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Category: Google

I’m Applying For A Job At Google

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I applied to work at Google!  The opportunity, Google Developer Advocate, is a perfect fit for me!

Now, an opportunity that I can’t pass up has come to my attention.

Why Google, Why Now?

Here I am in December 2002 sporting my Google tank top.  Back then I thought Google was an awesome resource to find the answers I needed to solve problems.  Yeah, I was a fan girl.  Not much more because let’s face it, who wanted to work for a search engine?

Over the years though, Google’s empire of applications has grown to include every sort of imaginable product for business, enterprise and consumers.  It also has helped me grow my consulting business.  Everything from Gmail email with massive storage and Postini packed spam filitering to Google maps and Google Apps domain email; a fully fledged merchant account with Google Checkout to the oh, so personal Google Wallet for your pocket; from sneezy Google flu trends to the most massive user generated video website known as YouTube to the social experiments of Google+ and ensuring the future of bright kids spending their summers building cool stuff with Google Summer of Code, Google has expanded to offer an amazing Smörgåsbord of services, ventures and solutions.  Let’s not forget Google Maps, the Android OS and the lighter side of Google with their snarky hoaxes (yeah, I linked up to Wikipedia!).

I want to join this team!

You can read about my love of technology, background and desire to make the world a better place.

You can watch a sampling of my YouTube videos that everyday help thousands of people make decisions about technology, life and their world.

Of course, the best way to find out more about me, my journey and what matters to me is to look through the ButYoureAGirl archives.

One of my roommates works at Google, the other worked there too until he left last year to work at a startup that he’s absolutely loving now!

Below is the job description that Google seems to have been crafted for me.  I would love to share the joy of the Google API.  I love talking with tech geeks like myself learn about what their needs are.  Developers and integrators close the loop on innovation between the main product and the customer.  Look at how successful the Google Apps Marketplace has been as well as many of the early companies who signed up.  Since I’m an excellent translator of requirements and needs, have endless enthusiasm for the “Ah ha!” moment and have cultivated a following online with readers, viewers and those thinking about doing something new.

I applied for this a few days ago and read Mashable’s article, “How To Land a Job At Google” so please wish me luck!

Job for Developer Advocate at Google

http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/uslocations/san-francisco/engops/devrel/developer-advocate-san-francisco/index.html

The area: Engineering

Simply put, Google engineers make computers do amazing things. Populated by extraordinarily creative, motivated and talented people, our Engineering team gets excited by developing new applications that really make a difference and are used by millions of people. We’re driven by Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. If you seek to tackle such challenges as building a highly scalable computing infrastructure, novel storage systems, innovative user experiences or the next big application that will change the world, then this might be a perfect fit for you.

The role: Developer Advocate

As a Developer Advocate, you will be a member of the Developer Relations organization. Developer Relations is focused on driving the success of Google’s developer products and the open web by creating a thriving ecosystem of 3rd party applications and businesses built on them. You will be an evangelist for our newest technologies in the outside world, as well as a vocal advocate for developers’ needs within Google. We expect you to be an engineer who thrives on the cutting edge of technology and loves seeing exciting, new applications and business that other developers are building. Your job is to drive momentum for exciting new technologies such as Chrome, Android, App Engine, Google Wave, Google Maps API, HTML5 and our core Google Apps and Ads APIs. You will work with some of our most strategic partners who push our technology to its limits — your job is to make them successful as they build apps that showcase the potential of our APIs and developer products. You will be the public face of Google representing these products, speaking at conferences, on panels, at user groups, actively blogging, tweeting and engaging with developer press and bloggers.

