What I learned from the 120+ Interviews

I felt fortunate that I interviewed with over 120 companies from July to October and finally secured 8 offers. I am happy to share all my learnings and my list of companies that are STILL hiring. I hope the following information will be helpful to you.

How to react to the layoff?

Please please please do not blame or look down on yourself. The layoff is the least but also an unavoidable decision the business has to make to face recession and business downturns.

Usually, the layoff analysis was a top-down decision: the finance and HR team will collaborate to evaluate which org or teams could be cut off or shrink and then come down to the individual level. If your role got impacted, it doesn’t mean that you are a low performer. It is possible that the company would delay the budget for the projects you or your team is focused on; your role is too expensive to afford and they may find some contractors to go through the hard period, etc. Overall, being laid off is not a good experience for sure but please do not take it all to yourself. It would also be a great opportunity for you to review your experiences and look for the next adventure.

What to do after being laid off?

1. Define your job searching strategy:

You are unique and special. Find your own competitive advantage.

• If you are an experienced hire and know what you want for the next adventure, please skip to Step 2 :). The only note I have for you is: you probably want to apply for the next level or get a higher package as well. But to be frank, based on what I learned from the 120+ companies I interviewed with, the package for this year is way lower compared to last year. So be cautious when HR asks you what you want for compensation at the beginning. You will have more bargaining power once you land on the final round of the offer negotiation stage as they have committed to you.
• If you are an experienced hire who wants to switch gears, it would be a great opportunity for you to evaluate where you would like to go for the next step. Figuring out a storyline for why you would like to switch to a new direction. Interviews, especially the behavioral and cultural fit rounds, are all about telling stories.
• If you are a new grab, please do not be afraid of how many competitors are in the market right now. You are unique and special. You could dig into your professional and personal life to determine the specialties. You are probably a coder who also appreciates art and is good at painting. And then you might be able to win over the other coders while interviewing a design-focused tech firm. Similar logic could be applied anywhere. Find your specialty and let people know you.

2. Tailor your resume based on the Job Description

Do you have a dream job or dream company you would like to join in your mind? If yes, find out that job’s description and tailor your resume based on that. Ensure your resume includes all or most of the keywords the job description has mentioned. It would be easier for you to pass the resume screening bot.

3. Reach out to your network for help

Job hunting is not a game of who you know but who knows that you are searching.

• One of the most popular ways is to post a sincere “ask for referrals/help” post on Linkedin and add the “Open to Work” badge to your profile picture.

• If you are uncomfortable posting the job searching request on Linkedin, you could post it in your inner circle, like the community or school alumni circle you are involved in. You will never know who might be able to offer you a job.

• You could also reach out to the hiring manager or potential colleague of the job you desired via Linkedin to grab an informal coffee. It is possible that the hiring manager may offer you an interview directly.

4. Leverage the platform for sourcing

1. If you search “layoff resource” on Linkedin, you could find a lot of job posting platforms popping up given the current market situation. You could subscribe to these platforms for the latest openings.

2. Subscribe to the positions that you are interested in via the Linkedin job posting. You should be able to get a new job listing reminders on a daily or weekly basis.

3. If you are interested in jobs at startups, the following are some websites that I find the most helpful:

• Topstartups (you could filter by fundraising rounds) https://topstartups.io
• Angelist https://angel.co/jobs
• VC’s portfolio job board: a lot of VCs, especially the top VCs also help list jobs for their portfolio startups https://jobs.sequoiacap.com/jobs/
• YC Job board https://www.ycombinator.com/jobs

It would be an annoying and disappointing process at the beginning while you applied but did not get any responses. But again, please do not give up. Hunting not only takes skills and knowledge but also patience and luck.

• Review your resume to ensure there are no typos and all the keywords have been mentioned

• Keep applying and applying

As promised at the beginning, the following is the list of all the companies I have talked with (*not only applied but actually talked with. So I am sure they are still hiring).

I hope the above information would help you in some way. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need any support via resume review, interview prep, or career consultation. Looking forward to learning your stories.

Who am I?

I have 7+ years of experience in startups fundraising, business strategy, product and pricing strategy, OKR and KPI planning, budgeting, financial projection, product management, and global market expansion. I successfully helped one startup grow from series B to D and five seed-stage startups secured series-A.

I look forward to working with founders to better project their financials, manage their relationships with investors, build up an efficient business analytics system, and secure next-round funding. I always believe that innovation motivates advancement and advancement brings hope. I am looking forward to working with you to make the world a better place soon!

If you have questions about how to advance your career path or how to join the startups, please feel free to reach out too. I am looking forward to learning about your stories and sharing mine as well.