I was able to have an exclusive conversation with Christopher Hocutt about his career in tech. This interview has been edited for clarity and precision.
Robert: How did you land an internship at Google?
Christopher: During my junior year, a Google representative was working at Howard. I was told to reach out to them to pick their brain. I had no intentions on applying to Google at the time. However, after I chatted with them and I was interested in an internship. He looked at resume and told me that I was qualified enough to set up an interview. I did pretty good at the interview and they offered me an internship position before my junior year.
Robert: What is a usually day like at Google?
Christopher: I am not a early-riser so usually I arrive at 10am each morning. I generally have one or two meetings with my team to figure out our progress. I work on security infrastructure so I am trying to create things that help security such as security reviews and things of that nature. I use my software engineering background to make security easier.
Robert: What was your biggest fear when you first started the job?
Christopher: I feared that I would be thrown into the Google atmosphere without any help or support. I thought I would be asked to code in another language that I did not know or they would say to me, “Here! Go do this right now.” I now know that this is silly because Googlers are the exact opposite of this description.
Robert: What advice do you have for HBCU (Historically Black College and University) students who want to explore a career in tech?
Christopher: Pursue your interests. I remembered I said I wouldn’t apply to Google because I feared that I would not be able to actually work at the company. However, I had the support of a Googler on campus who gave me mock interviews to prepare me for a career in tech. If you are interested in web development and creating websites–learn that. I started at Google with an interest in security with no background in security. I am picking up security on the regular. Right now with HBCU students, it is very easy to have interests, join an organization, and have those interests grow. A lot of tech companies will support your interests.
Robert: Did the “Google in Residence” program help you in your current career?
Christopher: My biggest issue was that I did not know what it took to launch a career with a major tech company. I did not have a lot of experience as it relates to tech interviews. I also did not know what my resume was supposed to look like. The program helped me start the building blocks of working towards what tech companies want.
Robert: What do you enjoy most about working with Google?
Christopher: Googlers are awesome people to work with. If you come to them with a problem, they will not say: “You should have learned that already!” They jump in and help you right away. They are all super excited to jump in and help you. They also have a genuine interest in helping the community around them. These people make Google as a workplace comforting and welcoming and it’s awesome.
Robert: Any other thoughts?
Christopher: Especially since Google as a whole has been reaching out to HBCUs, I try to stay involved in such as much as possible. I helped a little bit with “Google in Residence” last semester and I am also giving the guidance that was given to me from a distance with Howard and other HBCUs in general.