Responsibilities:

  • Create momentum and drive the success of Google’s developer products and the open web through your interactions with 3rd party developers building applications and businesses on them.
  • Advocate the adoption of Google developer products to strategic partners and the broader developer community.
  • Participate in technical and design discussions with technical executives at strategic partners to speed adoption and ensure best practices during implementation.
  • Evangelize our developer products in person and online by presenting at conferences, blogging, writing technical tutorials and other similar activities.
  • Advocate for developers internally, and influence Google developer product strategy by working with Product Management, Engineering, PR, Marketing, Business Development and other cross-functional teams.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • BA/BS degree (In lieu of degree, 4 years relevant work experience).
  • 4 years of experience including public speaking and presenting to large technical audiences, blogging and writing technical articles.
  • Programming abilities in one or more of the following languages: Java, PHP, Python, Ruby, .NET, JavaScript.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Degree in Computer Science or similar field.
  • 6 years relevant work experience, including experience blogging and writing technical articles, ideally with an existing follower base, as well as experience working directly with press and bloggers.
  • Excellent public speaking skills and charisma, with experience presenting to large technical audiences.
  • Strong command of web application or mobile application development landscapes.
  • Considerable success as a software developer, architect, technology evangelist, CTO, or consultant working with web or mobile technologies.
  • Strong command of web application or mobile application development landscapes.

The Pluses And Minuses Of Google Plus – Presenting At Web 2.0 Today!

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I’m excited that later today I’ll be presenting at the O’Reilly Web 2.0 Expo here in NYC.  I posted about it earlier this week and a few months ago and the day is here!

The Pluses and Minuses of Google+
I’ll be presenting at 11:45am in conference room D so stop by!

Here is the initial deck on Slideshare which I’ll update after the session:

Now Anyone Can Sign Up For Google+

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Google announced minutes ago  that Google+ is now open to the entire world!  Forget about asking for invites.

For the past 12 weeks we’ve been in field trial, and during that time we’ve listened and learned a great deal. We’re nowhere near done, but with the improvements we’ve made so far we’re ready to move from field trial to beta, and introduce our 100th feature: open signups. This way anyone can visit google.com/+, join the project and connect with the people they care about.

The announcement is cropping up everywhere on the internet including:

Lifehacker Google+ Now Available to Everyone, No Invitation Necessary

Mashable Google+ Now Open to Everyone

BBC Google+ opens service to everyone

Cnet Google opens its social network to all | Digital Media

RWW Google Plus Opens to All & Announces 9 New Features

Google started their beta or “field test” of their new social network this summer.  For many, it couldn’t of come at a better time with ongoing complaints about Facebook and the growing amount of noise on Twitter.  As with many of Google’s early products, Google+ was invite only.  I got in fairly early on June 29th, 2011 and made a video the same day to share my experience:

First Look Google+ (aka Google Plus)

Soon Google+ Guides, Tutorials, Cheat Sheets and even Google+ training began popping up all over.  There are no fewer than thirteen books on Google+ coming out this fall promising to help you learn how to use Google+.  I’m excited to share that

I’m speaking about Google+ at the O’Reilly Web 2.0 conference on it next month in NYC.  My session is called, “The Pluses and Minuses of Google+” and I have amazing content lined up for the session.  Now that I know the audience will have access to Google+, I’m going to make it more interactive. Sign up to attend Web 2.0.   Register today with discount code webny11alx107 to save an extra 20% off Web 2.0 tickets.  Code expires September 22nd, 2011.

All of you who felt you were missing out or couldn’t invite friends and family can now share the experience of Google+.  Of course, the interesting spin on this will be how new people will adapt, how the community will change and what new and creative uses people will use the new social network for.

Gmail Undo: When You Realize Your Mistake After Clicking Send

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How many times have you wished you could undo an email you sent to someone? Maybe you shared a bit too much or sent it to the wrong person.

Gmail has a solution for that known as Undo Send.  Originally listed in Gmail Labs back in 2009, this feature allows you to quickly fix your trigger happy mouse finger by letting you undo a sent email.

Today a friend sent me an email by accident that contained some personal information; including a secret he planned to disclose to someone else. I got a good laugh out of it because I already knew the information but it was a sharp reminder how easy it is these days to accidentally send sensitive information to the wrong people via email as our address books fill up with countless people named Bob, Chris, Sarah and the always gender neutral Pat.

