Ready Set Do w/ Naman Pandey

In this episode, my guest is Kati Hutsell, who is a career advisor at Purdue University and a former recruiter for Google, Amazon, and Meta. We discuss:

• Kati's experience and insights from recruiting at top Big Tech companies

• What makes a resume stand out and Google’s 3 criteria for successful applicants

• The impact of online courses and certifications on resumes

• Debunking myths about the job application process and Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

• Differences in recruiting for early careers vs. senior tech roles at Amazon and Meta

• Kati’s career pivot back to higher education and her motivations for the same

• Identifying and developing your personalized job application “style”

• Traits of students who land their dream jobs and how to develop them

• Common pitfalls in job applications and interviews

• Effective networking strategies and a blueprint for success

• Specific advice for Indian students in the US

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the job search process and looking to gain valuable hiring insights from someone with extensive experience in Big Tech as well as higher education.

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Resources:

Kati Hutsell

Naman Pandey - Please find my resume on my profile

readysetdo.transistor.fm

Timestamps:

(00:00:00) Intro & background

(00:03:18) Kati’s career overview

(00:08:40) Resume review experience at Google and ATS

(00:13:05) 3 criteria for success for Google positions and indicators of strong performance on resumes

(00:16:39) Importance (or lack thereof) of online course and certifications

(00:18:45) Busting myths around the job application process and ATS

(00:21:08) Importance of GPAs

(00:22:54) Writing bulletproof resume bullets

(00:25:54) ATS hacking - advisable or not really?

(00:28:38) Hiring for senior tech lead/individual contributor positions at Amazon & Meta

(00:31:02) Career pivot to higher education after time at Big Tech

(00:34:30) Common traits among students successful in the job market

(00:39:00) Pitfalls preventing students from getting interview call-backs

(00:42:25) Optimizing your job application style for max chance of success

(00:45:16) Pitfalls preventing students from converting interviews

(00:47:55) A blueprint for networking effectively on LinkedIn

(00:54:38) Advice for Indian international students in the US

(00:58:17) Outro & gratitude