This article was published on May 12, 2011

Would you become a Google Guide?


Would you become a Google Guide?

Google has done a lot to popularise the cloud computing concept. And in its infinite wisdom, the search engine giant is now offering new graduates the opportunity to become what it calls ‘Google Guides’.

The programme aims to help youngsters take their Google Apps expertise into their new career, introducing their new ‘mature’ work colleagues to the wonders of cloud-based computing with Google.

A Google Guide should be a graduating college senior, young alum, or current student doing a summer internship. And of course, they should love using Google Apps – Gmail, Docs, Calendar, Google Talk, and all the rest.

Google is selling the benefits of becoming a guide as an opportunity to make an immediate impact in a new job, perhaps somewhere that’s not really sure what Google Apps is all about.

When they sign up to the programme, Google Guides agree to receive occasional emails which they can unsubscribe from at any time. And in the Google Guides FAQ, it states: “It is our hope that Google Guides will use the resources we provide to encourage their companies to consider adopting Google Apps.”

It sounds an awful lot like Google is trying to get graduates to sell their product for them. By calling them ‘Google Guides’, it seems like it’s trying to deflect from the fact that the graduate doesn’t actually gain all that much from the programme in terms of real skills. Or maybe I’m being cynical.

Anyway, you be the judge. You can either register to become a Google Guide, or watch the video below:

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