How I Got Hired

Fellow Savages,

This one is for the people out there still looking. I wanted to share some insights, stuff I encountered, and how I got hired. Hope this helps a few of you.

Some stats: I applied to just under 100 companies in 6 months. Of those I applied to, I heard back from 7 who scheduled an interview, only 2 went past the first stage. Those 2 were exceptional fits on both sides, they fit my ideal profile and I fit theirs. In working with recruiters who reached out to me (thru LinkedIn), I had an additional 15 first stage interviews, 15 of which went to second stage or further. I had 3 referrals from a friend, AE, or hiring manager to a recruiter who was actively hiring. None of those went past the first stage interview (one was my bad though). I only had 2 opportunities, in total, go to the final stage.

A few insights (TLDR): applying didn't work, referrals didn't work, agency recruiters who reached out to me first really worked. Most recruiters or hiring managers were looking for their version of a unicorn. They were very quick to qualify in or out, for that reason interviews were harder and could turn on a dime. The fit I found was like a glove, and anything else didn't really pan out. The quality of the recruiter, agency or otherwise, made the most difference in the process for me (if they were good, so was the company I interviewed with and the process that followed, and if they weren't, well...)

How I landed: To keep it short, they created a new enterprise sales team, I had industry experience (not the exact same, but similar). I hit it off with the hiring manager the very first interview, and every interview that followed was easier as a result. No one tried any tricks in the interview process. No one tried to make it difficult for me. Everyone I talked to was reading from the same book, advocating for the same strategy. They created a stable environment and that really showed in the interview process. They didn't play any games. They communicated. I really liked them, they really liked me, and I had similar industry experience. Everything just fit right.

Some advice if you're looking: make sure you read reviews on RepVue and Glassdoor. Many companies will pretend to be a 10, but are really a 3. Reach out to some former AEs. More often than not, the AE will be negative (they left, right?), BUT you can still get a lot of insights from someone who did your job everyday for a few years. Reach out to new AEs, they can help you with the interview process. Sometimes the interview process gets halted for good reasons, and often for really, really, insanely stupid reasons. Keep notes of your interviews, you'll likely run into the same hiring manager a few times in the future. Keeping notes gives you a leg up next time you see them. ALSO, Keep your head up, because everyone is just being weird out there. It will feel weird until you find those one or two opportunities that are worth going the distance for.

I know this isn't my AMA or anything, but if anyone is curious I'm happy to share anything details or insights that'll help your search.