Preparing For Google Interviews As A Content Designer

Reading Time: 7 minutes

Difficulty: non-native speaker with zero experience giving Google interviews. Result: a job offer.

There’s probably no Content Designer, UX Writer, or UX/UI Designer who hasn’t applied to FAANG (Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Google) at least once in their career. Well, I’m no exception.

There are plenty of reasons people aim for FAANG. It could be the benefits, the compensation, or the boost it gives your CV. However, it was also about joining a company with a strong global culture, as a non-native English speaker, that felt especially meaningful. 

You see, English Content Design is a very exclusive environment. Most employers will be looking for a native speaker, although some don’t even fully understand what that means.

They look for a person born explicitly in a country where English is a spoken language, but also:

• A person who has no accent (it doesn’t matter how proficient you are), 
• A person whose name is not “weird” — Margaret is good, but not Marharyta, for example.

Companies rejected me because they were previously looking specifically for a native speaker. So, getting into Google was about breaking the “accent ceiling.” I got lucky. I was contacted for a UX Writer and Content Designer position and began the interview cycle.

This article from Design Journal isn’t about how to get through the portfolio or screening process. Instead, it’s focused on:

• What FAANG companies look for in candidates for UX roles
• All steps in the interview process for the Content Designer & UX Writer position
• The skills and attitude you need to show to impress your interviewers
• How to prepare for the interviews to land the offer (yep, I got one)

The hard truth about getting the Google interview

While this article about Google Interview might not benefit those trying to get through the screening process, I’ll share this anyway. If you:

• Didn’t make any mistakes on your CV (and for a UX Writer, every dot counts), 
• Listed your achievements (preferably in business metrics), 
• Made your CV readable with bullet points, 
• And have enough years of experience for the position

you’ve done all you can.

At Google, recruiters scan CVs manually without AI. But the hard truth is that to get contacted, you just need to be very lucky. After a certain point, it doesn’t matter how well your resume is written.

In the end, it’s mostly luck — or fate. Will the recruiter spot that tiny mistake you missed? Are they reviewing your CV after a long day, tired and frustrated? Have they had their first coffee yet? Are they hungry? 

The outcome doesn’t entirely depend on you. It’s the result of many tiny, unpredictable factors. That’s strictly my opinion, though.

Knowing you don’t fully control the situation can take some weight off your shoulders. You’re not entirely responsible for making it into the interviews. You probably already did your best.

How to pass all Google interview rounds?

You’ll need a lot of patience and the ability to let go without obsessing over the results. My final Google interviews took place just before the Christmas holidays, and I had to wait about 2 weeks afterward to hear the outcome. 

Before that, it took 1.5 weeks after my first technical interview to get feedback and determine if I was moving forward.

If you had just 10 minutes before all the Google interviews and wanted advice, here it is:

• Don’t talk negatively about your previous experiences; always find something positive and something to learn
• Never go above the time limit for the interview
• Present not only victories but also challenges

Technical interview/presentation

After passing the CV screening, the first step is to present your best work to another Google Content Designer. This person is trained to conduct interviews, and the process is generally very nice and friendly. My interviewer made me feel at home.

Due to the hiring process policy, I can’t share specific questions about my projects, but there are no overly tricky questions or questions you can’t find online.

What’s important: don’t just show how impressive you are. Smooth is boring. 

A) Even more crucial is demonstrating how you handle challenges during a project. Don’t hesitate to share if something didn’t go as planned initially or if you disagreed with a stakeholder.

B) Content Design isn’t just about writing some text. It’s about working with people. Show how you collaborate, communicate, and navigate difficult situations. The interviewer will want to know how you cope with drawbacks.

C) Also, don’t be afraid to critique your work. It’s better to acknowledge areas for improvement yourself than to be caught off guard by a question about it. If there’s something you would have done differently with more time or fewer constraints, talk about it.

D) Before starting the interviews, knowing if you’ll be the only UX Writer or content Designer on the team is essential. These are two different roles with different expectations. 

One is a collaborator, while the other might need to build a project from scratch. One advocate for others, while the other might have to explain what UX Writing is 50 times without losing their temper.

In general, be nice but not overly personal. Avoid speaking negatively about toxic experiences. It’s draining to hear and can make you seem pessimistic. 

Focus on the positive instead — it’s essential. Remember, this is an interview, and it has its own rules, like etiquette. Don’t use harsh words for your previous boss, even if they were… well, you get it. Be professional.

Building your presentation into a story, presenting to team members

If you presented your projects in the first interview in something like Miro or Figma, that would be good. 

But if you proceed to the next step, you must present it in Google Slides. (Yes, you’re delivering the same projects in the tech/first interview and the second one, but the difference is that in the second one, you’re presenting to your actual team members).

