With more than 3,200 employees in eight offices, Yelp has grown a lot over the last 11 years. We owe a lot of that success to the careful curation of our workforce. We take hiring very seriously here and only extend offers to people who truly embody the Yelp culture, e.g., people who are super smart, motivated, able to bring different backgrounds and new perspectives to the table, and always up for a good laugh.
For an inside look at what it’s like to interview for a job at Yelp, tune in to ABC Family today at 3pm ET/PT to see Yelp featured on Job or No Job, a new show that follows young adults interviewing for their first jobs.
John and Nabeela interview candidate Jenni on ABC Family’s Job or No Job
While the interview process at Yelp differs depending on what role a candidate is interviewing for, there are a few things we always look for. In today’s episode of Job Or No Job you’ll meet John and Nabeela from our sales organization and recruiting team. These two have years of experience under their belts as hiring managers, so we picked their brains for things they look for during the interview process. Here are a few things you can do to nail an interview at Yelp, straight from the horse’s mouth.
5 Tips for Landing a Job at Yelp
1. Be genuine and authentic about your past.
Tie your past experiences into a story that shows what you’ve learned from past jobs and reveals your personality and interests. One of Yelp’s company values is “Be Authentic,” and we look for that quality in everyone we hire.
2. Show enthusiasm for the product and know how it works.
If you’re interviewing at Yelp, you should have used our app enough to be familiar with how it works. Most of all, understand how our product delivers on Yelp’s mission to connect people with great local businesses.
3. Know why you are pursuing a career in this industry.
John looks for people who are excited to work in sales and have ambition to grow their careers in that area. He says it’s not enough to love Yelp; candidates have to be able to explain what is motivating them to pursue a specific position.
4. Ask for feedback during the interview process.
For many teams, including sales and engineering, the interview process has several stages. It’s important to have a two-way conversation throughout. Take advantage when the hiring manager asks “Do you have any questions for me?” to ask an insightful question that shows you’ve been paying attention and really want feedback. Don’t waste the opportunity on an irrelevant question you memorized from a job hunt advice column, says Nabeela.
5. Research the company first.
Skim the headlines to see what topics are being covered in the media, read profiles of employees with similar titles, and think about how your personality fits well with the role you’re pursuing. At Yelp, we think a lot about talents versus skills. Talents are innate abilities, while skills are something that can be taught. John says the best candidates show how their talents will enable them to be successful at Yelp.
Interested in working at Yelp? Check out yelp.com/careers for open positions in sales, engineering, marketing, and more.
