Helping tech recruiters vet client requirements and job candidates for technical roles by blending 20+ years of Engineering & Recruiting experience.
2024: year in review
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Reader, Happy New Year's Eve 🎉 Yes, it's finally here. The last day of 2024. Finally, right? Oof, what a year. I just did my annual Year In Review write-up, so scroll to the bottom if that's all you're here for. I encourage you to do one for yourself, too. It's a good way to center yourself for the year ahead. Reflecting on what I achieved often helps me see what I want to shoot for next. Looking back on this year, 1 thing is clear: I grew exponentially in the world of online business, but also as a professional:
I made zero progress on my weight, but my knee has almost fully recovered from the injury I sustained back in May 2022. (Physical therapy's been a long road. Stay safe out there so you don't have to find out what that's like) I've met a ton of people this year, and I'm hopeful for 2025 to bring even more social connection. You know what I want the most from 2025, though? Rest lol. Gosh, I'm tired 😅 I'm ready to dive back into more creative pursuits like playing violin, doing parkour, and even just chill activities like new video games and hanging out with friends more often. Maybe some live-streaming with my 𝕏 friends or trying to make Twitch and YouTube content. Idk, but if I learned one thing this year, is it sucks being lonely and in "monk mode" all the time. It's no way to live long-term. Remember that when you think about massive professional goals for next year. Include family and friends and chill time too. Your mental and emotional health will thank you. I still need to flesh out what my goals are for next year, but I'm prioritizing my health and well-being, physically, mentally, and spiritually. And by "spiritual", I don't mean a faith, I mean taking care of the part of me that enjoys doing things for the fun of it, for the creative impulse, not for material gain or status or anything else. I need to reconnect with my inner child, in other words. For at least the first several months, the only Social QA stuff I'll be doing is helping students through that bootcamp. If you want to be one of them, make sure you watch your inbox tomorrow. I'm only keeping the cart open til the following Wednesday. You've got a week, or until the last 5 seats are gone, whichever comes first. Then I promise you, I will not relaunch until at least after my birthday in April. I'm not gonna have room to be going "heads-down" on anything. Q1 is for me, my family, and the students who paid for my time. Anywho, here's the Year In Review post I wrote. Maybe it'll give you ideas for your own. Happy New Year's Eve, and have fun tonight! Enjoy those last few moments of 2024 while they're here ❤️ It's been a joy writing for you this year. Can't wait to share more in 2025. Cheers, Steven |
The Better Vetter Letter
Helping tech recruiters vet client requirements and job candidates for technical roles by blending 20+ years of Engineering & Recruiting experience.
Reader, On Monday we covered who to contact and when. You did the work, found the right recruiter and team. Now what? Let’s talk about the message itself. I read a lot of outreach. And I'll be direct: most of it sounds the same. Not because the people sending it are bad candidates, but because they're following an outdated professional template that signals "I didn't really think about this." I’m guilty of it myself. I have looked back and read outreach for sales activity I’ve done and...
Reader, The generic "apply and pray" approach doesn't do anything. It sends you straight to the bottom of a pile that a recruiter may never actually touch. As someone who works in technical recruiting, I want to pull back the curtain a bit. Because the people who actually hear back are playing the game smarter. And it all starts with who to contact. Step 1: Find the Right Recruiter What you want is a recruiter who is actively working in your space, ideally the one listed directly on the job...
Reader, Part 2: Decide Fast, Apply Smart. So you've read the posting.You've done your self-assessment. Now comes the part that most people get wrong: They either spend three hours crafting the perfect application for a role they were never going to get without trying other channels, or they do nothing at all because it feels overwhelming and just submit the sample resume “as-is”. Here's the rule I give every candidate I work with: If you're going to apply, don't spend more than 10 to 15...