Have you ever wondered what it takes to get a job at Google?
According to Kalibrr, the tech giant receives over 1 million job applicants every year. From those more than million resumes and job applications reviewed, only between 4,000 to 6,000 job candidates will actually get hired. Yes, you did the math right – your chances of landing a job at Google is less than 1%.
Getting any job can seem like a daunting task. Landing one at companies like Google can often seem more like a dream than anything else. All too often, we compare ourselves and ask, “how did they get that job?” and “can I too?”.
We interviewed Jennifer Noelle Garibay, who currently serves as a Technical Recruiter at Google, to learn more about her path and experiences that led her to work at Google. Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Garibay’s recruiting job is only a part of the broad knowledge she has that can help you become a better employee and job candidate.
How Jennifer Garibay’s Started Her Career
When she was 18, Garibay landed a part-time job at a property management company. There, she helped manage properties and helped people book vacation homes. “An Airbnb type of business before Airbnb,” she described it. During this time, she picked up essential skills in running a business and handling finances.
After four years of college, Garibay graduated from Texas Tech University with a Nutritional Health and Wellness major. Yet, despite having good grades, she did not achieve her goal of making it into nursing school because of a lack of volunteer hours in the clinical setting. As she explained, breaking into nutrition without a master’s degree is hard, and with her paying for college herself, she decided a master’s degree was not the way to go.
After college, she worked as a Corporate event Specialist at Top Golf and then as an Operations and Staffing Manager at High Profile Promotions, Inc.
Today, Garibay works for Google as a Technical Recruiter. Initially, she worked at Google as a contractor, something she says got her foot in the door.
As someone who has had experience in many different jobs and now works as a recruiter, Garibay’s story and experience provide valuable insights. From overcoming not following her college major to her experience as a recruiter, we have compiled a list of things that we learned from her that you should too.
Jennifer Garibay’s Tips for Job Candidates
As a Recruiter, Garibay is constantly interviewing top-notch job candidates. The tips she shares with us can be used by any job candidate looking to make their resume stand out.
Resume, Resume, Resume
“The number one thing recruiters are looking for is if you can make an actionable change in your role,” Garibay explains.
She states that no matter what industry you are in, recruiters look for job candidates who can positively impact their role and company. The key is making the recruiter able to tell whether you possess this ability through your resume.
Garibay suggests asking yourself the following questions:
“Are you someone who can lead, enact change, and can make an impact?”
“Can you make an actionable change in your role?”
If the answer is yes, make sure your resume tells the same story. Garibay suggests using strong action verbs. Fluff is not necessary; opt for data instead. Make sure your experience is noticeable.
Choose your words wisely
As a recruiter, Garibay knows the importance of wording in a resume firsthand.
“Spell it out verbatim, treat people like they don’t understand because you never know who’s reading your resume,” Garibay points out. Often it’s not about changing what you did, but changing its wording. You have to make your skills incredibly obvious to anyone, no matter how inexperienced in a field they are.
It’s all about who you know
“I can’t tell you how many times I got a job because I was friends with someone who told me about it,” Garibay explains. She says that people just look for jobs all too often, and although it sounds contradictory, that’s not always the way to get a job. It’s not always an active search; sometimes, it’s about putting yourself in the right circle of people to get exposure to these opportunities.
“A huge portion of it is who you know. Look for referrals, contacts, and opportunities inside your network.”
Apply to jobs wisely
“Be smart about the roles you’re applying to,” Garibay suggests.
Ask yourself:
- “Does this make sense for how long you’ve been in the industry?”
- “Does this seem like it’s going to fit for you compensation-wise?”
Making these types of questions can make sure you are applying for the right jobs. Being under or even overqualified can deter you from getting a job.
Be yourself and be honest
Garibay says that she knows her ability to talk to people is a great asset, so she uses it to convince people that she can do the things she says she can do.
If speaking is not your strength like Garibay, try writing. Either way, be honest and take risks when putting yourself out there.
“Something that job candidates don’t utilize enough is just, you know, be honest, put yourself out there,” Garibay says, “people will be surprised how often that can get you where you want to go.”
When in doubt, lean into your skills
When Garibay graduated college, she found herself stepping outside her major. This is something many students can identify with. Either because they decide to take another route or life forces them, it can feel scary.
Garibay is a very positive person, the type that is hard to get down. But for others who might understandably struggle, she recommends taking it all in with a grain of salt.
“Know yourself,” she explains. “Lean into your skills. For me, it’s my people skills, but if your strengths are project management, then lean into that”.
Overall, Garibay suggests reminding yourself that you have skills and talent even though things are bad right now. Everyone has something they can thrive in; find that thing you’re good at.
Learn to prioritize
As Garibay points out, prioritization is more important now than ever. Nowadays, our days are filled with overstimulation. Social media, phone calls, and thousands of other distractions are more prevalent than ever. Therefore, it’s essential to learn how to control these urges and prioritize your time.
Additionally, when you’re feeling overloaded with work, you have to learn to prioritize your tasks.
“Not everything is going to be perfect, and not everything is going to be done,” Garibay says, “That was something that took a lot of growing up for me to learn in my role. You can’t have that expectation of yourself.”
And Finally, Trust Yourself
“Things aren’t the way they used to be,” Garibay says, “You don’t need to have gotten to an ivy league school; you don’t need to have twenty years of experience in a field. You just need to have the applicable experience to stand out as a job candidate.”
Getting a job can seem like a daunting task, but with these tips, hopefully, you’ll be able to be more confident and successful in your process.
Good luck and happy job hunting!