How to identify, interview, and land your dream job. These tips are based on recruiting & interviewing 1000's of candidates for technology jobs in the Silicon Valley. This presentation was shared with a group at Product School in Sunnyvale on Sept 20th, many of whom want to switch from their current role into a different function, profession, and/or industry. Please share your comments, suggestions, and questions!

1. Land Your Dream Job
Mark Alfaro
September 20, 2017
Product School - Silicon Valley

2. www.productschool.com

4. Where I learned about this topic 20 years recruiting
12+ companies
(internal/external)
100s hires
1000s interviews
100,000s resumes

5. Overview
“Who am I?” 15 mins
“Where do I want to go?” 15 mins
Target ideal roles & companies 15 mins
Get the interview 15 mins
Own the interview 15 mins
Follow up 5 mins
References 5 mins
Get the offer 5 mins
Close the deal 5 mins
Get Feedback 5 mins
Pearls 5 mins

6. “Who am I?” ● Clearly define and maintain your professional
identity. Strengths, weaknesses and growth
areas.
● Get input from: current manager, mentors,
peers, friends
● What are your personal values?
● What is your mission statement?
● Consider tools for self-evaluation. I don’t
endorse these. They are simply examples:
a. Clifton StrengthsFinder (identify strengths)
b. 5 Dynamics (work preferences)
c. Myers-Briggs (personality)
d. Belbin (personalities/strengths/weaknesses)

7. “Where do I want to go?”
● Map your career path.
● 10 years from now, what do you want to have accomplished? 20 years?
● Interview people who do the role/career(s) you’re considering.
● Do you see yourself doing the same thing or a variation thereof?
○ Lawyer example

8. Target ideal
roles &
companies
● Stack rank by roles, companies and, if relevant, by
geographies. Trajectory, growth, culture, company
success factors.
● Never apply!
● Five second rule
○ Always warm, never cold
● The power of employee referrals
○ Top of the stack
○ Recruiting SLA's
● The Gatekeeper
○ He/she can block you (OR)
○ Limit your competition!

9. Get the interview
● 1st... Nail the phone interview
○ Do your homework
○ Get adequate sleep 2 nights before
○ Eat well 2 days before
○ Stand (if possible) during the call
○ Clear phone connection (land line might be better)
○ Environment free of distractions/noise

10. Organization is
almost as
important as
content
How well you organize your thoughts is almost as important
as the content of your answers.
● Example: 7 capabilities of product management:
business acumen, analytics, leadership, consumer
product mastery, strategy & planning, operational
ability, technical knowledge
■ Know which areas are your strongest/weakest.
■ Be prepared to talk about an example of how you
performed well in each at work / on
project/school

11. Own the in-person interview
● Dress at or slightly above the company's dress code. Be comfortable.
● Research: company, product, executives and interviewers
● Nonverbal communication is just as important as verbal.
○ Eye contact. Smile at appropriate times. BE AUTHENTIC!
● Don't get "too comfortable" with an interviewer (example: language)
● Know what you like about the company, why you'd want to work there.
● Formulate intelligent/relevant questions for each interviewer.
○ Asking thoughtful questions is key to leaving a good impression.
● Focus on evaluating and effectively communicating - NOT on the outcome.
● Take handwritten notes

12. Follow up
● Send ‘thank you’ notes that evening or the next day.
● If you don't have all interviewers' contact info, request it or ask your contact/recruiter to
share notes with each interviewer.
● Reference one part of your conversation that you enjoyed or appreciated.
● This is also an opportunity to briefly expand or cover an area of the interview where you
didn't do as well as you would have liked- or simply didn't get a chance to cover.
○ At a minimum, it conveys self-awareness of areas for growth.

13. References
(part 1 of 2)
● References:
○ Create reference list BEFORE THE INTERVIEW.
Include: name, title, company, email & phone number,
when and where you worked together; superior, hiring
manager, client, or subordinate?
○ Talk to your references beforehand.
○ Prep them generally on the types of roles you're
considering and what YOU view as your strengths and
weaknesses.
■ Do they have the same perspective of you that
you do?
■ It's important to be aligned here. Otherwise,
flags could go off during reference checks,
including the potential employer's perception
that you are not self-aware.

14. References (part 2 of 2)
● Reference checking step will go faster/better if your list is ready & prepared as soon as
recruiter/manager asks for them.
○ Tell your references who from which company will contact them.
○ This minimizes missed emails/calls or any confusion of initial contact, plus further
increases the chance of references being completed sooner.

15. Get the offer
● Hold some of your cards, but never be a jerk.
● Okay to talk about compensation, but be careful
○ Share salary history if they ask
○ Don’t say what you’d accept too early in the process
○ Know your minimum- what you need to cover your expenses
○ Negotiate without coming off as greedy or aggressive
■ Never demand
■ Speak your truth
■ Reference data to further substantiate
● Eg. Glassdoor, other job offers, your cost of living

16. Close the deal
● Clearly state why you think the company/role are a
good match.
● Share genuine excitement but never act desperate.
● Set expectations on when you’d like to make a
decision
● Allow enough time to consider multiple options (if
you have them)
● Notify the other companies and why you decided
what you did
● Maintain bridges- don’t burn any!

17. Get feedback from your interviews!
● Helpful for both future interviews and your professional growth
● Read between the lines. Listen to nonverbal cues.

18. Parting thoughts
Even if you don’t know your specific career path, you can thoughtfully plan & execute each step of the job
search & interview process to maximize your chances of finding the ideal match- in your job now and over time
in your career.
“The more open you are to opportunities rather than trying to strong arm your career, the more things just swing
your way. Title, money, even what you want to do often get in the way of opportunities because you rule out
opportunities that don’t fit your preset.” - Loren Cheng
“Living the dream” is a mindset. Thus, so is your dream job. If how you choose to work allows you to feel love &
respect, then you’ve found your dream job.” - Michelle
Be fearless in the interview. If it’s the right match, it will happen. You have nothing to fear.

19. Contact
Mark Alfaro
Talent Acquisition Manager
Blue River Technology
https://linkedin.com/in/alfaro
@markalfaro

20. Appendix

21. 7 capabilities of product management

22. LinkedIn 101 - how to leverage LinkedIn
https://www.slideshare.net/LinkedinforGood/linkedin-coaches-university-students-6114