To land a role at his target company, which repeatedly said he was too inexperienced, Jubin secured 16 other job offers. He then sent each offer letter to the hiring manager as proof of his value, a persistent and unconventional strategy that ultimately succeeded in getting him hired.
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To avoid the trap of hiring 'good enough' people, make the interview panel explicitly state which current employee the candidate surpasses. This forces a concrete comparison and ensures every new hire actively raises the company's overall talent level, preventing a slow, imperceptible decline in quality.
Early in her career, Daren Kagan wanted to be a sportscaster on a show that didn't have one. She pitched the news director to let her do it for free on her days off for one month. By creating the role and de-risking the decision for her boss, she built a year and a half of experience that was crucial for her career.
A powerful, non-traditional way to break into a competitive field like AI is to identify a company's core research hub and offer your services for free on off-hours. This demonstrates passion and provides direct access to opportunities before they become formal roles, allowing you to bypass traditional application processes.
The most promising hires are often high-agency individuals constrained by their current environment—'caged animals' who need to be unleashed. Look for candidates who could achieve significantly more if not for their team or organization's limitations. This is a powerful signal of untapped potential and resourcefulness.
To get hired in a competitive market, stop spamming resumes. Instead, consistently create and publish content on platforms like LinkedIn that showcases your expertise, knowledge, and passion for your craft. This demonstrates value and attracts opportunities, making you a magnet for recruiters rather than just another applicant.
Instead of editing a single resume for each job, create a master 'bullet vault.' This is a comprehensive document with numerous accomplishment-based bullets covering all core PM skill areas. For each application, you can then quickly select and stack-rank the most relevant points.
In a competitive market, simply applying for a job is not enough. The key to winning is to identify the ultimate decision maker and find a creative way to get their direct attention. Successfully doing so is like catching the 'golden snitch' in Quidditch—it virtually guarantees a win.
Orlando Bravo didn't get a return offer from his internship. Instead of giving up, he sent 500 resumes and cold-called firms, landing his pivotal role just two weeks before graduating. It shows that persistence, not a linear path, is key to breaking into competitive fields.
Standard application processes often filter out candidates with non-linear career paths. Bypassing these filters requires "warm networking"—building genuine connections with people inside a target company to let them see your potential as a human, not just a CV.
To get hired at a coveted company like Bending Spoons, don't just be polite and professional. Go the extra mile with a surprising or creative gesture, like bringing a bottle of liquor to an interview. This makes a memorable impression and shows personality beyond a polished CV.
