ResumeGayle Laakmann McDowell worked at three of today's biggest tech companies, Apple, Google and Microsoft.

She wrote a book, The Google Resume, about how to land a job at the companies and what makes candidates stand out.

Some of the rumored tricks, like having a perfect GPA, are mostly hot air, says McDowell. Others, like attending an elite university, do determine how attractive candidates are to Google and Apple.

Here are some common missteps people make when applying to the tech giants, particularly when they're young and just starting out.

These could be the difference between an interview and a non response.

To purchase a copy of The Google Resume, head over to Amazon.