This is trickier, as you’ll need to create a storytelling presentation. You’ll also need to memorize the material, as when you present, you will have no time to remember what’s on the next slide. So, practice to show you know what you’re talking about.

Besides, practice your timing. Talking always takes more time than you think. Google people are very nice, but making them sit with you for a long time is rude. Punctuality is a sign of professionalism. 

Googleyness and Leadership interview

The Google interviews, which are supposed to be the most complex and unpredictable, are super easy to prepare for. All the information you need is already available. 

There are two resources for Google interviews you can use:

1. YouTube: Check out Jeff H. Sipe’s channel. He’s an ex-Google recruiter with a series on Googleyness and Leadership.
2. Exponent: This platform offers interview questions and answers for FAANG+ companies. I only used the free version, but it was enough to determine how people answer questions typically asked at Google, Facebook, and similar companies.

These were the only two sources I used to prepare for this interview, and they helped immensely. First and foremost, they helped me form a positive mindset and structure the most optimal answers.

This Google interview round is like following a recipe for a dish. The entire process and the ingredients are already available. You don’t want to start improvising in the kitchen.

Whiteboard design challenge interview

What’s a whiteboard design challenge? It’s a mock project given to you by a “client” — the interviewer — during the interview. It typically lasts about an hour.

The interviewer uses it to assess how well you think through a project from scratch, how you collaborate with others (yes, the design challenge is supposed to be interactive), and whether you’re a pleasant person to work with.

I don’t think I can share any details about this one. However, I prepared beforehand by watching YouTube’s five to seven whiteboard design challenges. I’ve never done a design challenge in an interview, but it all worked out in my favor.

The key things I focused on were:

1. Talking through the entire process to let the interviewer follow my train of thought.
2. I asked many questions to understand the context better and demonstrate how I collaborate with stakeholders. However, I made sure not to spend too much time on this initially, giving myself more time for brainstorming.

Crossfunctional team collaboration interview 

This one heavily depends on the interviewer, but you should be prepared to answer questions about collaborating in a team and facing challenges during that process. 

Here, it’s important to remember what kind of a position you’re aiming for — working as a solo UX Writer is very different from working in a UX Writers team. 

Stick to the same formula:

1. Presented challenge/situation.
2. Your actions to resolve the challenge.
3. I learned a positive lesson from it.

Second technical interview/presentation artifacts

The last Google interview round — and probably the most fun for me — was another technical interview with yet another UX Writer. 

This one might be the most unpredictable since it will be based on feedback, comments, and imperfections in your presentation. I don’t have any specific advice for this part because it will be based on your unique experience.

The aftermath

Any interview process is stressful. The Google interview process is even more so, as you’d probably really want to complete it with an offer (I sure did — although I did try to detach myself from what I couldn’t control, I kept talking about it for the whole 2 months it lasted). 

What helped me personally — and this might not be universal advice — was mentally preparing myself to fail. 

This mindset didn’t make me give up hope. Of course, I wanted to advance in each interview and ultimately land the offer.

But preparing for rejection by watching stories of others who didn’t pass Google or other FAANG interviews helped me put things into perspective.

I realized that even if I didn’t get what I wanted, there were still so many other incredible companies to pursue and meaningful things to do. And sometimes, just knowing that is enough to keep you going.

See other UX and design stories of Rita Kind-Envy on her Medium.

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Frequently asked questions

What are the 5 rounds of a Google interview?

Google’s interview process typically consists of five rounds:

1. Recruiter Screening – A preliminary phone call to discuss your resume, experience, and interest in the role.
2. Technical Phone Screen – A coding interview (or system for senior roles) over a virtual call.
3. Onsite Interviews usually consist of 3–4 rounds and cover coding, system design (for senior roles), and behavioral questions.
4. Hiring Committee Review – A panel reviews your performance and recommends hiring.
5. Executive Review & Offer – If approved, an executive signs off on the decision, extending an offer.

Is the Google interview hard?

Yes, Google interviews are considered difficult due to their focus on:

• Data structures & algorithms (e.g., trees, graphs, dynamic programming).
• System design (for senior roles).
• Behavioral interviews (assessing problem-solving and leadership skills).
  The difficulty also depends on preparation, experience, and problem-solving ability.

What is the pass rate for Google interviews?

Google has a low pass rate between 1% and 2%. Many candidates don’t pass the technical screening or onsite interview rounds due to the high bar for problem-solving skills and cultural fit.

How to prepare for a Google job interview?

• Practice coding problems (on LeetCode, Codeforces, or HackerRank).
• Review system design concepts (for senior positions).
• Understand Google’s leadership principles for behavioral interviews.
• Mock interviews with peers or professionals.
• Be familiar with your resume—expect deep dives into your past projects.