It’s a challenging and highly competitive environment, but there are plenty of ways that you can begin climbing your way up to the top. One thing that you should consider is that seeking an internship at Google, while still pretty difficult, is much easier than seeking a full-time software engineer position.

To better prepare for your Google internship interview, I suggest you do the following:

• Pick a programming language of your choice: Perhaps the most important step for you if you’re a complete beginner at coding is to pick a programming language to learn and master. My suggestion would be that you start with C++; it’s a hard language to learn at first, but many other programming languages share a similar syntax to it, which makes transitioning to other programming languages far easier. Alternatively, you could learn Python, which has one of the most intuitive and friendly syntaxes for beginners.
• Learn and master the basics of data structures & algorithms: This is what you’ll need to solve the programming problems that you find. Preferably, you would want to learn about theory first and then complement that knowledge with practice as you go. Good resources to do so would be LeetCode, a resource with over 1000+ programming questions of varying difficulties for you to solve, and GeeksforGeeks, an online portal that acts as a library of in-depth articles and instructional videos on computer science-related topics.
• Don’t ignore the importance of soft skills: Programmers often prioritize technical proficiency above all else, but a solid grasp of soft skills like communication, leadership, and teamwork is just as important as your ability to code, especially over at Google where they’re all about Googliness. For this, you may want to enroll in a course like Tech Interview Pro, which offers 100+ coding lessons on algorithms, data structures, and systems design, but also includes in-depth modules on soft skills and what to expect during your interview.
• Practice with mock interviews: While learning about soft skills is something that will definitely put you above the rest, it’s kind of like coding in the sense that the theory also needs complementary practice, and mock interviews are a great way to get it. A useful resource here would be Interviewing.io, a website where you can receive feedback on your performance as you have mock interviews with other software engineers
• Put it all together: It’s a lot to practice, but if you’ve taken the time to properly prepare for your interview in all of these important aspects, your chances of landing the internship will be really high compared to everyone else.

Good luck!