Undo Email Sending Mistakes

Gmail’s “Undo” feature works for both Gmail and Google Apps domains.  Once enabled, you’ll be able to click the yellow highlighted link titled, “Undo” and exhale with relief.

To get started, navigat to your Gmail’s “Mail Settings” under the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner.  Then go to “Labs” and scroll down until you see “Undo Send” and enable that.  Make sure to click “Save” so your changes take effect.

Then they added the feature to allow you to specify the number of seconds you’d like to undo the email within.  Of course, I went with the maximum of 30 seconds although I have noticed when I attached invitations to my Gmail messages, the undo has not worked in the past.

You will find this under “Settings” once you click the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner of your Gmail.

Thankfully, my friend’s secret is safe with me.  Last week, a business acquaintance accidentally included me on an email where she was talking about me.  I replied to acknowledge I’d recieved it and we all had a good laugh.

Mobile Gmail Undo

This year, with the ongoing popularity of the Android platform on a growing number of smartphones, the introduction of several Android Honeycomb tablets and the updates to Gmail email navigation on these devices, Google released a gmail undo version for mobile as well.

Photo credit: Google Gmail Blog

Summary

It’s nice to be able to take a step back your email with undo.  Of course, some argue that Gmail doesn’t have an undo feature but a delayed sending option.

Have you ever been embarassed after sending an email to someone?  Share your story!

Google+ Community Managers Share User Stories At BlogHer [VIDEO]

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Find out how users of the new social network have been using Google+. Everything from cooking classes and group meditation to free concerts and as a family baby monitor. Plus tips and tricks on using Google+.

Last month when I attended BlogHer, I was excited to see that the BlogHer team had arranged not only for attendees to receive Google+ invites but managed to get Google community managers to come out and speak at BlogHer in the “fishbowl”, a presentation area in the expo hall.  It was a great presentation and I captured it on camera to share.

Speakers:

+Natalie Villalobos, Google+ Community Manager
+Katherine Gramann , Google+ and Hangouts Community Manager
+Carolyn Witte, Google+ Marketing

Great job Natalie, Katherine and Carolyn! Thanks for a wonderful presentation and thank you to +Elisa Camahort Page +Lisa Stone +Jory Des Jardins and +Maria Niles for arranging Google to come in and present plus give conference attendees 3,000 Google+ invites!

Presented August 6th, 2011
San Diego, CA

You’re Already Using Google+ Whether You Know It Or Not

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There are a lot of conversations going on about Google+ being a Facebook killer and people complaining they don’t have the time or energy to join yet another social network.  This video does an amazing job at breaking down the value points of Google+ for the average Joe.

Thanks to +Leslie Fishlock for the heads up on this great video by Epipheo Studios about helping people understand the difference between Facebook and Google Plus for organizing your relationships with people.

They made another excellent video about the power of storytelling through video called, How the Internet Is Changing Advertising

3 Ways To Benefit From Knowing Who Likes Your Tweets and Google+ Shares [VIDEO]

Twitter introduce a new feature a few months ago to their notifications that alerted you when someone favorited one of your tweets.  Favoriting a tweet is like bookmarking, Facebook liking and Google +1′ing it, sort of.  Favoriting has been something private that could only be seen by the account owner like things you bookmark in your browser while the latter two are public and outward facing.

In my video, I explain how my friend Meghan, connected myself and a friend after she realized, through a favorited tweet, we both lived in San Francisco.

The Story

My friend Meghan Wilker (@irishgirl) who lives and works in Minneapolis, retweeted one of my tweets about an upcoming WordPress training. She’d taken the class online and loved it.  Then, Meghan saw her friend, Carol, who also lives in San Francisco, favorited her retweet. Meghan then took the time to write an email introduction so we could connect since we both live in SF.

