A staple of the undergraduate summer, internships offer great industry experience and training for students looking to accelerate their career. Many QUESTees enjoy the opportunity, but by the time classes start again the adventure seems a somewhat distant memory. Luckily for Alex March (Q19) though, his internship at Google was captured in this summer’s blockbuster flick, The Internship. For those that haven’t seen The Internship, starring Owen Wilson and Vince Vaughn, the movie follows two salesmen whose careers have been torpedoed by the digital age and manage to secure a competitive internship at Google.

Initially hearing about The Internship we knew we had to interview Alex. We even fielded questions from the QUEST community, and Alex was kind enough to sit down with us.

The interview is below–

So you saw The Internship, how well does the movie imitate real life?

Google is a definitely more empowering in real life than it is portrayed in the film. From a work standpoint, although Google is a very collaborative and team based environment, it is certainly not as cutthroat as shown in the film. As far as the culture goes, yes Google is that awesome! Although I do not play Quidditch with my team, we are still part of a weekly basketball league. There are guest lecturers and unique events happening on campus every day. It’s like college 2.0!

How did you go about getting your internship at Google?

Getting both of my internships at Google was no easy task. It took a lot of perseverance and countless hours of due diligence on the company. I decided to search for (and reach out to) various Google recruiters, and fortunately had the grades and experiences to back up my application if they got back to me.

What impactful lessons have you learned during your time at Google?

1. Seek challenging projects (they are all learning experiences)
2. Meet as many people as possible (everyone is interesting!)
3. Become a morning person
4. Over-communicate on everything
5. Honesty and transparency are the best policies
6. Never be afraid to ask questions, reach out to someone you do not know, or ask for help

What is your favorite perk at the Google campus?

THE FREE GOURMET FOOD! Just kidding! I would have to say my favorite perk is the high level of transparency that the Google leadership team has with their employees. I feel that this perk is the foundation of making working at Google feel as if you are part of a greater community instead of just working at another nine to five job. The weekly all hands meeting (TGIF) is quite a unique perk that is next to impossible to find at any other company on Google’s scale.

If you had to choose one, which character would you say you most resemble, Billy (Vaugh) or Nick (Wilson) and why?

I would have to go with Nick. I admire his willingness to learn (especially the new technical skills). Plus, he tied the team together, knew how to positively influence his teammates, and was googley!

Do they Really call you guys Nooglers? Can I call you a Noogler from now on?

Yes, for the first week. No.

Soooo, can you grab an extra Google Glass for me on your way back to College Park?

I’m still working on getting myself a pair!

By Jacob Wilkowsky