Google Software Engineer, University Graduate, 2026 - India — Interview Experience (DSA+Googlyness)

I was contacted directly by a Google recruiter for the New Grad 2026 role and received an interview invite about two weeks later. Two rounds were initially scheduled for the same day, though one was rescheduled at the last moment.

Round 1 (60 minutes — 45 min DSA + 15 min Googlyness)

My interviewer joined around 25 minutes late, adding stress as I had another interview with a tight 20-minute gap. The problem itself was straightforward, and I was able to solve and code it. However, the overall interaction was uncomfortable. While I was coding and explaining my thought process, the interviewer abruptly told me to stop speaking and just write the code. After I completed my solution, she spent around 5–7 minutes checking it line-by-line against what seemed like an internal reference. The tone throughout our conversation felt irritated and dismissive, which made the experience quite difficult despite my maintaining professionalism.

Round 2 (45 minutes — DSA Only)

This round went significantly better. My interviewer was someone I recognized from Instagram/LinkedIn (a known tech influencer), and the interaction was smooth and positive. I clearly discussed my approach, covering edge cases, and walked through a dry run for the problem and its follow-up. My interviewer seemed genuinely satisfied with my solution and thought process.

Result

After about 1.5 months, my recruiter informed me that I was not selected. I had anticipated this result due to how the first round went, but it still stings when you’ve put in the effort. It was a learning experience regardless. You can prepare endlessly, but sometimes you simply cannot control the interviewer’s attitude or the environment you’re put into. Best of luck to everyone preparing. 🙏