Google competitions can help you win great prizes, and some can even lead to a job at Google. Here are some of the best contests to keep an eye on.
Who doesn’t love a good competition? If you’ve spent any time looking for contests online, chances are you’ve come across Google’s competitions. They’re built around a range of different events — some are annual, some are team-based, and some are open only to students.
Some of these events have already passed for the year, and we’re waiting for the next round to open up. Use this list to keep track of the next great Google contest coming your way.
1. Doodle for Google
Doodle for Google is one of the most well-known (and beloved) of all Google’s competitions. Adults can’t take part, since it’s designed specifically for K-12 students.
If you have a student in your household, encourage them to enter this drawing competition. All it takes is a bit of creative flair to design the Google homepage logo, transformed into the distinctive Google Doodle for a special occasion.
A recent year’s theme centered on unity and inclusion, titled “Together As One.” The winner received a $30,000 college scholarship, along with a $50,000 technology grant for their school. That year’s competition has closed, but you can be sure you’ll hear about it when the next one opens.
In the meantime, check out some fun facts about the Google Doodle.
2. Google Code Jam
Google Code Jam is one of the annual coding competitions hosted by Google. It’s open to both coding professionals and student programmers, who are asked to solve complex algorithmic challenges within a limited amount of time. You can use any programming language available on the Code Jam contest platform.
Participants complete a series of coding challenges to advance through the rounds. Every Code Jam participant receives a certificate, and the World Finals award the champion title along with a $15,000 cash prize to the winner.
Check out the archive to see previous years’ challenges, their solutions, and how everyone performed.
3. Google Ad Grants Marketing Challenge
This one is for students with a knack for digital marketing. You’ll manage and optimize a real Google Ads campaign using sound marketing principles. The team-based competition is a great way to build online advertising skills while working with an actual nonprofit organization.
You’ll need to be Google Ads certified. At the end of the four-week contest, teams gain hands-on experience helping a real nonprofit make a social impact. As a team member, you can also apply your business, marketing, and consulting skills to gain an edge in the job market.
4. Android Developer Challenge
The Android Developer Challenge combines two ideas — social good and the Android mobile platform — to create functional apps that serve a greater purpose.
A recent Android Developer Challenge focused on helpful technology powered by on-device machine learning. Google hasn’t announced the next round yet, but it’s worth watching for. You can see past winners on the Developer Challenge homepage.
5. Tech Challenge
The Tech Challenge used to be called Google Games. It now goes by a simpler name. This global coding challenge is aimed at engineering students and those interested in computer science. You’ll need to be a currently enrolled freshman, sophomore, or junior (a first-, second-, or third-year undergraduate student) to enter. Competitions are held throughout the year.
The team-based competition is designed to give students a glimpse of Google’s culture and the skills needed to become a software engineer there. Beyond analytical thinking, you’ll need to be creative and collaborative to solve puzzles on the spot.
The top three teams to solve the most puzzles walk away with great swag and a special presentation from Google.
6. Kickstart
Kickstart might be one of the best ways to get noticed by Google without a formal degree to your name. You can compete solo and test your algorithmic skills against some of the best in the world.
These virtual competitions run throughout the year. You can sign up and join any round at any time. Each Kickstart round is open to everyone — no pre-qualification is needed, so you can try one round or all of them.
Get ready for three-hour rounds of algorithmic problems. These challenges give you a real taste of the problems Google engineers tackle every day. There’s no cash prize, but Google recruiters may reach out for an interview based on your performance.
7. Google.org Impact Challenge
Google is at the forefront of AI development, and it also wants to promote that technology for community and global causes. The Google.org Impact Challenge invites participants to tackle social and environmental problems using AI as a tool.
In Google’s own words: “We honor community-driven nonprofits and social ventures with support to make their community — and beyond — a better place.”
A recent challenge awarded 20 selected organizations with training from Google’s AI experts and grant funding from a $25 million pool. They also received credits and consulting from Google Cloud, and the top winner received a nine-month accelerator program to advance their work.
The next challenge hasn’t been announced yet, but you can keep an eye on the homepage for updates.
8. Google Capture The Flag Competition
This Google contest isn’t a typical “capture the flag” event — it’s a team-based online cybersecurity challenge where you crack a series of computer security puzzles. The challenges cover reverse engineering, memory corruption, cryptography, and other web security topics.
Solve a challenge, and you earn a flag. Climb the leaderboard by capturing more flags. The first stage runs online, and the top three teams win $13,000, $7,000, or $3,000 USD. The top 16 teams are then invited to a follow-up competition to compete for additional prizes, with rewards available at other stages too.
How to Win Google Prizes
It’s not easy. As you’ve seen, Google’s competitions are designed to advance technology and promote its benefits around the world.
Google also runs various regional competitions to spark curiosity among students, like the Web Rangers competition in India. Some, like the Tech Challenge, can even earn you a college scholarship.
The biggest prize you can win from Google is a job there. To work toward that, it helps to start practicing with other online coding challenges as well.
