Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Site Reliability Managers At Google
While Google hires directly from college, particularly those with internships, a more practical entry point is gaining software experience through various entry-level roles, "leverag[ing] the training" offered. Seeking infrastructure or networking positions provides valuable, immediate exposure to reliability challenges.
Entry-Level Jobs, Software Engineering, Networking, Career Development, Self-Training
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
David Fayram
Site Reliability Manager
University of California, Santa Barbara
None
Computer Science
Energy & Utilities, Technology, Advertising, Communications & Marketing
Cyber Security and IT
Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, LGBTQ
Video Highlights
1. Google hires straight out of college, especially with prior internship experience.
2. Entry-level positions in software are recommended to gain experience and flexibility.
3. Take advantage of employer training opportunities early in your career, as this diminishes later on. Look into infrastructure, networking, or similar roles for direct reliability experience
Transcript
Q10: Entry-level positions
What entry-level positions are there in this field that an undergraduate college student might consider?
Well, I think Google hires straight out of school, so that's a possibility, especially if you've had an internship. But I think it's a very difficult place to start. My recommendation is to work in software and try to be flexible about what jobs you take.
You'll need to keep doing ongoing research and self-training. Get good at that so you can take the positions you need to take. They're all going to be entry-level anyway, so there's an expectation of training that goes into those. Leverage that and do a few of them. It's one of the rare cases where your employer is going to train you; you don't get that much later on.
So, take advantage of it now and get as much value out of your employer as you can for those various gigs. Don't get locked in. I think you could also look at infrastructure positions, like infrastructure or networking, if you really want to get into reliability, because networks confront that problem instantaneously.