of GCA questions should I expect and any other tips would be great. This is meant to be a 45mins via meets.

[@jeffhsipepi]

Oluseyi Lala, the most important items to remember with GCA questions is to use the CFAS method and answer wearing the hat of the role. You can use this video to help you create questions, but expect anything, good luck! kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGKsZ5uYfrqslbc

[@OluseyiLala]

Hi Jeff, Hope you are doing great today? I applied for a PgM role @ Google for the GEN team in Dublin 1st February 2022. In preparing for it I reached out to some of my friends who work there and one of them recommended your KZbin channel, after my recruiter call and setup for the next round my recruiter also added a link to your KZbin channel in the confirmation email so it double confirmed how valuable your platform is and thanks for doing what you do for the community. I checked it out and took tips into my PgM interview and crushed it. Now I have the next round of 5 virtual on-site interviews next week but I noticed the role has changed to TPM and the last 2/5 interviews are now going to be on Technical Judgement. What is your take on this? Regards Oluseyi Lala

[@dabme765]

Started watching your videos.. I had no idea about these frameworks with consulting approach. Super glad I stumbled upon your channel. I have an upcoming interview & will definitely practise alot with your frameworks. MASSIVE thanks for putting these contents out there

[@jeffhsipepi]

dab me, thank you, so glad this content helped you!

[@quirkyquester]

Thank you so much Jeff! This is amazing! This video is really helpful :) I'd love to know how many of these kind of questions would the interviewer ask? Since the interview is about 1 hour. Your answer to one of these is like 3-4 minutes. Thank you so much Jeff!

[@jeffhsipepi]

George, really good question. So the initial answer is short, but the overall answer will likely end up being 15 to 20 minutes plus. GCA questions are intended to come with many follow up questions. Typically in a GCA interview, 2 open-ended questions, that is all!

[@quirkyquester]

@@jeffhsipepi Thank you so much Jeff! This is really insightful! :')

[@altsm0284]

Hi Jeff, Gr8 Content you have in all videos, I'm gonna appear for Business analyst Manager interview after 2 days , do u have any kind of video for this role . Many Thanks !

[@jeffhsipepi]

alt Sm02, you can find practice questions on my website - www.practiceinterviews.com/free-resources. But for this specific role, focus on analytics/data and collaboration, good luck!

[@taz0914]

Hi Jeff! I'd love to see a sample GCA question and answer for the Strategy Operations Lead position. All the sample Q&As I come across are all mainly targeted for tech roles so I"m having a tough time understanding what types of questions may be asked. Thanks!

[@jeffhsipepi]

ilovetulips, I really try to focus on a less technical audience in my videos. All the same rules apply for tech and non-tech, use the CFAS method and answer wearing the hat of the role. If you can build strong assumptions that are role specific that will help you to create a more clear solution. I hope this helps.

[@Lottuscidalia]

Hi Jeff, Thanks for all these fantastic videos. I have my onsite interviews scheduled for next week for a PM role and I was wondering that in a GCA interview we get max 3 to 4 questions so If we use the same framework GHBTRRSSS to answer all the questions then it's going to be weird. Can you help me understand what's the best approach?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Ci R, typically GCA interviews have 3 questions (2 Hypothetical / 1 Behavioral), but it depends on your interviewer. You can use similar framework concepts, but yes, I would not use the same exact framework in more than on question. Great question, thanks!

[@pingpong4620]

Hi Jeff, what should be clarified and what should be assumed?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Ping Pong, clarification questions should be higher level and assumptions should be more specific. Any data you gather in the clarification stage should be applied in the assumption stage. What you clarify and assume will be up to you, but have a plan for both!

[@mohammadyousuf1127]

Hi Jeff, First of all I would like to thank you for making and sharing these videos. With the help of these videos, I got insight into Google's GCA and Googleyness & Leadership interview rounds. I know we can book interview coaching with your Team on your Website. However I would like to know if there is a way to set up coaching session either with you or with any of your Team members in another few days.

[@jeffhsipepi]

mohammad, I am now the only coach on my platform so all coaching sessions will be done directly with me 😬. If you do not see availability you can always chat with my colleague Shanon on the website to see if we can squeeze you in, thanks!

[@ahmedelias1582]

Hi Jeff great tutorial videos on GCA. I have my final interview next week and I was wondering if you had any “recruiter” position related videos. Any help would be greatly appreciated :)

[@jeffhsipepi]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2W4n4t5hdOCjqM

[@divyapamnani2918]

Hi Jeff, Thanks for sharing awesome videos. I have phone screening with the recruiter next month for FA role. Unfortunately, they said they haven't decided Team yet, and they said they will ask few problem solving questions. what do you think how many problem solving questions are they gonna ask in 30 mins. Plus, what specific products of google I should know before my interview as I am not sure about the Team yet.