How awesome is that? I realized that initially everyone groaned about the new twitter notifications but after having this happen and talking with social media clients who feel frustrated by the sheer number of tools out there intended to help them “manage” Twitter, I thought this was a perfect example of taking things back to basics on how to draw value from this new Twitter feature.

What did they favorite?

This tells you what people value in your Twitter stream. Since favoriting is is like bookmarking something, it shows that they want to reference your tweet. What did you share? A link? A personal thought about your view of the world? A breaking news story? Something funny or uplifting? Take note and use these favorited tweets to shape your Twitter persona.

Who favorited it?

Is it someone who follows you? Was someone following a keyword or a hashtag and catch your tweet that way? Is it someone you met at a conference? How often do the two of you talk? Use the favorited tweet as a segway to start a longer conversation offline or via email with them. I pay attention after conferences now to who favorites my tweets and see it as a great opportunity to connect about my technology consulting and training services.

When did they favorite your tweet?

In my video, I give the example of tweeting something before lunch yet seeing that someone favorited it just after dinner. This will give you insight into when people are potentially reading your tweets and may be an opportunity to adjust your tweeting schedule. Twitter of course is full of tweets and links but people have a tendency to share business related items during the day and personal items later on. Maybe save that story about your new breakfast shake with almonds until the evening when people will have a better chance of seeing it.

How Google Can Run With This Concept

Google+ tells you who +1′d and shared your content. I’d like to see a running log of it and I can then see this tying into a CRM, lead and deal tracking system in say….Google Apps?

How Switch Between Your Personal Gmail and Google Apps In The Same Browser [VIDEO]

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Many people have experienced the frustration being booted out of their Gmail and Google Apps account after Google’s transition of all Google Apps accounts to proper Google accounts.

You can enable account switching without using multiple browsers by using the following page multiple sign-in settings page:

When multiple sign-in is turned on, you can click the arrow next to your address (at top right) to switch between accounts with these Google products: Gmail, Calendar, Google Voice and Google Reader Read More…

Google Adds Voice To Search The Web

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Google released a new feature last month which allow you to search using your voice.

Read More…

Google Plus Invites Opened Up Wednesday Night

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Google opened up their invites again on Wednesday night at approximately 7pm.

In order to invite people, you would have needed to click on the red envelope in the lower right-hand corner of your main Google+ home page and enter in the person’s email address.  You could of also invited them from the  ”Circles” page by selecting their email address from your Gmail address book.

This news came way of Dave Besbris who is listed as Engineering Director of Google+. Read More…

Google+ android app review [VIDEO]

Over the last few days, I explored the mobile Google+ android app and will take you through:

  • Google+ Stream
  • Photos
  • Circles
  • Huddle
  • Google+ Profiles

Google+ Sharing [VIDEO]

I’m in awe of the shareability in Google+

Share your own thoughts, photos and videos. Let people comment, +1 your content, share it with their own circles and engage their own audience.

Cross pollinate circles and become a true connector.

I mention that I shared public Google+ hangouts by +Michael Dell and +Mark Watson (aka SoldierKnowsBest) were hosting a hangout and then +Chris Pirillo shared a link I shared about potential future usage limitations Google may impose on G+ Hangouts as Skype did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4YXFgahz9E Read More…

Hey! Where’s My Google+ Invite? Oh, But You’re A Girl

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Everyone is trying to get an invite to Google+ so they can jump on the new social networking platform by Google.

Could it be true the insidious “old boys network” could include Google, limiting early access to web apps, social networks and geek toys?

Invites were sent out first to Google employees, ex Googlers and influential people in tech and social media.  In turn, they were offered the ability to invite people  but on Wednesday, the invite link was shut down  due to heavy server loads at approx 8pm PST.  What if you really wanted an invite but didn’t know someone who worked at Google?

Read More…

Google+ Events prediction [VIDEO]

At first this was going to be a blog post playfully poking fun at a few event registration services that didn’t have +1 but then I realized the sheer enormity of Google releasing an event and organization tool.  No laughing matter!

