I have a list of standard questions that I ask every candidate that I interview. One of those questions is “How did we find you?” This might seem to be a silly question and one that I should actually know the answer to, but you can learn a lot about a person from how they answer even the seemingly simple questions. More often than not, I hear amazing stories about how someone found an opening. Sometimes, I also hear the answer, “I don’t really remember,” which, BTW, is not a good response. 🙂
I love telling the story of how Balbix found me, which might help someone, so I will share.
On February 18, 2020, I got a LinkedIn request from Gaurav Banga, the Founder and CEO of Balbix, with no note, which I accepted because I believe in the power of the network.
The next day I got this note from him:
Hi Shelly, thanks for connecting. I’m looking for a Head of HR. We are a rapidly growing 70 person cybersecurity startup based in Santana Row backed by Mayfield and Frmr. Cisco CEO John Chambers. Are you open to exploring?
Serendipity. I thought to myself. I interviewed over the next couple of weeks and joined on March 11, 2020. Best decision I could have made. We have been on a Rocket Ship ever since.
Learnings?
When searching for your next role:
- Never underestimate the value of building your network, even with those you don’t know. Your next role could be waiting for you.
- When you are searching for your next role, keep good notes. You never know when someone will ask for your story.
- When interviewing for your next job, don’t just show up to answer questions. Engage with the interviewer and make your story the one they remember.
How will we find you? Maybe it will be through this blog.
Check out our open roles and ping me if you apply. Would love it if the answer to my question was “I found you through your blog.”
Happy New Year to you and your family.
