The JobSync Blog
Google Your Way to Better Interviews
January 4, 2012
Have you ever Googled “Biggest Mistake Job Candidates Make”? Now there’s no need to, as one of Google’s own top recruiters shares his feelings on the most fatal misstep jobseekers make in an interview as well as other errors they commit when meeting with a prospective employer.
Michael Junge is an accomplished recruiter for Google, and in a recent interview with BusinessInsider.com, he discussed the elusive search for purple squirrels (hard-to-find talent). And the biggest mistake he believes candidates make? Saying “terrible things” that bear no relevancy to a jobseeker making his case for why he is a good fit for a company. These statements can range from a candidate badmouthing former colleagues to discussing inappropriate aspects of a candidate’s personal life.
Why do candidates make such costly remarks? Junge doesn’t explain the underlying reasons in the interview, but there are two common explanations . The first is nerves. Anxiety in an interview can compel a candidate to react emotionally to casual conversation that precedes or follows the preset questions of an interview. Nervousness can also predispose one to saying horrible things in response to those interview questions as well. Another reason is that a candidate may make such statements on purpose, feeling that by opening up and revealing a personal part of himself, he is somehow forging a personal connection with a recruiter or hiring manager and thereby improving his chances. However, nothing could be further from the truth. Seasoned recruiters and hiring managers are not in interviews to make friends. They are there to find individuals who will be a great fit for their companies and achieve a great deal in a position for which they are hired.
What else can help you become a purple squirrel in a company’s eyes? Junge feels the value of friendliness cannot be overestimated during the hiring process. And he also strongly advises against hiding one’s past salary history, feeling this usually kills a person’s chances of obtaining a job.
So embrace your inner purple squirrel, and make 2012 the year that you finally land that elusive nut of a job.
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