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In 2007, I made the transition to civilian life after serving in the military for five years. Though I was sure my experience as an engineer in the U.S Army would be valuable to employers, I had far less experience writing a resume that would appeal to recruiters hiring for civilian jobs. It’s easy to find an email template online of what a resume should look like, but translating what you did in the military to civilian speak is a real challenge. To support service members who are preparing for their own transitions to civilian careers, Grow with Google teamed up with experts from the Center for Veteran Transition and Integration at Columbia University and FourBlock . Together, we created new Applied Digital Skills lessons designed to help veterans find a job and succeed in the civilian workforce. The job search begins with a resume, so let’s start there. If you’re a veteran looking to transition to the civilian workforce, here are three tips for creating or updating your resum...

Editor’s Note: Luvvie Ajayi is the host of the podcasts Rants & Randomness and Jesus & Jollof and the author of the New York Times best-seller I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual. So many people are talking about podcasting these days. Maybe you’ve been thinking of starting a podcast of your own, but you aren’t sure where to start. If so, I’m here to offer help.  I’ve partnered with Google Podcasts and PRX on a free Podcasting 101 video series that launches today. Over the course of ten short episodes, my co-host Sean Rameswaram, host of Vox’s Today, Explained, and I walk you through all of the things you need to know to get your podcast started. Additionally, each video is subtitled in five languages (Spanish, Portuguese, French, Hindi and Arabic). I’m eager to share all the lessons I’ve learned since I launched two (yes, two!) podcasts in 2018. For me, podcasts are a new and intimate way to connect with my audience and tell the story of the world as I see it. ...

Elijah Lawal just published his first book, but he’s been writing since he was 10 years old. Back when he was a kid, he wrote a story about a boy who ran away from home—and eventually became the president of Panama. His new book, published in the U.K. earlier this year, has very little to do with his imaginative works of little-kid fiction, but it came from a similar refusal to accept things the way they are.  Elijah, who works in communications in Google’s London office, just wrote “ The Clapback: Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes .” He says it’s his attempt to debunk harmful stereotypes aimed at the black community, and to give people the tools to respond when they are faced with such myths.  Each chapter introduces a stereotype, explains its origins and shows why it’s harmful. “If there's a stereotype that black people can't swim, and if I believe that false stereotype, then it means I'm very unlikely to go swimming,” he explains. “It means I’m very unlike...

Think back … can you remember the first time you heard about YouTube? Or even better–can you recall the first video you watched? It’s a fun parlor game we YouTubers sometimes play–and an occasion to reflect on how far the platform has come since its earliest days. And for those of us who have been on the ads team for more than a few years, it’s particularly remarkable to think about how our ad products have changed as well. Back when we introduced TrueView 9 years ago, people entered the site typically from a link and typically on desktop, watched a short form video and then left to do other things. In fact, desktop represented 90 percent of all YouTube usage in 2010. The appetite for in-stream ad experiences was extremely low in these contexts, which prompted us to introduce a skippable video format that put the choice to view an ad in the hands of the user. Advertisers only paid if viewers watched the complete ad or 30 seconds if longer, so it was a win-win. In the years since th...

This time last year, we launched the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenge , part of our $300 million commitment to help journalism thrive in the digital age.   With our first challenge, we funded 23 projects focused on diversifying reader revenue in the Asia Pacific region. Since then, we’ve launched challenges in North America, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa and Turkey, receiving more than 1,300 project submissions from 77 countries--and recently selected 64 more projects for funding.  Today, we’re opening our second challenge in Asia Pacific. This time, we’re calling for projects which aim to increase reader engagement. The more deeply people engage with the stories they read, the more likely they are to return to a news website, visit more pages during a session, sign up for an email newsletter and become subscribers.   We’re interested in hearing about creative ideas around reader engagement, including but not limited to personalization...

