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I began my 12-year career at Google in 2006, where I held positions such as Chief of Staff and Executive Business Partner. I previously worked at Amazon as an executive business partner to Jeff Bezos.
After spending so much time with some of the most successful and influential leaders in the world, I’ve learned what to look for in new candidates. In fact, Bezos hired me on the spot after my first interview with him in 2002.
Based on the hundreds of interviews I’ve conducted over my decades-long career, here are my top tips for instantly impressing a hiring manager during a job interview:
1. Tell memorable stories behind your hobbies and interests
The people I hired or worked with at Google were proudly queer. They had interesting hobbies, in-depth knowledge and passions outside of their work.
But they did more than just say “I like to garden” or “I like to make furniture.” Instead, they would present how they came to love or develop an interest in something in thoughtful and engaging ways.
For example, a candidate who was an avid rock climber talked about how this was a meaningful activity because her father had always dreamed of climbing Mount Everest but never had the chance to do so – so now it is one of her goals in life.
Whatever your hobbies or interests are, tell a story or experience about them that your interviewer won’t soon forget.
2. Talk about what you don’t know but want to learn
Nobody wants to hire a know-it-all.
One of the most common mistakes candidates make is to overemphasize all the things they are good at. To me, that’s a red flag that tells me they like to stay in their lane and play it safe instead of seeking out new challenges and experiences.
Talk about what areas you want to improve, the skills you want to develop, and the ambitious goals you want to take on one day.
3. Use teamwork words like “we” and “my team”
It’s easy to tell that you work well with others. There is no way for a hiring manager to know if you really have teamwork and collaboration skills.
But when you say “I” too much, it immediately shows that you can easily get distracted trying to keep track of your own victories and get individual credit.
Highlighting team successes, not just personal ones, is a much more complex and rare skill set. Make it your goal to say “we got it [X]” or “my team did a great job [X].”
4. Talk about ideas that didn’t work
Google is known for quickly removing projects that don’t work at an early stage. We celebrated our failures because it was an opportunity to learn and be better.
Instead of feeling discouraged, the best employees are energized and motivated by their failures. So share examples of times you’ve had to step away from a passion project and apply what you’ve learned to a new one.
This will be seen as an advantage, not a failure.
5. Go beyond the job description and have a vision for the future
The last thing a manager wants to hear is a repeat of the job description they wrote.
I had been working at Google for three years when I walked into former CEO Eric Schmidt’s office with the goal of taking the next step in my career. I told him I was ready to be Chief of Staff. I put together a roadmap of what the role could look like and how I could develop my skills to take the company to the next level.
I’m not saying you should go into the interview offering a completely different job title. The point is to show that you have a vision of what your role might look like in a year or two.
Ann Hiatt is a Silicon Valley veteran with 15 years of experience as an executive business partner to Jeff Bezos, Marissa Mayer and Eric Schmidt. Anne recently founded consulting firm with CEO clients around the world, where she applies the lessons of innovation, ambition, growth at scale, and forward-thinking leadership she learned at Amazon and Google. She is also the author of “Bet on yourself: Recognize, own and implement revolutionary opportunities.” Follow her on Twitter @annrhiatt.
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