{"id":5371,"date":"2023-03-29T13:50:05","date_gmt":"2023-03-29T17:50:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/youngadventists.org\/?p=5371"},"modified":"2023-03-29T13:51:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-29T17:51:28","slug":"former-google-vp-shares-no-1-skill-she-looked-for-at-job-interviews-that-people-rarely-had","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/youngadventists.org\/equip\/former-google-vp-shares-no-1-skill-she-looked-for-at-job-interviews-that-people-rarely-had\/","title":{"rendered":"I was VP at Google for 10 years. Here\u2019s the No. 1 skill I looked for at job interviews\u2014very few people had it."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

During my 10 years at Google as a VP<\/a>, there were weeks where I would spend up to 40 hours conducting job interviews<\/a>. So to make things easier, I always had one skill that I looked for in candidates before anything else: self-awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, your experience and skills matter, but they can be learned. And when someone is highly self-aware, they\u2019re more motivated to learn<\/a> because they\u2019re honest about what they need to work on. They also relate better<\/a> to their colleagues and managers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plus, it\u2019s a rare trait: Research shows<\/a> that although 95% of people think they\u2019re self-aware, only 10% to 15% actually are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>How I check for self-awareness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I always watch for two words: Too much \u201cI\u201d is a red flag that they may not be humble or collaborative; too much \u201cwe\u201d may obscure what role they played in the situation. There needs to be a balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I typically learn something revealing when I ask about their specific role. A positive answer would be: \u201cIt was my idea, but the credit goes to the whole team.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I also ask how their colleagues would describe them. If they only say good things, I probe what constructive feedback they\u2019ve received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I\u2019ll say, \u201cAnd what have you done to improve?\u201d to check their orientation towards learning and self-improvement, and to see whether they\u2019ve taken that feedback to heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>The self-awareness assessment<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re not self-aware, how would you know? Here are some telltale signs:<\/p>\n\n\n\n