The many hats of a technical solutions engineer

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 story is all about Sanjay Khubchandani, a technical solutions engineer based out of our Bangalore office. Find out how participating in coding competitions led him to becoming a technical solutions engineer at Google.

What do you do at Google?

I am a technical solutions engineer in Google Cloud based in Bangalore. We focus on solving advanced technical problems our customers face. But that’s not all we do. A technical solutions engineer (TSE) wears many hats, such as making sure customers can solve the issues they're facing as effortlessly as possible. The most exciting part of being a TSE is that we get to collaborate with many teams working in many different areas.

What’s your typical workday like?

I joined Google remotely, as everyone was working from home. Typically my day involves working on solving problems, working on my projects, talking to customers and so much more. I don’t always code, though I sometimes do. If I were to define my role in three words, it would be “troubleshooting at scale.”

What made you apply to Google?

I had never applied before because every time I was going to, I got scared and thought I would never get selected. I believe that fear didn’t allow me to apply. I still remember the journey from when I applied on the Google Careers portal, to today when I am actually contributing here. Looking back to where I was seven or eight months ago, I got to learn, grow and contribute so much in such a short span of time that I believe there is no other place than Google where you can do this.

How did you get to your current role?

Before joining Google, I was a student who used to participate in a lot of coding competitions organised by various colleges or universities. That’s what made me realize that I enjoy solving problems. It was not about getting to code, it was always about getting the problem statement and finding a way to solve it. 

I applied for a completely different role, but a recruiter from Google looked at my resume, reached out to me and told me about the technical solutions engineer role. When I read the role description, I knew it was perfect for me.

What inspires you to log in every day?

Our customers, always. I wake up with a smile on my face and coffee in my hand thinking I will get something to solve which I have never seen before — and I always do!

What was the interview process like for you?

When I was being interviewed for the TSE role, the world was not going through a pandemic and I was still in my last semester of college. I got to see the Google Bangalore office, and meet some amazing people. I still remember the day I got a call from my recruiter saying “Congratulations, Sanjay.” I immediately called my parents and let them know. It was so awesome to see them share my excitement.

What resources did you use to prepare for the interview?

Oh it was a great journey, to be honest. Google Search helped me prepare for my role at Google as a whole. Being a TSE is not all coding. I used a lot of resources to learn about topics like OS management, web technologies and  networking. For example, I used to watch YouTube videos to explore the depths of how an operating system actually works. I took my time to understand the concepts and not just go through what they mean. I believe if you understand something really well, you will never forget it.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Googlers?