10Fold’s Post

Level of exposure often holds more value than years of experience. For example, let’s look at two developers with 5 years of experience. Developer 1 spent 5 years developing and scaling one product in one company. Developer 2 spent 5 years building three products from scratch in three different startups. Both have solid backgrounds and the same “level” of experience, but they’re unlikely to be suitable for the same role because they haven’t had the same level of exposure. Take “years of experience” with a grain of salt when you see it written in a job advert. Pay more attention to what the company wants the successful candidate to achieve and whether you’ve had the right exposure to be suitable. And, on your resume, add some context! Tell us things like the size of the companies you’ve worked for and their funding or growth stage. Then, we can grasp which environments and expectations you’ve been exposed to, which helps us assess your candidacy. #ResumeAdvice #Developers #Experience

Level of exposure often holds more value than years of experience. For example, let’s look at two developers with 5 years of experience. Developer 1 spent 5 years developing and scaling one product in one company. Developer 2 spent 5 years building three products from scratch in three different startups. Both have solid backgrounds and the same “level” of experience, but they’re unlikely to be suitable for the same role because they haven’t had the same level of exposure. Take “years of experience” with a grain of salt when you see it written in a job advert. Pay more attention to what the company wants the successful candidate to achieve and whether you’ve had the right exposure to be suitable. And, on your resume, add some context! Tell us things like the size of the companies you’ve worked for and their funding or growth stage. Then, we can grasp which environments and expectations you’ve been exposed to, which helps us assess your candidacy. #ResumeAdvice #Developers #Experience

🚀 Attracting Passive Engineering Talent for Startups I recently had a conversation with an early-stage founder tackling a challenge many startups face—attracting passive engineering talent. Their concern? Established engineers often hesitate to join early-stage startups, fearing a lack of stability. This got me thinking about three critical areas that can make or break your talent attraction strategy: 1️⃣ Are you targeting the right talent pools? There’s a unique type of engineer who thrives in startup environments, embracing the risks and rewards alike. If responses frequently include “not interested in early-stage,” it could signal a misalignment with your target talent pools. 2️⃣ What hiring methods are you using? Simply posting job ads may not cut it. Passive candidates often don’t respond to traditional ads—they respond to tailored outreach that taps into their career motivations and aligns with their passions. 3️⃣ How compelling is your story? Startups often solve exciting, challenging problems. Communicating that mission in a way that resonates with prospective talent is key. Make sure your message highlights the impact they’ll have, which is often what sparks genuine interest. So why am I sharing this? Because the immediate focus tends to be on the message itself—but it’s equally essential to think about who you’re targeting and how you’re delivering that message. You nail talent attraction when you get the right message to the right people with the right method! 💡 Are you combining all three in your strategy? #StartupHiring #TalentAttraction #EngineeringTalent #HiringStrateg

Recruiter secrets... HOW exciting.. Margot Putnam Delaney and I have started a blog! We're sharing insights, and tricks of the trade from two recruiters with a ton of experience hiring for early-stage tech startups. Follow, like, comment, share. We'd love to hear what you think. #techrecruiting #diversitysourcing #inclusiveteams #recruitersecrets #recruitingcheatcodes

Level of exposure often holds more value than years of experience. For example, let’s look at two developers with 5 years of experience. Developer 1 spent 5 years developing and scaling one product in one company. Developer 2 spent 5 years building three products from scratch in three different startups. Both have solid backgrounds and the same “level” of experience, but they’re unlikely to be suitable for the same role because they haven’t had the same level of exposure. Take “years of experience” with a grain of salt when you see it written in a job advert. Pay more attention to what the company wants the successful candidate to achieve and whether you’ve had the right exposure to be suitable. And, on your resume, add some context! Tell us things like the size of the companies you’ve worked for and their funding or growth stage. Then, we can grasp which environments and expectations you’ve been exposed to, which helps us assess your candidacy. #ResumeAdvice #Developers #Experience

🌟 Monday Career Tips & Advice 🌟 As a recruiter specializing in fast-growing startups, one key quality I always look for in Software Engineers is adaptability. 🚀 In the dynamic world of startups, things can shift quickly—from changing project priorities to evolving team structures. The ability to pivot and embrace new challenges is what truly sets apart successful engineers. 💡 Tip for Engineers: Stay open to learning new technologies and be prepared to wear multiple hats. In a startup, you might find yourself not only coding but also contributing to product decisions, troubleshooting customer issues, or diving into new tech stacks. Your flexibility and willingness to adapt are essential for thriving in this fast-paced environment. Ask yourself: How well can I adapt to change? 📩 Looking for your next challenge in a startup? Reach out to me at [email protected]. Let’s connect! #CareerTips #Startups #Adaptability #AI #SoftwareEngineering #Recruitment #MondayMotivation #CareerGrowth

