Google, one of the most aggressive staff recruiters in Silicon Valley, is putting on a programming contest worth up to $10,000 and a possible career at the search company. Called Google Code Jam 2003, the contest is essentially a timed, Internet-based test of programming skills. After two rounds of competition, 25 people will be invited to Google's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., to compete for a total of $25,000 in cash prizes. Google plans to evaluate the crop of engineers as job candidates, given that the work environment in the Googleplex is similar to the tournament: "intense competition, no pressure," according to the company's Web page.

Code Jam is Google's second programming contest and plays into the company's competitive, yet playful, culture. In early 2002, it let the public into its labs to try out experimental technology in its first programming contest. The $10,000 winner had developed technology designed to let searchers find Web pages within a designated geographical area.