[@jeffhsipepi]

Divya, the number of questions really depends on you and your interviewer, but in 30 minutes probably only two or three. You will not need to be a product expert, I always recommend just learning about Google's overall suite of products. Good luck!

[@Gamecenter456]

Hi Jeff, great info. I have my 3hr interview Tuesday, how can get with you on a one on one possibly this weekend.

[@jeffhsipepi]

@Gamecenter456, I currently still have two openings available on Saturday. You can book using this link - calendly.com/practiceinterviews/1-1-practice-interview?month=2024-09

[@Gamecenter456]

@@jeffhsipepi Thanks, if only there were options for 3&6 month pmt plan. I just don’t have that amt atm.

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@Gamecenter456 I understand. Please utilize all the free resources I provide and consider using the app, it will really help you! (app.practiceinterviews.com/welcome)

[@amrithas1188]

Great content! Is the free course still available?

[@jeffhsipepi]

@amrithas1188, thank you so much for the positive feedback. We had a free course for 15 months to get user feedback and then we created a paid course. You can learn more about my course and AI product by visiting my website - www.practiceinterviews.com/

[@TheRavenK]

Hey Jeff, I have a role based interview for Product Solutions Engineer and Go-to-Market Specialist (OPG). What questions can I expect? Is there any site where I can refer some tech based questions? Or shall I expect normal behavioral and hypothetical.?

[@jeffhsipepi]

TheRaven K, I have two question banks on my free resources page - www.practiceinterviews.com/free-resources

[@TheRavenK]

@Jeff H Sipe Great thanks much. Really appreciate.

[@Ritipitiz]

Hi Jeff, thanks for this video. May I know it’s important for us to know most of the products in google? For example the first questions it mentions GCP and BigQuery. What happens if you’re unsure or not familiar of the product the interviewer is mentioning? Does this apply to all roles or roles related to GCP? Thanks!

[@jeffhsipepi]

Ritipitiz, I always recommend learning about Google products before the interview, but you will not be expected to be an expert on products that do not have to do with the role.

[@vladcarpenco8513]

Hi Jeff, thank you for sharing these great videos! Do you have GCA question samples or tips for product lead designer roles in GCP space?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Vlad, the reality is that most open-ended/hypothetical questions asked to those going into product roles feel like GCA questions. The biggest items for you to focus on as a Product person are making sure you are checking in with your interviewer and actually getting to the execution of the design, not just the ideation, good luck!

[@vladcarpenco8513]

​@@jeffhsipepi Absolutely agree! Thank you!

[@jenniferliangchan1007]

I thought interviewers usually answer the questions whenever you ask clarifying questions (as long as you ask reasonable questions). This is the first video I see where the interviewer just leaves it up to the interviewee to determine. Can you clarify if this is usually what happens?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Jennifer, it really depends, I want you to be ready for anything, but do not anticipate that they will answer your questions. It really depends on the individual, their mood, the specific day, etc. Ask either or / yes or no questions, this will increase the likelihood that they do answer you. Lastly, if they tell you not to ask questions, just turn it into verbalized thought process, I would be thinking if it was x or y, I would be curious if it was z, yes or no, etc.

[@nehashaikh6685]

Hey Jeff! Thanks for putting out these Really helpful videos - I was wondering if you plan do one with questions more specific to an Account Manager role?

[@jeffhsipepi]

nea 07, I have received a lot of requests to create an Account Manager video, it is definitely on my list!

[@akshitapoonia474]

neha2, ping me at [e-mail]

[@ameyadumbre4926]

@@akshitapoonia474 hey Akshita, if you have a few sample questions then could you send it to me as well on [e-mail]

[@ArvindSharma-kj9jd]

Hi Jeff, Thank you so much for this amazing video. I was going through your video but was not able to completely understand. Explaining this with example give me lot of insights. I request you to make few more example videos like this for a data engineer role as well. Also where can I get the access to the free course.

[@jeffhsipepi]

Arvind, we have not tackled the Data Engineer role, so it is definitely one we will consider producing in the future. You can access our free course here - app.practiceinterviews.com/signin, thanks!

