One Way To Land A Job At Google

Want to work for Google but don't know how to rise above the 1,500 resumés it receives each day? Warsaw University student Marek Cygan got noticed by entering the search-technology company's third annual computer-programming competition--the 2005 Google Code Jam--and scoring the $10,000 grand prize, beating 14,500 competitors from 32 countries.

Beyond celebrating geek prowess, the contest is both a clever recruiting event and a recruiting event for the clever. "We've hired some people through the Google Code Jam, and we're continually exploring opportunities to find more bright, talented engineers to join our team," a Google spokeswoman explains via E-mail.

For Cygan, the real test is still to come. "If he's interested in pursuing a job opportunity at Google, he will go through the same interview process as any other candidate," the spokeswoman says. At least he's sure to land the interview.