Addicted to Red Bull

My sister sent me a package the other day, just because. She’s a freshman in college, going to school on the west coast. She, like the rest of my family, are much too far away...it’s weird to be done with college, in a new routine, and all of the sudden realize that you have this life somewhere completely different than the place you grew up and swore you’d stay forever.

This week, I started dedicated optimization training. Essentially what this means is that soon, I will be qualified to optimize AdWords accounts to help them reach their full potential. Depending on what the advertiser's goals are, this could mean anything from improving the client's ROI to simply driving more people to their website. The training that we're in now is to help ensure that my training class will be ready, starting Monday, to take on a more dedicated role working with developing one-on-one relationships with clients. To prepare, we’re in training from 9 to 6 every day this week. We're the first class to go through this training program in Ann Arbor, so it's exciting and new. So much to learn, so little time...

This year is going so incredibly fast--my start date in early October seems like it was last week, and already I've experienced so much. The AdWords program, the Mountain View office, the company ski trip...and in two weeks, we’re going back to San Francisco for a sales conference. To be honest, I really don’t know what the schedule is or what will be happening there, but I do know one thing: I am going to be performing an 80s song (which is being kept a secret until the date of the show) with 7 of my coworkers in front of potentially thousands of Googlers. What was I thinking when I decided to head up the performance planning, you ask? No one knows. But we’ve begun the choreography, and it’s looking like it may be a show to remember.

Soon after we get back, we'll be moving into...our new office! It’s in the same general downtown area that we're located now, but it will be bigger and have even more of the Google perks that we’ve come to know, love, and appreciate. And we're getting a gym AKA now I have absolutely no excuse for being lazy and ditching the gym.

OOC in A2

Omg.

I’ve become one of "those" people. You know the ones – the people who abbreviate everything, sometimes incomprehensibly.

At Google, we use an internal version of Google Talk to quickly reach each other across the company. Because we many times have to get in touch with someone quickly and concisely (for example, when an advertiser is on hold), I’ve learned to love abbreviations.

It started out innocently enough, using well-known AdWords abbreviations such as CID (customer identification number) or CPC (cost-per-click) in everyday language at the office. Pretty standard, especially since those around me were doing the same thing.

And then it got a bit more complicated. I soon learned that "you there?" was "yt?" and "no problem" became "np." Before I knew it, entire chat sessions were in abbrevs...er, abbreviations. What you're about to read is a dramatization, though shockingly close to reality.

me: hey BH, yt
(hi bryan, are you by your computer?)

bryan: y w/u
(yeah, i am. what’s up?)

me: #1, went 2 the mall ystrdy & tots spent too much $$$
(nothing really, i went to the mall yesterday, and now i can’t pay my rent)

bryan: omg me 2. got amaz stuff
(i did that too. what’d you get?)

bryan: btw, i am dehydes, prob b/c of 5 cups of coffee/day
(by the way, i think that i am severely dehydrated from all of the coffee that i’ve been drinking today)

me: ya it was ridic. and obvi coffee = amaz
(hmm, let’s see - i got this great pair of boots that i adore. and yes, thank goodness for coffee!)

me: #2 can u ping the CID from the adv. with the Qs on his CPC/DB?
(do you have a minute to send me (via IM) that customer ID number from the advertiser we both spoke with earlier? the one who had questions about his daily budget and cost-per-click?)

bryan: def, i can grab it immeds. brb k
(sure. let me go ahead and grab that now, one second)

me: k, asap would be gr8, thx
(that would be wonderful)

bryan: 123-456-789
(987-654-321)

me: perf, thx. ugh, this day is OOC*
(perfect, thanks so much! ugh, i am so tired today. this day is crazy.)

bryan: i know. tots OOC. but, abbrevs = awes/perf for us
(i know, so busy. good thing we use these abbreviations in chat to cut down on chat time!)

me: obvi. gtg herz, ttys. thx again
(so true. all right, i am going to call this advertiser back. thanks again for the info!)

bryan: np, ttyl
(no problem at all, anytime. talk to you later!)

*OOC = out of control

See? I tots have a prob. Okay, I suppose that it's not a death wish, and it gets the job done in a fast-paced office. That being said, I have no excuse for using abbrevs IRL.

(Side note: I know there are a lot of questions that people may have about Google moving to Ann Arbor, the Ann Arbor office, or Google in general. If there is something specific that you'd like me to blog about, I am always open to ideas! Please feel free to email me at sjduchaine.blog@gmail.com anytime.)

