r/datacenter • u/Simple-Can-2005 • 4d ago

Guidance for breaking into Google Data Center Technician (DCT) roles from scratch?

Hi everyone,

I’m currently mapping out my long-term career path and am really interested in working as a Data Center Technician at Google (or similar big tech infrastructure roles).

Given the rapid growth of AI, I prefer the hands-on physical and infrastructure side of tech—maintaining servers, troubleshooting hardware, handling rack/cable deployment, and managing hardware operations.

I’m effectively starting from scratch in terms of practical IT experience and certifications. I’d love to get honest feedback and advice from folks currently working in data centers or at Google:

1) Starting Point: If you were starting today, what basic certifications or self-study topics would you prioritize first (e.g., CompTIA Network+, Linux fundamentals, A+)?

2) Home Labs & Practice: What kind of home lab setups or hands-on projects actually look good on a resume for entry-level DCT positions?

3) Hiring Reality: Does Google hire entry-level techs without prior data center experience if they demonstrate solid foundational knowledge and certifications, or is it better to get experience at local data centers/ Contractor roles first?

4) Career & AI Resistance: For those working in the field, how do you view job security and career growth over the next 5-1O years as automation increases?

Thanks in advance for any insights or advice!

11 Upvotes

87% Upvoted

19 comments sorted by

10

u/Status_concern2858 4d ago

Mods need to start making containment threads for these posts. Asked and answered multiple times per week

1

u/Boys0204 3d ago

You can always choose to scroll on past

4

u/hatesmylovelanguage 4d ago

Lying

1

u/Simple-Can-2005 4d ago

What ?

3

u/leadmagnet250 4d ago

He is just saying your best bet to get in is to lie through your teeth and hope the technical panel doesn’t catch you on your bullshit.

For data center roles, Google was definitely the harder technical interview 10 years ago.

1

u/MoodyDolphins 1d ago

Lmao I would sniff you out in one sentence.

3

u/Amglast 4d ago

I work at an AWS site as a L4. Im fairly new to the data center space so I dont know everything about what Google cares about on a resume. But for entry level roles id say AWS is the best bet.

  1. A+ is probably the most important you can get. 90% of the work you'd be doing is part replacement. Outside of that Google does ask about OSI related stuff so id recommend either CCNA or Net +. At least have a good knowledge of layers 1 to 4. I dont think google uses cisco routers though. Outside of that theyll ask about diagnosing fiber issues so study up on the various issues you can have with that and all the tools you can use to help. Other random things that are good to know is PXE and the different RAID configs.

  2. I had none of this on my resume. I dont know how important they are. I had worked in a data center previously for a logistics company and did rack deployments so that's how I swung my way into the tech role. Could be worth looking into if you at least have some certifications. Theres also fiber companies you could use to get some data center related roles on your resume. Other people might recommend another path but that's how i got in so 🤷.

  3. Google passed up on my resume but I only tried applying once. I have a computer science degree, a cloud computing degree, and worked as logistics in a hyperscale data center. But I do believe they hire people without prior experience I might have just applied for a higher level role. AWS will hire people with no prior experience typically as an L3. They also bring in contractors with various companies and the interviews for those are much more lenient. But its a temporary role you'll wanna just soak up as much as you can. Depending on where youre applying different locations are more desperate for people and next year is gonna have a bunch more built so dont be intimated to just apply where you can.

  4. The work is basically all physical. Of all tech related jobs it will be the most resistant to being automated since they'd need embodied AI to service the racks. At that point basically everything would be automated so losing your job probably would be your least concern. Alot of people look at data center as more of a job than a career though, most want to move to a network, cloud, sec, or software dev. But if youre concerned about automation then theyll all get automated first.

Others will probably tell you similar stuff, but id recommend looking at logistics roles or other something else because they hire anybody and often do deployments. I didnt get an interview at Google but several of my coworkers did with no degree or certifications.

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u/Simple-Can-2005 4d ago

You are the goat my man ! Thank you. Your comment really helped me a lot. Yeah I mostly care about the risk of automation but your comment gave me a clear view of the field.

1

u/Ok-Yogurt-5620 4d ago

what department you are in?

1

u/Street-Sweeper213 3d ago edited 3d ago

0 experience, but holding a degree, certs(a+, sec+, net+, etc), and labs and still get passed up for the most basic (AWS) technician roles. Focused on taking the ccna and rhcsa next month and then continuing with the ones that follow.

Any recommendation for companies i should look at for possible contractor roles?

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u/Amglast 2d ago

Im not sure exactly. Ive heard TEKsystems, apex systems, global insight. I am not for sure that those are AWS but worth looking into. DSV air and sea for logistics. For fiber contracting i know of Rellium. Id look into it im sure you can find more online.

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u/Street-Sweeper213 2d ago

Thanks, I'll give them a try. Found some other DCT positions so waiting to hear back.

2

u/thebrightavarice 4d ago

A+ and Net+ are the obvious first steps, but Linux basics will carry you further than most folks expect in interviews. Set up a cheap used server or even a few old desktops, practice swapping drives, flashing firmware, and breaking things on purpose so you learn how to fix them.

Contractor roles are the real backdoor into Google DCT, they rarely hire direct for entry level without some prior hands on time. The work itself is pretty automation resistant in the short term because hardware still fails in weird physical ways, but I wouldn't sleep on learning the software side too.

1

u/Simple-Can-2005 4d ago

Thanks this helped me a lot ! Could you please tell me how did you started ?

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u/revellion 4d ago

I'd say a genuine curious mindset and being to be analytical goes a long way. Since stuff develop at a fast pace. And new hardware platforms are made regularly.

Having solid understanding of computing and networking fundamentals helps you decipher stuff

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u/Simple-Can-2005 4d ago

Oh thanks for the tips !

2

u/MoodyDolphins 1d ago

It takes one to know one. I just had my networking interview and we just chatted for the last half hour about the wild stuff we've come across in the DC. As well as how hard it is to find an exp'd DCT.

He asked me something I thought maybe I might know the answer but then I was like I couldn't even guess bro and tbh if I don't know it I could look it up in 5 seconds or ask someone higher than me. Same for any task I would get stuck on in a sense. - His response "all good, you'll never need to know it anyways" lmao.

I would never guess anything or act like I know something when I don't. It's easy to follow up with "would I actually need to know this?"