Google used to write its job applications in the most hated font in the world

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Google used to write its job applications in the most hated font in the world

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Google logo office employee

Mark Lennihan/AP Images

  • Ex-Googler Erica Baker tweeted out an old Google application that she found from 2006.
  • The paper application is pretty standard - aside from its use of the loathed font Comic Sans.

Today, applying to work at Google involves a seamless digital interface that links your Gmail account to your application on a page.

But that wasn't always the case. As recently as 2006, Google was still using a paper application in none other than the most hated font on the internet - Comic Sans. 

A copy of the old paper application was dug up by former Google engineer Erica Baker, who started at the company in 2006 as an IT field technician. She moved up through the ranks until 2015, when she left the company for Slack, before landing at Patreon. 

While Comic Sans is loathed enough by the internet community to inspire top search results like ComicSansCriminal.com, the font does have one benefit. Its irregular letter shapes make it easier to read for many people with dyslexia.  

It's unclear if Google knowingly chose to use the reviled font as a joke, or if it was simply unaware of the font's bad reputation. Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Google's current digital application, for what it's worth, uses a mix of Open Sans and Roboto Slab.

Google Application

Google

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