Keeping data safe and private is a key priority for Android—and we’ve built a number of features to keep your device secure and give you control. As part of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, here are a few of these features, and our top tips for staying safe on your phone. Warding off sneaky phishing attacks Phishing is when a bad actor (we’re talking criminal here, not someone with low-rated movies on Rotten Tomatoes) tricks you into giving them your private information. Phishing can come in the form of a convincing email that looks like it’s from a company or co-worker you know, spam phone calls, and even text messages.  Typically, these bad actors want to steal credit card numbers, social security numbers, or account login information (usually for financial gain or identity theft), but there may be other pieces of data they’re looking to steal. Thankfully, you have three important features on your Android device that protect them from phishing: Caller ID...

In three weeks, consumers will have their devices in hand and be ready to line up at stores to continue their holiday shopping over Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Will you be ready? We’ve made a list of recommendations and hope you’ll check it twice to help you dial up holiday performance. See our first pro tip below and check back next week for what’s next on the list. Pro tip #1: Help shoppers discover more of your products through Merchant Center The holiday season continues to be an important time for retail marketers and is growing more competitive every year. According to Mastercard Advisors, retail had its largest season ever ($853 billion) last year with ecommerce sales reaching their strongest growth in over a decade, at an 18.4 percent increase from the year before. And while this year’s holiday shopping season is a week shorter than last year, there’s good news for marketers: research shows the period to influence shoppers starts earlier and extends longer than ever...

Technology has made it easier than ever before for small businesses to find new customers abroad. That’s been the experience for Ryan McFarland in South Dakota, who started Strider Bikes in 2007 after inventing a pedal-free bicycle for his young son. He’s since sold more than 2.5 million bikes to customers in 78 countries, and international sales account for over half of the company’s business. Through products and tools like Google Ads , YouTube and Market Finder , small businesses like Strider Bikes are finding new markets and building relationships with customers around the world. Still, we know that a majority of small businesses currently do not export their products, and many that do export continue to find it a difficult process. That’s where technology can come in -- helping small businesses access international markets that present great opportunity. To better understand the opportunities and gaps for small businesses, we commissioned a study from the U.S. Chamber of Comme...

Starting next week, you can stream SiriusXM’s extensive lineup of channels with the Google Assistant on your smart devices, like Nest Mini, Nest Hub, Android and iOS phones, and everywhere Assistant is available.  With just your voice, you can pick from a wide selection of talk shows, commercial-free music, and sports stations from SiriusXM, which is great when your hands are full while getting ready for work or you’re cooking dinner with friends. Just say “Hey Google, play Howard 100 on SiriusXM” or play other channels, like “play Hits 1 on Sirius XM” and “play Fantasy Sports Radio on SiriusXM.” You can also select dedicated artist channels by asking “Hey Google, play The Beatles Channel on SiriusXM,” or try other channels, like “play Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud radio.” Or, just simply say “Hey Google, play SiriusXM” to listen to the last channel you played earlier. This will be available in the U.S. and Canada, starting in English and expanding to Canadian French soon. ...

Editor’s note: On the 50th anniversary of the Internet, this post comes from one of the most knowledgeable sources out there. Though it’s not included in his official title, Vint Cerf is, in fact, one of the architects of the modern Internet.  Before there was the Internet, there was a packet. The “sending of the packet” was actually the first step toward the invention of the Internet as we know it, and it happened 50 years ago today. On that day, we established the first connection between two computers—from UCLA to the Stanford Research Institute—on the ARPANET, the predecessor to the Internet.  Connecting the planet in this way remains one of the most astounding technical and societal achievements of our lifetime. A lot has happened in the years since, and the rise of the Internet has come with its own set of challenges that will require new solutions. But over the years there have been many bright spots, including 17 moments that, for me, stand out the most.  1. ...

