The Career Resource Center at SUNY New Paltz invites students of all majors to a slate of afternoon workshops with Adam Fahrenkopf, technical program manager for Google Assistant, who will offer advice and insight on the process of applying to and getting hired at modern companies that need employees with strong problem solving skills.
Google Day at SUNY New Paltz will be held on Saturday, Feb. 9, from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. in Science Hall room 181. The schedule includes three workshops that are open to all students:
- 12:30 – 1:30 p.m.: General overview of working at Google and discussion of current technological innovations
- 1:45 – 2:15 p.m.: The Google Interview
- 2:30 – 3:00 p.m.: The Google Résumé
Fahrenkopf is also inviting small groups New Paltz students to join him for a series of 30-minute meetings from 3 – 5 p.m., designed to allow for more in-depth Q & A about jobs, interviews and résumés. Space is extremely limited; interested students are encouraged to register ASAP using this link. (Update: Registration for the small group sessions is now closed; all are still welcome to attend the workshops scheduled form 12:30 – 3:00 p.m.)
Adam Fahrenkopf says he never explicitly sought out a career at Google. He earned an undergraduate degree and worked in software engineering before getting his MBA and, eventually, beginning the unique process of applying to work at Google.
“There are some similarities to other companies through the Google interview process, but there are also some differences,” Fahrenkopf said. “It’s not necessarily about granular, syntactic knowledge, but more about trying to solve a problem with what you know, taking your knowledge and applying it to the problem.”
Fahrenkopf was hired and quickly promoted at Google. In his current role, he helps lead engineering teams, keeping them working in coordination toward broader project goals. In spare time he is pursuing opportunities to share his experiences with people just beginning their own professional journeys.
“A lot of people have helped me throughout my career, and I’d like to give back as much as possible,” he said. “I think a great way to do that is to work with college students who are about to graduate, to kind of let them know what’s out there, give some good advice and distill some things I wish I knew when I first came out of college.
“I hope New Paltz students see this not just as an event about Google, but as an event about how you can better prepare for your career or whatever you want to accomplish. One of the main things is to think bigger and really challenge yourself.”
Visit this site to learn more about Google Day at SUNY New Paltz, and join the conversation on Feb. 9 from 12:30 – 5:00 p.m. in Science Hall room 181.
