u/tbross11

Here is the a summary of my experience trying to get into a data center position.
My DCT Journey

But essentially, I interview with google roughly 6-7 weeks ago for an L2 position. I passed 2/3 of the interviews except for the networking one. I assumed I was SOL for the next year for the cool down period. Well, yesterday my recruiter emailed me asking if I had a moment to talk about a job opportunity.
After she called me, she said they all really liked me and she has a decent amount of positions about to open up but I need to pass the networking interview. They want to re interview me asap for only the networking portion. So tomorrow I am now interviewing at 11am for a 45 minute interview.

I am so nervous and I need to brush up over the next 24 hours before I interview.

Has anyone had any experience with Google circling back around to them to re interview after almost 2 months? She made it seem pretty urgent to get me to re interview to get inclined, like it could move fast if I pass. But i don't know for sure. I need to focus on passing first.

This may be a bit of a long post. But I just wanted to share it. My journey to get a data center technician position has finally come to a close... sort of.

Some background, I got into IT back in 2020 during covid. I got a few certifications and got a job as a PC Repair tech through a temp/contract company. I worked there for 6 months before getting a remote Tier 1 tech position. I worked there 3 1/2 years and was promoted during that time and also got my Bachelors in IT. Then I got a jobb as a solution Architect and worked there for a year and a half but they went through layoffs. I then moved on to a contract position helping an Aerospace company do domain migrations. During this time, I finished my masters, an MBA in IT Management. So there's my qualifications.

So back in January I applied for an L4 DCT role at Amazon. I went through the 4 loop interview in early February. Around the middle of the month I got a call from my recruiter saying I passed the interview and but was inclined for L3 even though I 'killed' the interview. (I hear this happens a lot). It's whatever, I was happy to get something. I was told there were no job openings at the moment but they were going to release some the first week of March and I would get an official job offer then. So it was just a couple weeks away. The recruiter went over pay rate and everything down to the exact cent per hour.
Fast forward to the first week of March, I call and email my recruiter and they said it will be another 2 weeks. I go through this for a few times being told "just a couple more weeks" until mid May. My recruiter ghosts me for about 3 weeks until I try to call them and I get a text telling me they no longer work for Amazon and they don't know who my new recruiter is. I basically am lost in the void of Amazon now.

Early June roles around and I apply for a DCT 2 position at Google that I see posted for my area. By mid June I have phone screening and get told I passed it and moving on to the 3 round interview. I have my interview the first week of July. Unortunately mid July, I was told they were passing on me, and my lack of fiber knowledge is what done it. I passed all of the hardware, Linux and leadership but networking was the hang up. This was super defeating.

I look around for any option to get into a DCT position, and I am worried I would have to wait a year for the cool down for Amazon and Google. I see a position open through a contract company that does contracts for Amazon. I applied, interviewed and I am now a DCT level 1 for Amazon through a 3rd party. So I guess a green badge. I start next week.

Idk if I will ever hear from Amazon since I am/was technically inclined for an L3. I live in Ohio and I know they are expanding all over the state. But I think my profile is lost in the abyss. And idk if taking the contract position eliminates me from consideration for the L3 if somehow I am still on a 'list' for Amazon for a blue badge.

Regardless, I got my foot in the door. Not the pay or level I wanted. But hopefully I can work this for a year and either convert to Amazon Blue badge or get on at Google or one of the other data centers as a fulltime DCT next year.

In short, Back in January or February, I interviewed with AWS for a Data Center technician role, it was an L4 position. I lacked data center experience so they gave me a verbal offer for an L3 role, but said there were no current openings for a start date. They even went as far as telling me what my compensation would be and everything.

I interviewed for a new location build in Ohio so they couldn't give me an actual start date until they got closer to completion, which seemed fair. But I also told them I was open to any location in Ohio.

Several weeks go by and I follow up with my recruiter every now and again and they tell me there's no update but they have me on a 'list'.

Well about a month ago, I called my recruiter and they didn't answer but then shot me a text saying they no longer work with Amazon but passed my info to another recruiter. They couldn't tell me who the recruiter was and I have no contact info for them.
I keep seeing a lot of DCT roles posted in Ohio but I have no contact to ask about my application status. I have tried using the chatbot on the amazon jobs site but that got me nowhere.

This may be a long shot, but are there any aws recruiters on here that could reach out and take a look at my profile, see if I have a recruiter assigned or what the status of my application is?

I also just finished up my 3 loop interview with Google a couple days ago, so I would like to have any info on this just in case Google moves forward with me.

Just finished up the 3 different interviews.
The googliness was super easy. The interviewer told me I answered everything perfectly.
The hardware and OS (linux) was a little more challenging. I miss some questions but felt like I done enough. The networking portion was a lot better though.

Anyone else get an offer even if you didn't ace the technical interviews?

Hoping to hear something back in the next couple weeks.

Next week I have my 3 loop interview with Google for an L2 DCT position. I know my first two interviews will be technical, but the third will be the behavioral. How many STAR method stories do I need?

Will I need star stories for the technical interviews as well?

I have a list of like 20 STAR stories from my AWS interview.

Any other tips would be appreciated.

In 2 weeks I have the 3 loop/round interview for a Tech 2 position for data center technician. I'm in Ohio and hoping to find a place in Columbus Ohio.

For those here, anyone work at the Columbus Ohio location? How is it and do you know if there are active positions open?

My recruiter says they are filling positions but I never believe them 100%. She also said Columbus is doubling it's size.

If I clear the interview, what are the chances I hear back soon for something?

I interviewed for AWS a few months ago and passed but they are not filling positions in my area at the moment and I'm just sitting on a list.

I had a screening call today with a recruiter, it went really well and she was super informative. On the call, she said she was recommending me for the next round. It will be a 3 round interview, all in one day back to back (45 minute interviews with 15 minute breaks).

She sent me some links and resources to prep, but is there anything anyone here was surprised by in their interview?

Also, some back story, a few months ago I had a great 4 panel interview with AWS. I was given a 'verbal offer' from AWS. But after awhile I was informed they were waiting for positions to be opened or released so i can get an official offer. So I am essentially on a list at AWS.
(You can see my post about my AWS interview here AWS DCT interview experience).

I am interviewing for Columbus Ohio specifically. The salary packaged seems amazing.
I was pretty upfront with her about what happened with AWS, and she said although she can not guarantee me anything, that Columbus is actively hiring and expanding pretty good so she believes if I were to be offered a position, I would be able to start fairly soon after my interview.
For those that are in the Cbus area, is this accurate?

I appreciate any insight!

Am I cooked?

(Here is my post from my AWS Data Center Interview experience: AWS Data Center Tech Loop Interview ).

In short, I interviewed with AWS for a Data Center technician role, it was an L4 position but I lacked data center experience so they gave me a verbal offer for an L3 role, but said there were no current openings for a start date. I interviewed for a new location build in Ohio so they couldn't give me an actual start date until they got closer to completion, which seemed fair.

But several weeks go by and I follow up with my recruiter every now and again and they tell me there's no update but they have me on a 'list'. Well about 2 weeks ago, I called them and they didn't answer but then shot me a text saying they no longer work with Amazon but passed my info to another recruiter. They couldn't tell me who the recruiter was and I have no contact info for them.
Do i still have a shot at a job or is my info and "verbal offer" lost in the abyss that is amazon?

On a plus side, I have a first interview/phone call with Google next week on Wednesday. But it is hard to get excited for that until I have a real and full on interview with them.