I got a job at Google even though it's harder than getting into Harvard, I was underqualified and I'd already been rejected - thanks to the clever way I sent my application

• Mariana Kobayashi secured an Account Executive role at Google’s Dublin office 
• READ MORE: Do YOU have a TikTok accent? Experts reveal how celebs like Britney Spears and the Kardashians have inspired the rise of ‘internet voice’ – and why it’s the ‘future of English’

Securing a position at Google is a tricky feat for even the most qualified professionals – it’s said to be 10 times harder than getting into Harvard and two million people apply every year.

However, Mariana Kobayashi defeated the odds and gained an Account Executive role at the Dublin office, even though she’d been rejected before, thanks to getting creative with her application.

After Mariana was laid off from LinkedIn, she applied for a role at Google in June last year, by recording a short clip to explain why she was suitable for the role, despite being slightly underqualified.

According to Business Insider, the clip took Mariana ten hours to create, but it paid off when she was offered a role at the prestigious company.

Mariana Kobayashi (pictured) secured an Account Executive role at Google after submitting a creative video CV that took 10 hours to produce

Mariana included all the information a CV and cover letter typically includes but presented it in a fresh format to stand out from the crowd.

She explained in the application: ‘I’m Mariana, I just applied for CSA, Dublin. I’ll tell you in one minute why I’m going to make your life easier, so watch until the end.

‘I applied with the referral from someone who works with the team,’ she continued.

Speaking in Spanish, as a way to highlight her language skills, she added: In case you haven’t seen my application, I thought I could help.’

Moving on to her experience, the Account Executive continued: ‘I think everything in life is sales, and that’s how I created my first pancakes business at 14, which allowed me to self-finance international education, entrepreneurial pursuits, and led to opportunities.’

She then went on to list her experience from previous roles before explaining some general information about herself.

‘I am half Portuguese, a quarter Lebanese, and a quarter Japanese, she said. Mariana continued: ‘They’re all high context cultures. So, instead of describing myself, I asked some Google and LinkedIn friends to describe me in one word. ‘

The video then went on to show clips of Mariana’s friends associating her with words such as ‘a light’, ‘charismatic’, and ‘a visionary’.

Mariana was previously rejected from Google, so she developed the video to stand out from the crowd

Mariana then concluded: ‘I’m hoping you’ll reply to this email so we can get to know each other and see what we can build together.’

She then sent the video directly to Google’s hiring manager.

Mariana also uploaded the video to YouTube alongside the caption: ‘If you’re going to apply for a dream company, make it fun.’

The clip quickly caused a storm online and has since amassed more than 25,000 views.

In conversation with Business Insider, she revealed: ‘Lots of people reached out to me offering coffee chats and letting me know about positions,’

‘Then the recruiter for the role reached out, and I had a call with her.’

After submitting her application, Mariana undertook a three-step interview process before being offered a role at Google’s Dublin office

Initially, Mariana was informed that she was too qualified for the role, but she kept in contact with the hiring manager to check back for different roles.

Two months later, she spotted the Account Executive role and immediately applied.

‘It was a very purpose-driven application, so I think that made me stand out, and then because the recruiter was already kind of on my side, that helped,’ she said.

Once she gained an interview slot, Mariana developed two documents.

One outlined her experience gaps, and another document explained how she was going to change that.

Mariana then went through assessments and further interviews.

One month after the application process finished, she received the good news that she’d got the job.

Now, the Account Executive has encouraged others to follow in her footsteps and get creative with job applications.

Read more