Afraid to Job Search at Google? Proof That You’re NOT Underqualified

Be honest:

When LinkedIn jobs sends you emails about openings at Google, Netflix, Amazon, or any of the “household name” companies…

• Does it feel impossible? 
• Does the thought of applying make you almost laugh inside?
• Do you think that only PhDs, Ivy Leaguers, Mensa members, and tech virtuosos are hired by such companies?

Well, I’m not going to lie to you: there are some seriously impressive people working in at those companies. These stereotypes aren’t an accident. 

But the rarely-discussed truth is that recruiters have become more open minded in recent years.

Google, for instance, used to base its hiring pretty heavily on academic performance, but as of 2018 no longer requires candidates to have a college degree AT ALL!

And if you listen to my podcast interview with Kadima Chief Creative Officer Jay Cross…

You’ll discover that it’s completely possible to get hired with a “normal” background.

Because that’s exactly what I did when I landed a $228,000 management job at Google without any tech background whatsoever.

Job Listings That Aren't Too Good to Be True 

There were a whole bunch of official-sounding requirements for my role that I didn’t meet.

For example: the job description said I needed to have experience leading a distributed global team––but I had only ever run a small in-person team.

An undergraduate degree in “a tech-related field” was also listed as a requirement––but my bachelor’s degree was in psychology. (From a no-name school, at that.)

Even more frightening was the requirement for experience leading complex technical projects––of which I had precisely zero.

Never a dull moment at Shanghai's Google office

To tell you the truth, when I was interviewing, I didn’t even know what a lot of the job duties in the role description meant!

I go into more detail on the podcast episode (which I recommend listening to) but the long and short of it is: 

I found a way into Google that made these daunting requirements simply not matter.

In fact, that one step (of daring to apply to Google) put me, as a “regular guy”, on a path to earning well over $500,000 just a decade later.

And you can do the same exact thing.

Jobs Hiring Based on Who You Know

“Okay Alan, what did you do?”

Don’t worry: I wont keep it from you, because a chief focus of mine here at Kadima Careers is helping others take advantage of this very strategy.

The way that I got into Google, despite technically not being a great fit, was by referral from a connected insider. 

Believe it or not, the insider who referred me wasn’t somebody I had known for years, or had any long-standing ties to. When you hear the whole story (which I’ll share in a future post) you might find yourself thinking: “What the hell! How did you get that guy to vouch for you?”

Nevertheless, his endorsement literally made me the #1 contender for the role that I landed. It papered over a ton of weaknesses. It catapulted me ahead of other candidates. 

It honestly tilted the entire hiring process in my favor before I even talked to Google’s recruiter. 

How to Get Hired at Google 

I have a coaching program (as well as an online course) that breaks down in detail how I pulled this off.

However, before we get ahead of ourselves…

Why not join my email list and start learning the basics?

We can get to know each other, and you can start to get a glimpse of the real winning moves to getting hired at Google (or your Big Tech company of choice.)

Each week I send out a breathtaking newsletter with action steps that you can use to accelerate your career.