Arecent New York Times opinion editorial by Thomas Friedman called “How to Get a Job at Google” detailed the unconventional hiring practices of one of the most innovative companies in the world. Take a minute to think about that topic: what do you have to contribute to a company like Google? In fact, what do you have to contribute to any company at all?
According to the Google employee quoted, GPAs and test scores are worthless in predicting success of employees. Instead, Google prefers to see applicants who have not attended college but still manage to succeed in their field.
Why would that be? There are actually four characteristics to explain: general cognitive ability, emergent leadership, humility and ownership and, least importantly, expertise.
While each characteristic addresses a different quality of the ideal candidate, they all seem to come back to a few key ideals, according to Friedman.
Chiefly, and closely tied to creativity, Google wants to see people who are curious and willing to learn. Employers want to see that you are interested and driven and excited. I don’t know about you, but I don’t see those characteristics in a lot of peers in college. But hey, apparently neither does Google. Additionally, companies want employees who are willing to learn and admit they are wrong. For crying out loud, you are 22 years old. Stop acting like your bachelor’s degree makes you an expert in anything. Add “humility” to that list of things non-college grads do better than most of us.
Where does that leave us? Are you depressed? Don’t be. You should be ready to take action. Here’s what you can do right now to hone your creative skills and propel yourself to the top of the hiring list.
Start a creative project. I’ve been referencing creative projects all year, but maybe you don’t know where to start. Creative projects don’t necessarily need to create meaning in and of themselves; if you are not yet comfortable with your creativity, start with something that will acclimate you to the process of critical thinking and creation. Try cooking, drawing, graphic design, writing, acting or playing an instrument.
Once your efforts are focused on something you truly enjoy, you’ll have a much easier time connecting outside disciplines to what you’re learning. When you are in the middle of a creative project, everything seems vibrantly and revolutionarily relevant to what you’re focused on. This will help you realize the depth and complexity of issues; it’s easy to be humble when you see how multifaceted a topic truly is.
Additionally, realize you aren’t just “right-brained” or “left-brained.” There is no such thing. Scientists agree that both hemispheres of the brain are at work during the creative process. Creativity isn’t something someone is born with; it’s a lifestyle change you have to choose to make. It means striving to pay attention to the world around you (which includes those boring gen-ed classes), because new information means new ways of thinking, and new ways of thinking equate to creativity and innovation. Similarly, embrace your personality type, but don’t use it to make excuses. If you are extroverted, train yourself to use free time productively; if you are introverted, invest some time in learning and practicing confident communication.
Now, what are your strengths? What do you have to contribute to a workplace? I honestly believe following the above advice will get you closer to answering these questions. Once you know the answers, find a way to showcase those talents and unique contributions. Then go get that job at Google.
