How Divya believed and bet on herself to get to Google
Welcome to the latest edition of “My Path to Google,” where we talk to Googlers, interns and alumni about how they got to Google, what their roles are like and even some tips on how to prepare for interviews.
Today’s post is all about Divya Gonnabathula, a Client Success Acceleration manager based in Hyderabad, India who’s always gravitated toward new experiences — including here at Google!
What do you do at Google?
I’m a Client Success Acceleration manager leading a team of digital marketing strategists. We collaborate with sales teams in the UK to help our customers succeed using Google Ads. As a manager, I also make sure I spend time with my reports in team and individual meetings — I’m passionate about leading with respect.
What’s something about you that might surprise us?
I consider myself a nomad. Over the years, I’ve lived in many different parts of India. I was born in Vijayawada, went to school in Kolkata, attended college in Bhubaneswar and worked in many cities around the country. Thanks to these experiences, I can easily connect with people from different cultural backgrounds and have a keen interest in languages — I speak six and I’m picking up a seventh!
Why did you apply to Google?
Like so many others, Google’s products and services are part of my daily routine. I can’t imagine a day without searching for things online, watching YouTube or checking emails. The opportunity to create such impact at scale inspired me to look for open roles on the Google Careers website. Once I found one that matched my career goals, I applied.
What was the journey to your current role like?
I’m a sales and marketing professional, and I’ve spent most of my career in the Indian consumer goods industry. A few years ago, I jumped to consumer tech — which led me to Google. By the time I started, I was eight months pregnant. Joining a new organization always comes with a lot of change — but the thought of going on maternity leave in just one month, combined with onboarding remotely, was pretty overwhelming. Luckily, Google made things easy. My recruiter, manager and onboarding “buddy” helped me ease into the company, creating a custom onboarding plan and encouraging me to build a support network on my team.
How did you prepare for your interviews?
I started by brainstorming questions the interviewer might ask and practicing my responses. I also reflected on my previous roles, including my strengths, management experiences and leadership philosophies. I brushed up on my knowledge of Google Ads products, too.
What’s one of your favorite things about working at Google?
My teammates! The opportunity to work with some of the greatest minds in the industry is a very big motivator, because I believe we learn so much from the people around us. In order to bring my best self to work, it’s important that I have colleagues and managers who inspire me.
Any advice for your past self?
Don’t doubt yourself. I was in a marketing role when I applied for this sales position at Google, so I was worried that I wouldn’t be a good fit. But I realized through the hiring process that having diverse skills and experiences is actually really valuable.
Any tips for aspiring Googlers?
Throughout my Google interview process, I was determined to be myself. I made sure to show my personality in all of my interviews and approached them as candid conversations with future colleagues and managers. This gave me a better understanding of what I was signing up for, and helped my interviewers see how I would really fit into the role.