[@learner1986]

Hello Jeff !! Wonderful videos. They really build confidence and are so much insightful. I would be appearing for the "Cloud Migration Consultant, Infrastructure, Google Cloud" role interviews. Would like to understand what type of questions might come up? How can i handle those considering I have never used GCP before? I am more into Azure. Or you have anyone who could guide me during this selection process, please? Thanks in advance. And a very Happy New Year to you !! :)

[@jeffhsipepi]

Ravi, thank you! Sign up for our desktop app and see questions for like roles - www.practiceinterviews.com/signup. Having a foundation in cloud is good, whether it is Azure, AWS, etc. when interviewing for GCP roles. But definitely take the time to learn GCPs unique offerings and the suite of services, your competition is definitely taking the time to do it. Good luck!

[@sanjanasarangi6730]

Hi Jeff, I have an interview scheduled this tuesday. I come from AWS background and I have mentioned the same to the HR. They said that it should be fine. SHould I expect anything related to google cloud in my first infra interview?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Sanjana, sorry, looks like I am too late, the biggest challenge for people coming from AWS is dealing with open-ended questions. But also, I see a tendency to feel too confident with behavioral answers as well, I hope it went well!

[@kavya547]

Thanks Jeff for your amazing videos. One question that I had was will we be asked questions regarding other Google products if we are giving interview for Cloud specific role for the GCA? This will help us to prepare in the right direction.

[@jeffhsipepi]

kavya sudeep it is always possible that other products are mentioned during these interviews. I want you to mostly focus on GCP, but have a baseline understanding of Google's core products as well. Good luck!!

[@kavya547]

@@jeffhsipepi thank you😇

[@isaacregalado9710]

Hey Jeff! First of all great video, your content has helped a ton. Second, do you have any videos regarding the Non-Technical Solutions Consultant role? I've answered every question on your site related to it. Thanks!

[@jeffhsipepi]

Isaac, use the question bank looking up other non technical roles to find additional non technical questions, thanks!

[@阿不拉幾機]

[@jnovoa100]

Hi Jeff, I really enjoyed your video. I have an interview coming up soon for a Global Capacity Delivery (Technical Infrastructure) Program Manager role. Do you have any material for support? What kind of GCA questions do you think I can expect? I'd appreciate it if you could share anything helpful. Thank you! Jose

[@jeffhsipepi]

José, I will give you the same advice as everyone else, always solve GCA questions wearing the hat of the role. Meaning, no matter how random the question, tie it back to capacity delivery, it will make everything easier. I used to recruit for this role at Google, it is a good opportunity and a fun team, good luck!

[@jnovoa100]

@@jeffhsipepi Thank you so much Jeff for taking the time to answer. I appreciate the insight and details. It makes sense to tie it back to the specific role of the team. It's good to hear that it is a fun team!

[@RahulSharma-datasaur]

Hi Jeff, I have an GCA interview coming up for data engineering. Do you have any tips or suggestion of how the GCA questions would be structured for tech roles?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Rahul, you can check out questions on our app - www.practiceinterviews.com/signup. Most GCA questions are hypothetical and set up the questions in two parts - they set up the question with a specific item and then ask you to solve for that item with multiple follow up questions they can ask. On the behavioral side it is usually a pretty flexible example that you have most likely faced in your career, good luck!

[@RahulSharma-datasaur]

@@jeffhsipepi Thanks Jeff the questions bank is really helpful. One more question if I may, I loved your collection of hats. Would love to hear your recommended stores :)

[@WasiqqIsNinja]

Hi Jeff, thanks for the video! I have an interview for a GCP in two days and two of the things they told me to prepare for are questions about web technologies and databases. From the info I got, it seems like the questions would be theoretical (HTTP, DNS, TCP, data modelling and database architecture). Do you have any tips for narrowing my studying down a bit or what kinds of questions would be asked for these (e.g. trivia/knowledge vs situational? Thanks!

[@jeffhsipepi]

Autonomous Wasabi, what specific role are you interviewing for?

[@WasiqqIsNinja]

@@jeffhsipepi , I'm interviewing for the cloud technical residency program

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@RealityFan-bb5ze Glad we got to chat about this answer this morning, let me know if you need additional guidance.

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@RealityFan-bb5ze be prepared for anything in this interview, ideally they focus on your core expertise, but this is not always the case!

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@RealityFan-bb5ze I apologize, I though I had replied to this comment, expect anything, they might not focus on your technical expertise!

[@Timtimzi]

Hi Jeff, I’m preparing for my first phase with a recruiter for a finance role at Google. Got the email to meet last week. Would you have any finance related questions to cover? Also can I expect GCA from a 30min phone screen? Thanks!

