Google Hires UX Engineer Edwin Toh Despite Lack of Degree: Here’s How it Happened

Google's user experience (UX) engineer, Edwin Toh, has been with the search engine giant for several years now.

However, the tech juggernaut hired the 38-year-old Singaporean in 2018 despite his lack of a college or university degree to boast about.

Google UX Engineer Edwin Toh

Based on Toh's Linkedin account, he has been with Google since June 2018, starting as a UX engineer, working on the prototypes and internal tools of the search engine.

Nearly after a year, he jumped to a higher role in the renowned tech firm, sitting as the Senior UX Engineer beginning May 2019.

His Linkedin profile disclosed that he is the technical lead "for an internal tool with a CMS," which thousands of Google users use. He is also the technical lead and major UX contributor for another internal tool at the search engine giant.

During his Senior UX Engineer stint, he also contributed to the development of Google Pay, the mobile payment service of the tech giant, which rivals Apple Pay.

He currently serves as the Staff UX engineer of Google in New York, as he continues to lead gigantic projects for the renowned multinational firm.

He is now the UX Lead for AI4Code. On top of that, he also leads the user experience of the Next Generation of Software Engineering at Google Labs.

How Google Hired a UX Engineer Without a Degree

But despite all this, the Straits Times reports that Toh never had any university degree to show Google. Yet, the tech behemoth hired him as part of its UX team.

The Singapore-based news outlet notes that Toh completed diploma studies at the Nanyang Polytechnic. He did so as he realized that he learns best by experiencing things firsthand.

He began working at an advertising agency in Singapore, which he founded. But after five years, he left and decided to try applying for a job in New York. And in March 2016, he became the Lead Developer at Work & Company.

And later on, he started working with Google.

The global head of people experience at Google, Tom Dewaele, told Straits Times that folks like Toh are what the tech giant is actually looking for after all.

Dewaele notes that "he has what I call the growth mindset, and that is one of the most valuable qualities we look for in our employees."

He explains that "a growth mindset is a common characteristic among our best staff, and the ability to continually learn, especially from mistakes."

They must also instill teamwork skills, including supporting teammates and active listening.

He adds that Google does not require a four-year degree for any role. Instead, what matters most is that they have "demonstrated skills and experience," Dewaele notes.