Squaw Valley!

Happy Valentine's Day! As promised, I am absolutely exhausted from last week's festivities, which included wandering around San Francisco, working in our Mountain View office, and finally trying my hand at downhill skiing.

We got to the Resort at Squaw Creek around 1:30 in the afternoon. Because Google had rented out the entire resort, we were surrounded by people from all different Google offices, from Phoenix to The Dalles (Oregon). I was a little nauseous my entire cable car ride up the mountain, thinking about the upcoming situation that could potentially involve me breaking my face/leg/body. Sure, I’d been on skis before, but only on flat ground, or hills with groomed tracks.

After skiing numerous beginner hills with some VERY patient coworkers, I was convinced to try the 3.2 mile intermediate run. I was extremely proud of my ability to handle myself until about halfway through my first intermediate skiing experience.

And then it turned ugly.

I persuaded my coworkers to go ahead down the ridiculous ‘hill’ that lay before us, promising them that I’d be fine and would soon join them at the small landing at the bottom. Twenty minutes later, still at the top and starting to get stressed, I knew that something needed to be done. So, amongst the veteran snowboarders and skiers flying by me on either side, I did the only thing that I could do: laid down and embraced the fact that I was fully clothed in nylon, lifted my skis off of the ground, and slid the 80 yards down to where my coworkers were waiting.

After my little 80 yard sliding adventure, I somehow made it down the rest of the mountain alive. How, I’m not quite sure. I’m glad I did, though, because that night was definitely memorable.

There was a party for everyone that had come to the ski trip, with themed rooms, food, drinks and photo booths. In one room, the 80s cover band Tainted Love played, and they were amazing. It made the party even more fun to be able to be surrounded by everyone from the managers to the newest employees, everyone enjoying the atmosphere, the music, and the company of those around them.

I didn't know what to expect when I entered the work force, but I know that working at Google has far exceeded any expectations that I had.

By the way, this snow is out of control. Snow angels, anyone?

I've been to the 'mothership.'

I slept with the window open last night, and I left my jacket in my hotel room on my way to work today. Impossible in Ann Arbor (I hear it was -25 degrees with the wind chill this week…brrr!), but not an issue in Mountain View, California -- the home of the Googleplex.

I spent the day today working in Google’s headquarters, which was both eventful and intriguing. I started the day with an amazing breakfast of French toast, eggs and bacon, which made me feel a little better about my 7AM phone shift. Part of my current responsibilities as an AdWords Coordinator include spending two to four hours a day, five days a week on a phone shift. While on the phones, I speak with advertisers to give them information about the AdWords program or help troubleshoot any issues they may be experiencing.

After the phone shift ended, I had the opportunity to shadow numerous teams within the AdWords department, from the account optimizers (who work to enhance the performance of AdWords accounts) to the dedicated sales reps. It was interesting being in Mountain View, because there are actually separate teams for chat support, phone support, account optimization, etc. In Ann Arbor, we're kind of smushing all of the teams together, which I love. I am really enjoying learning about the different aspects of the AdWords program, ranging from communication with the advertiser (via chat, phone and email) to things such as Google Analytics, which is a program that allows anyone, for free, to track a user's behavior in relationship to their website.

In Mountain View, I had sushi for lunch, which I chose from one of the eleven cafes on campus. Rough life, huh? Decisions, decisions…

We leave for Squaw Valley tomorrow morning for the annual Google ski trip. I have no idea what to expect, but I am so excited! Given the fact that I have never been downhill skiing, I am a little nervous to try - but I grew up cross country skiing with my family, so I am hoping that will give me at least a little bit of courage. Not to mention the fact that the skiing/everything are free of charge for us Googlers at one of the most beautiful ski resorts in the nation (that once hosted the Olympics).

Regardless of if I ever make the slopes, I am having a great time with my coworkers. I think a lot of us are in the same boat, not really knowing what to expect but loving every minute of it. That in itself brings us all closer together, and I've found myself making some really great friends here. I know after the week that we're all having, we are going to return to Ann Arbor on Friday absolutely exhausted.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the Googleplex. The perks are amazing and the atmosphere is fun and exciting, but I really love the intimacy and the opportunity of the Ann Arbor office. The benefits are amazing wherever you're located, however being a part of a start-up office for the #1 company to work for in America is an environment, at least for me, that can’t be beat. And when it comes to the perks, we may not have the size of the Mountain View office, but we’re taken care of in every way possible. Breakfast (I eat way too many bagels, plain + plain cream cheese, please!) and lunch are provided each day (one of my personal favorite perks), along with any snack you could possibly want. To balance it all out, we are able to expense our gym membership. The office is full of colorful balls and rugs, and I love cuddling up with one of our fleece blankets should I ever get cold. Tired in the AM? Grab a cup of coffee. Need to destress in the afternoon? How about some chamomile tea?

