[j_baker]

They've loosened up a bit. I was acquihired as an engineer without a college degree. And thus far, I don't think I'm getting "managed out", but perhaps they're just doing a bad job of it.

That said, I don't know what they're doing for people who apply the "regular" way.

[ChuckMcM]

That is good to hear, I always felt it was pretty ridiculous. Presumably you've been slotted? That was the base mechanism which caused a ton of ill will.

[nodegree_throw]

Interesting stuff :) I'm glad things are going good for you. I could understand it more if I just fired off my CV to them, but Google approached me ... though I suspect they approach a lot of people ... a lot.

[ChuckMcM]

I was asked by an engineer about using my contacts to 'get him into' Google, I suggested that he do three things:

1) Make sure he had a LinkedIn presence

2) Create a Github account and put one or more projects in it, preferably written in one of Java, Python, or C++

3) Register with StackOverflow and build up some karma.

Then let the trawler pick you up the next time it goes by :-)