A few weeks ago, I gave a talk at CMU Silicon Valley on how to get more interviews
Here's a summary of what we discussed:
Most candidates spend more time refining their Linkedin profiles and resumes... ... but not enough time thinking about their HEADLINE and how high they'd RANK on Linkedin's search results page.
Applying Product Thinking to Job Search
The reason why this is important can be explained by applying Product Thinking and User Empathy to the job search process:
Consider the Employer's Perspective
Let's think about employers' perspective. What are their goals and what tools do they use? They are using Linkedin to 1) search and 2) review you. That is why how high you rank, and how you look on the Search Results page are important.
▶ RELEVANCY will drive click-throughs to your Profiles.
If I am the PM for Linkedin's search functionality and I'm optimizing for the recruiter's user experience, I'd rank the candidates with the most relevant skills and experiences high, and those who are more likely to respond back to the recruiter HIGHER.
Rather than giving the students a list of tactical things to check off for their Linkedin profiles and resumes, we applied Product Thinking to the job search process, by thinking through recruiters' user journeys, and then we came up with a 3 step roadmap with strategies and tactics to meet recruiters where they are:
Last but not least, we discussed the job search MINDSET:
▶ Job Search = Joining a New Tribe
Job search is the same as joining a new tribe, by getting the tribe leaders to accept you as new members. This means every step of the way, with every touchpoint:
▶▶ Show how you can add value to THEM ▶▶ Show that your skills are relevant to THEM ▶▶ Use their words so you sound like THEM
My clients have landed roles at Meta, Google, Microsoft, Walmart, Tesla, Stripe, Intuit, Nvidia, Glean, Retool, Apple, and Tubi from Staff and Principal to GPM, Director, and VP, with compensation up to $1.2M this past year.
They didn’t get there by memorizing frameworks.
They transformed because they upgraded who they were being in the interview room, clearer, more senior, more grounded, and learned what “great” actually sounds like at the L6-L9 levels.
Most candidates try to change their outcomes without changing the way they think, communicate, or lead under pressure.
But when your identity shifts, when you start speaking, deciding, and framing like the level you want, opportunities move toward you faster.
The old way of prepping with endless surface-level mocks stretches your timeline.
Every month you delay your offer often means $10K-$20K+ in total comp left on the table when you are targeting $500K-$1M+ roles.
