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Ex-Google recruiter: You’re answering ‘Tell me about yourself?’ all wrong, and other job interview mistakes—do this instead
Farah Sharghi, a former recruiter for Google and other major employers, says job seekers can miss useful opportunities by asking broad, generic questions in interviews and networking conversations. She recommends tailoring questions to the discussion so people can give more specific, actionable answers.
For a coffee chat, Sharghi advises against asking what advice someone would give to a person starting out, as it may prompt a vague reply such as “work hard” or “be curious”. Instead, she suggests asking whether, based on the conversation, they can recommend anyone else to speak with. Sharghi says this can lead to further introductions, referrals and interviews.
In short
- Broad career questions may get generic answers.
- Ask for introductions based on your conversation.
- Sharghi has recruited for Google, Lyft and Uber.
Explained simply
Job interviews and networking chats help employers understand a candidate’s experience and give job seekers a chance to learn about a role or industry. Questions such as “Tell me about yourself” can feel open-ended, so it helps to give a focused account of relevant experience and what the person hopes to do next.
Farah Sharghi is a former recruiter who has worked with Google and other large employers. She says broad questions in informal coffee chats can lead to general advice, while questions tied to what has already been discussed may produce more specific suggestions or introductions.
These conversations can help people build professional contacts and learn about opportunities that may not be widely advertised. The value of a question depends on the context and on what the other person knows.