Unleash Your Career Potential at Google Taiwan: An Event Recap

TLDR;;

• Google Taiwan has collaborated with CakeResume to host a Talent Connect Event at the beginning of September 2023, which attracted more than 1,600 enthusiasts.
• The event is aimed at international professionals seeking impactful careers in Hardware and Engineering, offering opportunities to explore careers in Taiwan. The event featured four elite Google Taiwan employees—Gregor Fan-Plath (Program Manager at Google Hardware Planning and Fulfillment), Milton Ribeiro (Hardware Engineering Lead at Google Nest), Keita Morisaki (Software Engineer at Google Silicon), and Yun Rou Lim (Technical Program Manager at Google Pixel)
• All guest speakers passionately recounted their inspiring journeys to Taiwan and their paths to attain career aspirations.
• CakeResume is dedicated to promoting career advancement for international talents and firmly believes that diversity is a strength. The team is committed to fostering equal opportunities for all.

TAIPEI, 2023 — Taiwan, an island in the western Pacific Ocean, often leaves a lasting impression on those who have the opportunity to explore it. Renowned for the semiconductor industry's prowess and technological might, Taiwan's strategic location in the heart of Asia and its business-friendly regulatory environment make it an attractive hub for global enterprises tapping into the Asian market.

With over 15 years of successful operations in Taiwan, Google recently joined forces with CakeResume, a global talent platform, to orchestrate a Talent Connect event in early September. This event, "Unleash Your Career Potential at Google Taiwan," aimed to provide invaluable insights about Google and attract international talent seeking career opportunities in Taiwan.

“Google Taiwan would be one of the best choices for growth opportunity.”

— Keita Morisaki, a Software Engineer at Google Silicon.

Coming from different backgrounds with different stories to share, Gregor Fan-Plath, serving as Program Manager at Google Hardware Planning and Fulfillment, Yun Rou Lim, a Technical Program Manager at Google Pixel, and Keita Morisaki all agreed that Google Taiwan has helped them achieve their career aspirations and has provided extensive support in a well-rounded way.

Gregor's Google journey spans three countries, from Ireland to Germany and now Taiwan. His decision to relocate to Taipei was deeply personal, as his family is partly from Taiwan, and they always wanted to come back and live here again. 

Gregor acknowledged that working in Taiwan presented unique challenges. “Two things that are the most challenging for me personally are communication is less direct, and people are used to being always available via messaging,” Gregor shared. Despite these differences, he finds the experience enriching and has learned new problem-solving strategies.

“Google offers support for the whole family...we brought much of our furniture from Germany, which made us feel at home immediately,” Gregor shared.

“Similar to what Gregor just shared, Google not only provided relocation support in terms of financial reimbursement for moving expenses, transportation costs, and temporary housing, I also received great consultation in finding my permanent housing, searching for schools for the kids, banking, and tax information,” Yun Rou added.

Yun Rou’s journey to Taiwan was motivated by different factors—Taiwan’s captivating culture, delectable cuisine, and warm hospitality. Moving from Malaysia with her family, she works as a Technical Program Manager for the Google Pixel team. She proudly shared her role in helping the Google Pixel team build a whole ecosystem of Google’s phones and hearables, “The team focuses on bringing the best hardware, software, AI, and Google services, making our product helpful for everyone.” 

Keita, on the other hand, has quite a different story: he is embarking on his first post-graduation job, joining Google Taiwan as a Software Engineer in the Silicon Team. For him, the growth opportunity was a decisive factor in choosing Taiwan. As Google Taiwan is the largest hardware hub outside the US, Keita was eager to “...get to work with lots of talented people with various backgrounds at Google Taiwan,” he said. 

“When we think about big challenges, it’s usually much easier when we actually try it,” Keita advised fresh graduates. “If you join the team, we have a big international Googler group here; don’t hesitate to seek help and guidance. People love offering help and sharing their knowledge."

Charting the Future: Google’s Taiwan’s Expansion and Talent Prospects

“Taiwan has a strong foundation in all aspects of technology, from software development to hardware manufacturing to infrastructure development,” said Milton Ribeiro, the Hardware Engineering Lead at Google Nest Taiwan, who has been in Taiwan for 27 years and has observed all aspects of the country. “Taiwan is the ideal site for Google’s extensive network infrastructure.”

From its inception as a software engineering center back in 2006, Google Taiwan has evolved into the largest hardware hub outside the United States. Milton proudly reveals that Google Taiwan is now one of the largest sites in Asia, housing thousands of Googlers collaborating across 5 cities and boasting a diverse workforce representing over 35 countries.

Currently, Google is focused on expanding and developing in three main areas:

• Talent in hardware and software integration
• The industrial ecosystem
• The Internet infrastructure

To aid in their expansion and development, Google Taiwan is actively seeking international talent to join their team. Kelly Ong, Senior Recruiting Lead at Google, regards professional skills and experience as invaluable when it comes to hiring. Google values diversity and inclusion, and its focus is on "Hire by Skill."

Want to join the Google Taiwan team? Apply here.

Taiwan Supports and Welcomes Many International Job Seekers

Tom Fifield, the representative of the Taiwan Gold Card Office also came to the event and shared his advice for international professionals who want to come to Taiwan.

He regards moving to Taiwan as a unique opportunity, with the government actively facilitating the transition. For example, the government has streamlined school enrollment procedures for children and made banking and housing arrangements more straightforward. If you need a work permit, companies like Google can apply for you, giving you both work and residence rights. 

Additionally, the Taiwan Gold Card Office offers a great option for qualified individuals, giving them an open work permit, residence rights, and fast-track permanent residency. This comprehensive program goes beyond just visas.

The program also has a dedicated Gold Help Desk, which provides 24/7 assistance, school enrollment aid, and guidance for potential investors to make the transition smoother for newcomers.

Taiwan is still and always be a popular destination for professionals, largely due to its thriving tech ecosystem. Google and its brilliant team players are no exception. The company is actively seeking outstanding international talents to join its team and contribute to its growth and expansion while remaining true to Google’s mission for Taiwan. 

Through this Talent Connect event, attendees have heard stories from experienced Google employees like Gregor Fan-Plath and Yun Rou Lim as well as newcomers like Keita Morisaki. All the sharings are highly valuable and enable attendees to understand how they can unleash their career potential at Google Taiwan.

CakeResume would like to appreciate all the support for the event’s sound success; special thanks to Milton, Gregor, Yun Rou, Keita, Kelly, Tom, Coco (host), and all team members for your continuous support. The government, companies like Google, and professionals looking for exciting opportunities are all working together to create a bright future for Taiwan.

As a dynamic platform for fostering career advancement for international talents, CakeResume is committed to strengthening its position in the market while advocating for the professional growth of all global talent. 

For future Talent Connect events, stay tuned for the updates as CakeResume will continue to host Talent Connect events across diverse industries, providing essential career advice and networking opportunities.