Meet Jacob. Jacob is our Griffith Google Student Ambassador for 2016 at the Gold Coast Campus. As a Student Ambassador, he has come to learn about what it’s like to be an employee at Google, how to organize promotional events and has even been invited to visit the Google offices in Sydney! He now dreams of scoring a grad role at Google. In the following interview, he tells us why.
Q – What are you studying?
A – I’m currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in economics and finance.
Q – How did you find out about the Google Student Ambassador Program?
A – After I finished exam block in semester 2, 2015, I saw on my Facebook newsfeed an invitation to the “End of Year Picnic” event for Google at Griffith. I had no idea what the event was about, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to go along to find out. I came to the event and met Lucas, the ambassador from UQ, and Erika who was the Griffith ambassador in 2015. They were very friendly and explained the ambassador program to me.
Q – What first made you want to apply for the program?
A – Initially I was encouraged by last year’s ambassador, Erika, to apply because she mentioned that barely anyone at Griffith knew about the program. She recommended that I give it a go and felt that I had the ‘Googleyness’ to be a great ambassador. She even recommended to Google that I would be a great fit for the role.
Q – What do you think helped you to get the edge over other applicants?
A – As part of the application process, it was required that we make a video about ourselves. Instead of describing my skills in an interview-like process, I decided to talk about the fun ‘Googley’ side of who I am. I used many Google products in my video. For example, I used Google Maps to showcase where I was born and used Google images to show the degree I study on campus. I further edited my video using YouTube video editor.
Q – What cool experiences have you had since joining the program?
A – Since being offered the role, the best part so far has been having the opportunity to visit the Google office in Sydney and meet the other Google Student Ambassadors. I loved engaging and talking to students about the ambassador program and giving away Google freebies (swag). My intention as a GSA (Google Student Ambassador) has always been to make people happy and seeing people laugh and smile is the most rewarding aspect for me.
Q – Has it been challenging juggling your Google Student Ambassador Role with your studies?
A – When I had huge assessments due it could be quite a challenge, especially when I had one assessment due every week. I try to balance my studies with the program but my secret is to schedule events as early as possible in the semester. Google expects you to only dedicate 10 hours per month to the role so it’s quite manageable.
Q – What advice would you give to students who are thinking of applying to be the next Google Student Ambassadors?
A – Try as hard as you can to get involved in student life on campus before you apply for the GSA program. This can be achieved by joining or leading clubs/societies. It has been a challenge to learn how to host events, especially when it comes to booking a venue. Ask fellow teachers if they can assist with this and co-host an event with a club. To give an example, for our events we have collaborated with Griffith Mates to use the Big Board Games outside the library. They were small but fun events and the students loved getting free Google swag. I would also recommend contacting Griffith Careers and Employment Team who are awesome and have been very supportive in co-organising our upcoming Google event at South Bank Campus, happening in late November!
Q – Do you want to work for Google when you graduate? If not, where do you see yourself?
A – I would love to work for Google. Working for Google would be a dream come true! I graduate at the end of this semester and have every intention to apply for a position at Google. The enticement of a challenging work environment, free food, access to a gym and games while in the office makes Google my ideal company to work for. I believe that becoming a GSA has helped me to gain an advantage in being shortlisted for career opportunities and internships within Google. During our time at the Sydney office, we met a few Google employees who started off as GSA’s and eventually gained a full time position. The opportunities are endless. If anyone wants to score a role at Google, becoming a GSA is the golden ticket to get your foot in the door.
If you are interested in working with Google, keep up to date with Careers and Employment social media channels and Google at Griffith to find out when Google will be hosting employment events on campus.
Griffith University Careers and Employment Service 