Editor’s note: This guest post comes from Micaela Connery, Founder and CEO of The Kelsey . My cousin Kelsey and I were born three months apart, going through every life milestone together. When it came time to live on our own, it took me several months to find housing—but it took Kelsey almost eight years. Her family struggled to find a home that was supportive of her disabilities, while still letting Kelsey be part of the broader community. Kelsey and Micaela It’s a challenge almost every adult with disabilities faces. Kelsey was one of the lucky ones, with supportive parents and good local resources. The reality is that over 70 percent of people with developmental disabilities never move from their family home. This challenge is particularly acute in lower income communities or communities of color. Addressing this critical housing need for adults with disabilities can, and must, be done through inclusion in design, funding, policies and culture. The Kelsey cre...

Who doesn’t love finding a good shortcut? A year ago, G Suite created a handful of shortcuts: docs.new , sheets.new , and slides.new . You can easily pull up a new document, spreadsheet or presentation by typing those shortcuts into your address bar.  This inspired Google Registry to release the .new domain extension as a way for people to perform online actions in one quick step. And now any company or organization can register its own .new domain to help people get things done faster, too. Here are some of our favorite shortcuts that you can use: Playlist.new : Create a new playlist to add songs on Spotify. Story.new : Write about what matters to you on Medium. Canva.new : Create beautiful designs with your team. Webex.new : For an easy, fast, and secure way to start your personal meeting room from any browser, try this shortcut from Cisco Webex. Link.new : Instantly create trusted, powerful, recognizable links that maximize the impact of every digital initiativ...

Who doesn’t love finding a good shortcut? A year ago, G Suite created a handful of shortcuts: docs.new , sheets.new , and slides.new . You can easily pull up a new document, spreadsheet or presentation by typing those shortcuts into your address bar.  This inspired Google Registry to release the .new domain extension as a way for people to perform online actions in one quick step. And now any company or organization can register its own .new domain to help people get things done faster, too. Here are some of our favorite shortcuts that you can use: Playlist.new : Create a new playlist to add songs on Spotify. Story.new : Write about what matters to you on Medium. Sell.new : Help people get exactly what they want through eBay. Canva.new : Create beautiful designs with your team. Reservation.new : Make an OpenTable reservation at the best restaurants near you. Word.new : With Microsoft, you can write with confidence, knowing intelligent technology can help with spelling, gr...

In the age of digital media, TV programmers need to monetize their content wherever audiences are watching—whether that's on a connected TV, laptop or smartphone. But there are still several unanswered questions and challenges around selling and distributing TV inventory across the full range of digital devices.  Additionally, as programmatic’s share of advanced TV ad dollars continues to grow, programmers should begin to rethink their sales strategies to optimize their inventory offerings. Programmatic should no longer be thought of as a means to fill remnant TV inventory, but as a tool to ensure programmers are capturing the highest yield and revenue across all of their demand sources.  In an effort to help our TV partners better understand the global and regional trends of selling and distributing TV inventory in the digital ecosystem, Google Ad Manager researched the performance of 44 of its top TV programmer partners across APAC, EMEA, LATAM, and North America, from Q...

Editor’s note: Anya Karir is a Toronto-based youth boxing coach who uses Google’s accessibility tools to communicate with those around her. Isolated and alienated. That’s how I’d describe the moment I realized I was deaf. That transition, from just a kid to a deaf person, is so clear in my memory—I was three years old, standing on my balcony on a warm New Delhi evening, watching people go by, and not hearing a sound. I wondered if I was the only deaf person on Earth. I had never met anyone like me.   My parents sent me to a deaf school where the teachers only spoke Hindi. I noticed adults using large gestures to communicate with me, and in those early years we built a unique language to communicate to one another. When they would say "water" or "milk," they would make a closed fist with a thumb out (like giving a thumbs down), but in this case the thumbs down would be toward your mouth.  When it was time to enroll into school, there was no sign language at the ...

Growing up, my next door neighbor was a Boston firefighter. Like many kids, I was inspired by heroic portrayals of firefighters battling flames and carrying people to safety. What affected me most, however, was watching my neighbor leave his house every morning, prepared to help those in need. This dedication to helping others stuck with me. It’s been twenty years since I first joined the fire department, and I’ve served as an on-call firefighter ever since. I’ve worked alongside EMTs, police officers, and community volunteers who on a daily basis are answering the call for help. While the newsworthy crises are part of the job, it’s also the less recognized, everyday moments—from replacing batteries in an elderly resident's smoke alarm to calming a child after an allergic reaction—that are essential elements of this work. Today we’re recognizing our nation’s first responders for all the ways they dedicate their lives to helping others. A challenging, but often unrecognized, asp...

