Request to apply for a job from Google

I just got this in email. It looks authentic.

Hi Brent,

My name is Marissa Archuleta and I’m part of the recruiting team at Google.
I apologize for the unsolicited email. I recently found your resume on the
internet and wanted to inquire about your present status.

I recruit for Google’s Site Reliability Engineering (SRE) team. We’re
looking for Engineers/Managers/Directors with backgrounds in Unix/Linux
Systems Administration, Programming/Scripting and Networking. We’re
currently building teams in Mountain View, CA, Santa Monica, CA, Kirkland,
WA & New York City (plus Dublin, Zurich & Bangalore). Included below is one
of our job descriptions.

Are you open to a new opportunity at this time? Please also feel free to
pass this information on to anyone with this skill set who might be
interested.

P.S. If this is not a good time or if you are not interested, please reply
and let us know for future reference.

Sincerely,
Marissa Archuleta

Cluster Systems Administrator – Mountain View

Position available in Mountain View, CA.
. Are you a detail-oriented systems professional, seasoned Network and
Unix jockey as well as a performance analyst, at the top of your game?
. Looking for the next cool problem to solve, in a fast-paced and
engineering- driven environment?
. Can you write a script or application that performs practically the
entire job you once held earlier in your career?
. Does your idea of a good time involve taking things apart just to
see how they work? Are you successful putting them back together when you’re
done?
. Can you help achieve increased Availability, Reliability, Uptime,
and Quality? (for our systems and services, naturally) If you answered “Yes”
to more than three of the above questions, you may have what it takes.
Google’s Cluster Operations team is looking for talented system
administrators to help administer Google’s complex, proprietary clustering
technologies. Google’s Cluster Operations team needs seasoned system
administrators to automate complex tasks across a huge cluster.

Responsibilities:
. Automation of tasks as much as possible through the development of
scripts and administration tools
. Configuration of system and network parameters
. Monitoring of system stability and performance
. Ensuring 24×7 operation of our cluster
. Comprehensive documentation of our procedures
Requirements:
. B.S. in Computer Science or a related technical discipline, or
equivalent experience
. 4+ years experience with Linux/Unix
. Intimate knowledge of TCP/IP networking
. Strong programming and scripting ability (Python, Perl, bash)
. Excellent verbal and written skills
. Outstanding customer service abilities

Marissa Archuleta
G O O G L E
Technical Sourcer

Pretty cool huh? It looks authentic as the email addresses in both are google.com addresses. Sadly, I will probably reply that I am happy where I am at, but it would be cool to see what they thought of my skills. Oh well.

My Reply to Her:

Marissa,
First let me say Thank You. I know that this isn’t a straight up job offer or anything, but I am still extremely pleased to get an email from someone at Google asking me to apply for a position.
I am not currently looking for a position outside of where I am at right now though. I enjoy the freedom that I have at the school system where I work, and I am happy in this area. Many of the things that I enjoy at my current job are things that are mentioned in the job posting that you have below. The only difference is that I don’t have to be in California, which is really far from the rest of my family.
I am sure that I don’t make as much at my current position as I probably would for Google, but there are other things that I have to look at. If Google ever opens offices closer to my area, please let me know and I will apply readily as I would love to work for a company that is moving in the directions that Google is using the resources that Google does.
If it is ok, I have posted a copy of your email to my journal at http://www.brentnorris.net/blog/?p=182 sans email addresses. I am proud to have received a request to apply and I would like to let my friends see the request, but if that is a problem or anything I have no issue removing it, just let me know.
Again thank you for asking me and please keep me informed of any developing positions closer to my current area.

Brent Norris