🚀Tips for Software Engineers to Stand Out When Interviewing with Tech Start-Ups! 🚀 From my experience of working with numerous tech start-ups I have identified the need for software engineers to not only showcase their technical skills but also to excel in a fast-paced environment. I believe a software engineer's understanding the startup's product and showing passion for their mission is crucial. Here’s how a software engineer can stand out: 💡 Proactive Problem Solver: Highlight your engagement in personal projects. Share your work on platforms like GitHub to demonstrate initiative and your ability to solve complex problems. 📘 Deep Dive into Tech: Ensure a robust understanding of algorithms, data structures, and system design. Demonstrate expertise with the specific tech stack used by the startup to show you're ready to contribute from day one. 🧠 Adapt and Solve: Be prepared for practical coding tests and demonstrate your ability to think on your feet and creatively tackle challenges. 🤹 Juggle Tasks Effectively: Showcase your ability to manage multiple responsibilities smoothly—a must in the dynamic startup environment. 💖 Passionate About the Product: Understand and articulate how the startup’s product impacts its users. Your enthusiasm for the company’s mission and vision should shine through. 🤝 Cultural Fit: Illustrate your potential as a team player who thrives under pressure and adapts to rapid changes. 🕵️♂️ Know Their Vision: Thoroughly research the company. Demonstrating how your skills align with their needs can significantly impact your chances. I am currently collaborating with startups in the fintech, healthtech, and sustainability sectors. If you’re a software engineer seeking new opportunities in these exciting fields, or if you need career advice tailored to the startup ecosystem, I’d love to hear from you. #TechStartUps #SoftwareEngineering #TechInterviews #CareerAdvice #Innovation

🚀**Attention Start-up Founders and Hiring Managers!**🚀 Are you tired of the hassle of finding and hiring top-tier software engineers for your start-up? I'm researching to better understand the needs and preferences of start-ups when it comes to hiring software engineers, with the aim of potentially launching a new service to address these pain points. If you're a start-up founder or hiring manager, I would greatly appreciate your input! Please take a few minutes to fill out this brief survey: https://lnkd.in/eiWMHXaD **Survey Purpose:** This survey aims to gather insights into the challenges, preferences, and pain points faced by start-ups when hiring software engineers. Your feedback will help shape the development of a new service aimed at simplifying the hiring process for start-ups like yours. Your participation is invaluable in helping me understand the unique needs of start-ups in today's competitive tech landscape. All responses will be kept confidential and used for research purposes only. Feel free to share this survey with other start-up founders or hiring managers in your network who may benefit from participating. Thank you in advance for your contribution! *Note: This survey is for research purposes only and does not constitute a commitment to use or purchase any products or services.* #StartUp #Hiring #SoftwareEngineers #TechRecruitment #UserResearch

Happy Thursday, friends! Today, we're diving into Part 2 of our series on common mistakes tech startups make in hiring! ➡ Ignoring Soft Skills ⬅ 🚫 Don’t Overlook Soft Skills! In the race to build the next big tech innovation, many startups focus heavily on hard skills and technical qualifications. However, overlooking soft skills is a big no-no in hiring - especially in a startup! ❌ The Mistake: Focusing solely on technical prowess while neglecting soft skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving. This often results in hires who, despite their technical excellence, struggle with collaboration or conflict resolution. I always told my tech candidates at Microsoft while I was prepping them for their interviews that it was a both-and scenario - tech skills AND soft skills. Just one or the other wasn't going to get them the job. ✔ Why It Matters: Soft skills are essential for fostering a positive work environment and ensuring effective team dynamics. They play a key role in how well individuals work together, adapt to change, and contribute to a collaborative culture. ➕ How to Address It: ✔ Evaluate Soft Skills: Incorporate behavioral interview questions and situational tasks to assess soft skills. And know what the answers are prior to asking the questions! ✔ Use Assessments: Leverage personality and skills assessments to understand how candidates handle interpersonal situations. ✔ Observe Team Interactions: Assess candidates' ability to collaborate during group activities or team-based interviews. Balancing hard and soft skills in your hiring process will help you build a well-rounded team capable of navigating the complexities of startup life. If your interviewers need input and guidance on the right questions to ask candidates during the interview process, call me today! #SoftSkills #TechStartups #HiringMistakes #talentpartner #changemaker

Having a job at Google on your resume used to be big plus. Future jobs were easier because everyone started with an assumption of high-quality. Is this no longer true? (Not just Google, but all the big-tech companies: Microsoft, Facebook, etc.) Sebastian Bensusan points out these problems: > I've heard this story from multiple founders of small to medium size startups: - The company hired some people from Google - They hired some more people from Google - After one year or two, things went poorly > The CEO fired (or I am in the process of firing) most of them and doing "a reset". They make a few common observations: - Recruits from Big Tech don't work hard or don't deliver - They bring unnecessary process (e.g. planning to plan, heavy performance review) - They bring lots of corporate politics (e.g. game performance reviews) Read the full post at: https://lnkd.in/dwu3UcqW (Of course, the situation in India is often different from the situation in the Bay Area. What's your opinion on this? Have you had good or bad experiences hiring ex-Big-Tech people?)