For the past seven years, I have spent time visiting students in rural communities across Washington State, where I live. I share information about science, engineering, technology and math, and specifically talk about software engineering and the projects Google has launched. It’s a true joy of mine to see students excited about technology, and see their young minds thinking about the possibilities ahead of them.  When I visit students, I get to combine my experience as an engineer at Google, and as a member of the Google American Indian Network, to bring access to technology to those who may not otherwise have it. As an Elder and an Enrolled Member of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Oregon, I was honored to take part in Google’s latest initiative to bring Wi-Fi and Chromebooks to Celilo Village , a Native American community on the Columbia River. This project will give residents and students the ability to access the abundance of information found online, and improve the di...

From a 148-year-old newspaper to a startup monetizing audio archives, the successful recipients of the first Google News Initiative’s North America Innovation Challenge are as varied as the communities they serve. These selected projects are from news providers in both rural and urban communities across the region, and are all dedicated to serving a diverse range of audiences. The thing that knits them all together is their passion for local news. The North America Innovation Challenge was launched in May of this year, and was focused specifically on local news. Within six weeks of opening up this Innovation Challenge , we received 269 applications from 44 states and provinces. After a rigorous review, a round of interviews and a final jury selection process, we selected 34 projects in 17 states and provinces to receive funding amounting to a total of $5.8 million. The call for applications  listed four criteria: impact, feasibility, innovation and inspiration. We...

If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the 15 years working on Google Search, it’s that people’s curiosity is endless. We see billions of searches every day, and 15 percent of those queries are ones we haven’t seen before--so we’ve built ways to return results for queries we can’t anticipate. When people like you or I come to Search, we aren’t always quite sure about the best way to formulate a query. We might not know the right words to use, or how to spell something, because often times, we come to Search looking to learn--we don’t necessarily have the knowledge to begin with.  At its core, Search is about understanding language. It’s our job to figure out what you’re searching for and surface helpful information from the web, no matter how you spell or combine the words in your query. While we’ve continued to improve our language understanding capabilities over the years, we sometimes still don’t quite get it right, particularly with complex or conversational queries. In fac...

The TV industry is going through a digital transformation as viewers watch more content in their living room on over-the-top (OTT) and streaming services. In fact, in the first half of this year, we saw connected TVs become the leading device in North America for Ad Manager programmer partners. 1 As TV converges with digital, we’ve been developing new advanced TV solutions that combine the flexibility and precision of digital with the scale and control of TV to help innovative media companies like Disney, Univision, and many more deliver seamless, personalized, and measurable ads. Today we’re adding new features to our advanced TV solutions for programmers including inventory sharing, ad break templates, TV forecasting and pacing, and real-time reporting. Seamless ad experiences between programmers and distributors with inventory sharing Programmers often have complex inventory sharing agreements with many content distributors, including traditional TV operators and digital distr...

Nothing marks the passage of time quite like the changing pace of technology. When I was in high school nearly ten years ago, I didn’t have a smartphone, and there was no Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok. I didn’t have to navigate the world of misinformation the way teens have to today which is something that I can appreciate now that I work for MediaWise. Our goal is to teach one million teens by 2020—with half coming from underserved and low-income communities—the difference between fact and fiction online.  MediaWise is made possible by the Google News Initiative and is a Google.org funded partnership between The Poynter Institute for Media Studies,  the Stanford History Education Group , the Local Media Association and the National Association for Media Literacy Education . As we mark Media Literacy Week in the U.S., MediaWise has surpassed our goal, and we have reached five million people. We’ve been able to hit that number thanks to social media, our MediaWise ambass...