If you’ve been to a job interview lately, you might have been asked questions like, “Tell me a bit about yourself” or “Tell me about what you learned during your degree." Questions like these are music to the ears and are a world away from such interviews that feature on The Apprentice for example, where your CV is scrutinized by the finest of fine-tooth combs.
Related:4 Tips To Answer Tough Interview Questions Correctly
We’d always like to think that the way to get the best out of an interviewee is to relax them as much as possible, and it’s an interview situation we’d all like to be in every time. However, there are companies out there who like to put candidates through a little more than just a few standard questions; companies who delight in making the interview process as bumpy a road as possible. Here are a few:
Google
It might surprise you to learn that Google would probably come out top on a list of most difficult interviews. Actually, before you even get to the interview, there are numerous hurdles you’ll have to successfully clear first. Firstly, Google prefers Ivy Leaguers. If you’re from the UK, I reckon Oxford or Cambridge would be acceptable, too. Google also cares about your grades – even if you’re over thirty. You might have gone through high school 15 years previously, but you might as well have graduated last year in Google’s eyes.
If you manage to get invited for an interview, out of all the questions you’ve prepared for, realistically, none of them are going to come up. If you want to do well in an interview with Google, you’ll need to prepare for questions like ‘How many golf balls can fit in a school bus?’ and conundrums such as, "You’re the captain of a pirate ship and your crew gets to vote on how the gold is divided up. If fewer than half of the pirates agree with you, you die. How do you recommend apportioning the gold in such a way that you get a good share of the booty, but still survive?"
Random Storm
But it’s not just Google at the forefront of bringing the humble job interview into the 21st century. Another company who like to do things a little differently is Random Storm – a cyber-security and ethical hacking company. A spokesperson from the company said that they actually get potential candidates to hack something during their interview, and they even offer a tool that interested applicants can train on.
McKinsey & Company
Also, according to interview reviews on Glassdoor, the consultancy firm McKinsey & Company came out on top with an average difficulty rating of 3.9/5. Interviewees have reported being asked challenging questions such as, “How would you calculate the annual carbon emissions from electric versus gas vehicles in the EU?”
So, next time you’re offered an interview somewhere, you might want to consider searching online for some advice first!
The leaves are changing, the kids are back in school, and that familiar chill is in the air. You think it's the perfect time to look for a job, and it is! But are your job search fears preventing you from making that leap?
It's not uncommon to feel lost when embarking on your job search journey. After all, school teaches us everything except how to get a job. What should you put on your resume? What questions should you ask in an interview? How can you stand out in the hiring process when there's so much competition?
Are you feeling spooked yet?
Believe it or not, there's no need to be afraid of the job search process! You can land your dream job with the right tools and strategy. You can find a job that won't give you nightmares. Here are three spooky secrets every job seeker should know as they look for a job this fall.
1. An Effective Job Search Starts With An Interview Bucket List
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Despite your fears, you've decided to take the plunge and look for a new job. You might be asking yourself, "Where do I start?" The answer is simple: start by creating an interview bucket list.
An interview bucket list is a list of 10-20 companies you'd love to work for. Are you passionate about a company's products or services? Do you feel connected to its mission? Can you relate to its values and beliefs as an organization? If you answer "yes" to any of these questions, that company probably belongs on your interview bucket list.
Once you create an interview bucket list, you'll be able to conduct a targeted job search, one with direction and a foundation upon which everything else will be built. An interview bucket list helps you focus your job search and networking strategies on the right opportunities, making it easier to get your foot in the door at one of your dream companies.
2. Your Job Application Needs To Disrupt Hiring Managers
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In order to stand out in the hiring process, you need to disrupt recruiters and hiring managers. You accomplish this by doing two things: optimizing your resume and writing a disruptive cover letter.
A well-optimized resume includes keywords from the job description. This ensures your resume gets past the ATS and into the hands of the hiring manager. Once it's in front of the hiring manager, it needs to grab and keep their attention. Quantifying your work experience—adding numbers to your bullet points—will make you stand out from other applicants. Hiring managers will want to know more about you and your accomplishments, and that's how you land a phone interview.
Before that, though, a hiring manager will read your cover letter. To disrupt them, you need to write a disruptive cover letter (obviously!). A disruptive cover letter gives you the opportunity to tell a story about why you feel connected to the company you're applying for. It's that storytelling aspect that will stand out to hiring managers and compel them to pick up the phone and give you a call.
3. Employers Hire You Based On 3 Things
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You can't get hired unless you know what employers are assessing you on in the interview process. While your skills and expertise matter, companies actually hire for three things: personality, aptitude, and experience (in that order).
Most job seekers don't realize how important it is to demonstrate their personality, aptitude, and experience in an interview. You could have the right experience for a job, but if the hiring manager doesn't think your personality is a good fit for the company culture, you probably won't get a job offer.
Make sure you demonstrate your soft skills and learn how to answer behavioral interview questions to prove you're the best candidate for the job you're applying for, not just the most qualified.
Want To Learn More Job Search Secrets?
As you look for a job this fall, it might be helpful to know some more spooky secrets so you can get over your job search fears and finally take control of your career.
We know the job search process can be scary. However, it's important to get clear on what you want to do next and focus on conducting a strategic job search, or what we refer to at Work It DAILY as job shopping. This is the only way to effectively market yourself to employers. If they can't see exactly where and how you add value, then that's going to decrease your chances of landing the job.
The competition is fierce, and there are a lot of factors that are out of your control. But the one factor you can control is your job search strategy, the tools and tactics you use to land a job.
If you want to learn the secrets to conducting a strategic job search, sign up for our Job Search Bootcamp, a two-hour, on-demand video workshop that comes with a free workbook.
In this video workshop, you'll learn:
How to use backchanneling to get directly to hiring managers.
The secret to using a connection story to stand out against the competition.
How social media can be your secret weapon to get job interviews.
The resume format that is getting job seekers more job interviews.
