Dream Job Blog

Ted built an impressive career at a Fortune 100 tech company. He started in professional services, moved to a new ventures group and then landed in product — where he concepted and led the design and development of an innovative AI product. While Ted loved his work, he was ready for a new challenge.

He wanted to leverage his experience and expertise at another top tech company — transitioning from B2B to B2C. Once Ted determined the criteria that was most important to him, he achieved all of his goals — including landing his dream job at his #1 target company.

Q&A with Ted

Q: Why did you decide to invest in the program?
A: I viewed it as investing in myself. I wanted to hold myself accountable and wanted to have a coach that had an incentive to help me.

I had three challenges in my job search:

• Managing inbound opportunities: I received messages from recruiters on a daily basis. I accepted every invite because I thought this could be “the one.” I was stretching myself too thin and had nothing to show for it.
• Morale: looking for a new job can be depressing and lonely. It can really shake up one’s confidence and feeling of self-worth. I couldn’t tell my coworkers and felt vulnerable when sharing with friends and family.
• Focus: I was used to wearing many hats, so it was difficult to determine what type of role to pursue. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay at a big company or try a startup. I was also distracted by all the postings on so many job boards including LinkedIn, Vettery, Indeed, Angellist, etc. I knew I needed help to focus my efforts.

Q: What was it like working with us?
A: It was enjoyable, but it was also hard work and at times uncomfortable. Some of the assignments required me to think deeply and critically about what I really wanted and what I really valued. I could no longer take a haphazard, big net approach. Dream Job Catcher requires you to go into this journey with two feet forward and eyes wide open. They pushed me outside of my comfort zone, which helped me to learn and grow.

Q: What did you find most valuable?
A: Interview prep and interview post-mortems. Practicing for interviews with my coach was very helpful. We drafted answers to common questions and made sure the stories were compelling and succinct. John Wooden always talks about focusing on how you prepare and not the outcome. With my coach, I felt great about how I prepared for interviews.

It was also helpful to talk about timing and scheduling strategy with my coach. I had numerous interviews and opportunities. All were progressing at different paces with different time crunches. She helped strategically prioritize and optimize my pipeline.

I really do not like writing about myself. Having my coach put pen to paper and write my resume and update my LinkedIn gave me a ton of confidence and relief. Lastly, it was helpful to practice my counteroffer responses during the negotiation stage.

Q: How did you feel throughout the process?
A: Supported. I felt my coach was genuinely invested in my success. I felt I could be honest and transparent about my strengths and vulnerabilities. I am grateful for the program and coaching — it was a true partnership.

Q: How did you land your new job?
A: I had a referral for a job at my top target company. I had a screen with the recruiter and then a series of interviews over a few months. There were some excruciating waiting periods, but I finally received an offer as a Product Manager in a high growth part of the business.

Q: Did it align to your goals?
A: I looked at the most important criteria that I had set and I’m pleased that my new job hits most of them. I’m at a stellar company that lives their core values. They set their employees up for success and foster upward and lateral mobility. I’ll be able to take my career to the next level.

Q: What are you loving about your role?
A: I love many things about my new job: the people, the culture, the opportunity to solve complex problems with technology and design.

Q: What advice do you have for other job seekers?
A: There are no shortcuts. You get what you put in. Make the time and embrace the uncomfortable aspects of growing — knowing that it’s worth it in the end.

Are you ready to uplevel your career? And get a job where you’ll feel fulfilled, realize your potential and get the salary you deserve?

If so, then watch our video and book a session with one of our job strategists. We’re excited to talk about your career goals!