[@jeffhsipepi]

timtimzi, you can use the question banks in the free resources page on my website - www.practiceinterviews.com/free-resources. It is highly unlikely that your Recruiter will ask you a GCA type question.

[@Timtimzi]

@@jeffhsipepi Understood. Thanks for the heads up. I'll come prepared nonetheless as it's my first big shot at Google ! Hope to catch you again in your other videos!

[@aloto1240]

Jeff, quick question. I have GCA tomorrow morning and wondering if the questions will reflect the responsibilities of the role in any way - Tech Specialist? Or should I not bother expecting anything similar to the role?

[@jeffhsipepi]

ALOT SSET, I am likely too late! Typically, GCA interviews include two open-ended questions, one is close to the role you are interviewing for and one is totally random. This does not happen in all cases, but this is the norm. I hope the interview went well, good luck!!

[@aloto1240]

@@jeffhsipepi Thanks for getting back to me Jeff. You are super kind.

[@surabhiagarwal7360]

Hi Jeff, thanks a million for your amazing content, is there a way I could get access to this course?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Surabhi, yes you can access our free course by utilizing this link - app.practiceinterviews.com/signin

[@sneha114]

Thank you for this content and the resources. Can I get the course please?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Sneha - app.practiceinterviews.com/signin, this will be free for a limited time, check it out!

[@madinaabbassova9767]

@@jeffhsipepi thank u for providing a link. But it does not work... are free resources still available?

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@madinaabbassova9767 Thanks for letting us know, we will take a look!!

[@KP_City_Life]

@@jeffhsipepi yes the LinkedIn Https link requirement does not recognise correct LinkedIn links - so doesn’t allow the creation of a new profile :/

[@jeffhsipepi]

@@KP_City_Life Ok, thank you for letting us know, we thought we had it fixed, let me check and get back to you!

[@michellekassoff8634]

I want the course.

[@jeffhsipepi]

Michelle, our first course is coming very soon, we are currently in testing mode and hope to have it realized by January 1st!

[@michellekassoff8634]

@@jeffhsipepi Thanks Jeff!

[@pineapple_pete]

What is GCA and GCP?

[@jeffhsipepi]

Peter, GCA stand for General Cognitive Ability, this is one of Google's toughest interviews and GCP stands for Google Cloud Platform.

[@mitumanidas7680]

Hi Jeff, I want to apply for recruitment profile at Google so how do I prepare for this , please help

[@jeffhsipepi]

Mitumani Das, you are starting off in the right way, the first step is preparation. Get all your behavioral answers down in a Google doc, for open-ended/GCA questions, start preplanning clarifying questions and frameworks. Once you have done this work, start practicing with people and remember, recruiting roles are incredibly collaborative, so remember to always be highlighting this skill in your answers, good luck!

[@djdevere]

This is tough

[@jeffhsipepi]

Devere, I know!! It just takes a little time to get into the flow and understanding the transitions, once you understand these core items and if you always follow the CFS Method, you will do great!

[@gullal1]

Hey Jeff, when I get a GCA question, how do I know that I have to respond to it in the 2 - 3 mins timeframe vs. having to whiteboard with them. e.g if they say how will you improve google maps, how do I know this is not one of those questions where you have to whiteboard like this one - kzbin.info/www/bejne/m3qwg2topLRlesU

[@jeffhsipepi]

gullal1, so ideally in a GCA interview you will always use a whiteboard if it is comfortable for you. Because of the virtual interviews, you can have a whiteboard set up, but not all interviewers will let you use it. But the second more important item to remember is that no component of any open-ended answer should be more than a couple of minutes. Specifically, in a GCA interview your interviewer will have a number of pre-planned follow up questions. So continue to provide shorter solutions of no longer than 2 minutes and check in with them often. Let me know if this is clear or requires additional clarification, thanks!

[@bekacynthia]

The interviewer needs some Red Bull. The interviewee needs to get to the point. :)

[@jeffhsipepi]

Beka, thanks for the feedback! This was the first time Eirik and I did a video together and we will need to go back and rewatch it to see if we can apply this comment to future videos.

[@eiriksomerville1032]

RED BULL GIVES WINGS! @_@

[@danishahmed0000]

too many ads

[@jeffhsipepi]

Danish Ahmed, I sincerely appreciate this feedback! I need to review how ads are being placed in my videos because I believe KZbin is now allowing Creators to decide where they are placed. I will make this tweak because it is critical that the flow of these videos is not getting interrupted, thanks!