Not only should Meetup, Plancast and Eventbrite be rethinking what Google+ means to them, so should Salesforce with their chatter and Yammer’s enterprise chat tool.   Google’s ability to step into enterprise and become a full on collaboration tool between departments is real.

And then add on the possibility for near seamless provisioning for new employees and I just had to make a video sharing these thoughts.

Google+ is nothing like Google Wave by the way.

My prediction is Google+ Events will come to market.

How soon do you think we’ll see this being offered as a part of Google Apps?

First Look Google+ Social Network [VIDEO]

Google is letting loose on the invites to the new Google+ platform touted as the next big social network.  I just received my invite from my roommate Alex and gave it a spin.  What are your thoughts on Google+?  Have you tried it?

Read More…

How To Use Appointment Slots In Google Calendar [VIDEO]

Following up with the blog post from a few days ago announcing the new Google Calendar feature called Appointment slots, I’ve created a video on how to use them. Enjoy!

Make sure to think about using Bit.ly or another url shortening service to make it easier for your potential clients and visitors to reserve time!

Google Releases Appointment Slots For Booking Time Online [VIDEO]

This long awaited feature that has been backfilled by companies like TimebridgeTungleTimeTrade and Genbook is arriving for Google Calendar and Google Apps in a browser near you soon!

With appointment slots in Google Calendar, you can setup blocks of time that are publicly available for reservation.

Read More…

Gmail Motion: Google’s April Fool’s Day Surprise

Again Google stole my heart with their “Gmail Motion” video just like last year with the ability to print out all your email aptly called, “Gmail Paper

How It Works Gmail Motion uses your computer’s built-in webcam and Google’s patented spatial tracking technology to detect your movements and translate them into meaningful characters and commands. Movements are designed to be simple and intuitive for people of all skill levels.

Google Add Plus +1 For Social Search [VIDEO]

Today Google announced on their blog the ability to “+1″ items in your search results and then share them on your Google Profile page.
You can sign up at http://google.com/experimental

and create or update your Google Profile at https://profiles.google.com/

From their announcement:

Today we’re taking that a step further, enabling you to share recommendations with the world right in Google’s search results. It’s called +1—the digital shorthand for “this is pretty cool.” To recommend something, all you have to do is click +1 on a webpage or ad you find useful. These +1’s will then start appearing in Google’s search results.

I don’t know but it sorta reminds me of Google notebook which was around before Evernote.  Maybe this sort of social bookmarking from Google will take us to the next level that Delicious couldn’t get us to…

  • Is this going to try and replace Delicious?
  • Will you be able to push these +1′s to Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIN?
  • Will Google use their own URL shortner on these +1′s?
  • Will there be some sort of VIP party during Google I/O around this +1 feature?
  • Will you be able to group together your +1′s?
  • Will you be able to get cute Google t-shirts that say “I’m with +1″?

A special thanks to @alexbraunstein for bringing this new feature to my attention :)

 

Google Docs Adds Viewer Support for Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, Postscript and Vector Images

Google announced 12 new supported file types in Google Docs, their online office productivity suite.  The most exciting part of this announcement is that several design related file types including Adobe Photoshop (.PSD) and Illustrator (.AI).

This means that proofing images between clients and freelancers just got easier!  With Adobe Postscript (.EPS, .PS) and SVG (.SVG) vector images also being supported, companies who work in publishing and printing are obviously be targeted by Google as a developing vertical market.  Google Apps is doing a great job at giving creatives every reason to take a second look at leaving Apple mail, aging Microsoft Exchange servers and email hosted by website providers for the centralized, collaborative and cloud based solution known as Google Docs.

Other new supported file types include Microsoft Office 2010 Powerpoint files (.PPTX), Autocad (.DXF), True Type fonts (.TTF) and Apple pages (.PAGES) which are the equivalent of Microsoft Word.