Stay turned for the details of the ski trip...I have a feeling they will be pretty crazy.

I'm a Wolverine...and a Googler....does that make me a Woogler?

Halfway through your college years, you may begin to notice that you’re somewhat used to a certain routine. Whether it’s the study habits you’ve acquired, the friends you’ve made, or the familiarity you’ve developed with your environment, it starts to feel normal to return to your routine after every break or vacation. And then…you graduate.

The day I finished my last class, I was in tears. I was happy, sad, confused, and overwhelmed. I had successfully completed 17 years of schooling, something I had grown to accept (and do I dare to say it…love) as a huge part of my life. And then, there I was, with no more classes, no more exams, no more essays to write…and no job. I'd chosen a Psychology major because I loved working with people, and I loved learning about the 'what, why, and how' of human thought, behavior, and interaction...but it was hard to make a decision in regards to what field I would be the happiest working in. I'd thought about advertising, but I didn't know where to start, and I didn't take many business classes while at UM. I'd thought about therapy or counseling, which overwhelmed me. Honestly, I think I thought of everything and seemed to come up with nothing.

For a good couple of months, I tried to figure out what it was that I wanted to do with my life--where I wanted to go, what I wanted to be. My heart sank a little deeper in my chest each time that I thought about each of my friends who were still living life as undergrads, already employed, or working away as a grad school/future grad school student. I went home to visit my family and friends in Seattle for a while and took on a couple of small jobs. It was wonderful to be able to spend time with the people that I loved, but I had never felt more lost. I knew that I wanted to work with people to solve problems and make their lives easier. I knew that I wanted to be part of a hard working team, and the whole ‘office job’ intrigued me since I’ve been known to be connected at the hip/USB drive with my computer.

When my mom told me that she’d heard Google would be setting up shop in Ann Arbor, I went a little crazy. I hightailed it to the computer, submitted my resume, and proceeded to learn everything that I could about Google AdWords (the product team Google was hiring for in Ann Arbor). To my surprise, shortly after I submitted my resume, I got a voicemail from a recruiter in California. This call was the beginning of a lengthy application process.

My interview days began with a series of phone screens, intermingled with worksheets and writing samples. Over the next month, I completed one step and was forced to patiently wait to see if I had made it to the next. Finally, almost two months after I had initially sent in my resume, I had an actual face-to-face interview. Well, face to face times five. Essentially how the process went for me was that for a period of a couple hours, you have an interview room designated as your own. The Googlers then rotate every 30 minutes, with new questions, new personalities, new atmospheres. It's exhausting and challenging, but also insightful and entertaining. I walked out of the building feeling as though somehow, the last four hours had given me a great lesson in dealing with any future professional situations that I was faced with.

Some time later, I got a conclusion to the longest five months of my life--a job offer from Google to be an AdWords Coordinator. I was thrilled--I was going to be able to work in advertising, on a hard working team, in communication with people from all over the world through email, chat, and telephone. Somehow, even though I couldn't even describe the position that would fit me perfectly, I'd found it. I could barely believe that a company that I admired and respected (and used to search everything, 24/7) was giving me the opportunity to become a part of their team. I took a breath and was reassured that my hard work at Michigan paid off.

I’m still in that adjustment phase--relatively new to the full-time job world and trying to find my niche--but I’m getting there. More than ever, I love my computer, and I love my coffee. (Black, no sugar.) Above all else, I love my job. I feel so thankful to have gotten a job here at all, especially right out of college. There is never a dull moment, and the days are flying by…especially yesterday, which was 'wear your school colors' day. As if I will EVER object to wearing a sweatshirt to work? I don't think so. Yes, I was that girl who wore sweatpants to class everyday. One of my favorite of Google's philosophies is, naturally, "you can be serious without a suit."
I'm really excited to start blogging and about the opportunity to give a little bit of an inside view on the daily life of a 'Googler.'

More to come...