Candidate Engagement Practices

I constantly get recruiter reachouts from big tech companies and top AI startups- even when I’m not actively job hunting or listed as “Open to Work.” That’s because over the years, I’ve consciously put in the effort to build a clear and consistent presence on LinkedIn- one that reflects what I do, what I care about, and the kind of work I want to be known for. And the best part? It’s something anyone can do- with the right strategy and a bit of consistency. If you’re tired of applying to dozens of jobs with no reply, here are 5 powerful LinkedIn upgrades that will make recruiters come to you: 1. Quietly activate “Open to Work” Even if you’re not searching, turning this on boosts your visibility in recruiter filters. → Turn it on under your profile → “Open to” → “Finding a new job” → Choose “Recruiters only” visibility → Specify target titles and locations clearly (e.g., “Machine Learning Engineer – Computer Vision, Remote”) Why it works: Recruiters rely on this filter to find passive yet qualified candidates. 2. Treat your headline like SEO + your elevator pitch Your headline is key real estate- use it to clearly communicate role, expertise, and value. Weak example: “Software Developer at XYZ Company” → Generic and not searchable. Strong example: “ML Engineer | Computer Vision for Autonomous Systems | PyTorch, TensorRT Specialist” → Role: ML Engineer → Niche: computer vision in autonomous systems → Tools: PyTorch, TensorRT This structure reflects best practices from experts who recommend combining role, specialization, technical skills, and context to stand out. 3. Upgrade your visuals to build trust → Use a crisp headshot: natural light, simple background, friendly expression → Add a banner that reinforces your brand: you working, speaking, or a tagline with tools/logos Why it works: Clean visuals increase profile views and instantly project credibility. 4. Rewrite your “About” section as a human story Skip the bullet list, tell a narrative in three parts: → Intro: “I’m an ML engineer specializing in computer vision models for autonomous systems.” → Expertise: “I build end‑to‑end pipelines using PyTorch and TensorRT, optimizing real‑time inference for edge deployment.” → Motivation: “I’m passionate about enabling safer autonomy through efficient vision AI, let’s connect if you’re building in that space.” Why it works: Authentic storytelling creates memorability and emotional resonance . 5. Be the advocate for your work Make your profile act like a portfolio, not just a resume. → Under each role, add 2–4 bullet points with measurable outcomes and tools (e.g., “Reduced inference latency by 35% using INT8 quantization in TensorRT”) → In the Featured section, highlight demos, whitepapers, GitHub repos, or tech talks Give yourself five intentional profile upgrades this week. Then sit back and watch recruiters start reaching you, even in today’s competitive market.

You can’t do community engagement on a deadline. I came across a contract offer recently. It was a community engagement ‘task and finish’ project over 2 months. But community work doesn’t work like that. If you want genuine engagement then you need trust and trust isn’t a task on a Gantt chart. People don’t open up when the timeline says so, they open up when they feel safe. Genuine relationships don’t form during engagement events. They grow in conversations after the meeting has ended, during those ‘water cooler’ moments, at the school gates chats, on the walk back to the car. If your timeline has a fixed slot for “community engagement,” ask different questions: Who already has trust here and are they in the room? Where do people naturally gather and are we showing up there? Are we listening to meet a deadline or to understand what’s really going on? Community engagement isn’t the soft bit before delivery, it is THE work. It’s slow, human, and sometimes uncomfortable. But when people start to trust the process, everything else moves further and faster than any deadline could force. #CommunityDevelopment #CoDesign #Participation #PublicServices #Trust #PlaceMaking #CommunityPower

Tired of low response rates to your recruiting emails? You’re not alone, but the solution may be simpler than you think: having the right email sequence strategy. Our analysis of 4M+ email sequences uncovered some interesting insights: 1. 4 is the magic number Sending 4 emails in a sequence doubles replies and boosts “interested” rates by 68% compared to one-off emails. 2. Timing matters 50% of candidates open emails within the first hour. Tuesday and Wednesday are prime days. Schedule your emails to go out at 8 AM, 4 PM, or 10 AM. 3. Space follow-ups out Allow 6 days between emails 1-2 and 2-3. This gives candidates breathing room to evaluate the role. 4. Don’t sleep on weekends For both tech and non-tech roles, weekends see peak open rates as candidates have more downtime. 5. Tailor to the role Following the general rule of thumb is good, but you should adapt timing to your audience. For example: - Marketing roles shine on Wednesdays and Fridays - Product roles get the most opens on Fridays and Tuesdays Want the complete playbook for high-performing recruiting sequences? Download our free eBook: https://bit.ly/4ffcn5B

After being laid off in August and going through 40+ interviews and several assignments in the past few months, I've gathered some key advice for hiring managers and candidates. 🌟 For Hiring Managers: 👉🏽 Assignments should require candidates to apply the skills relevant to the job. It's important to distinguish between a candidate explaining how they'd do something and actually demonstrating their ability. If your assignment asks me questions I can answer verbally, you’re telling me you don’t know how to evaluate the application of skills. 👉🏽 Interview questions should directly assess skills. Avoid generic questions; ask specific, role-related questions and encourage detailed responses. "Why should we hire you?" will get you a sales-pitch type of response; it's indirect and impersonal. "Why do you want to work for us?" is a lazy question. Contextualize questions to the role; you should have follow-up questions ready and encourage specificity. 👉🏽 Prepare and engage. Remember, candidates are evaluating you, too. Show up prepared and show interest in the candidate's background and skills. I had an interviewer say: "I don't have your resume in front of me." Huh? You showed up to an interview without being prepared? Will you show up to our 1:1s like that as well? The best interviewers show up with questions BASED on what's on your resume. 🌟 For Candidates: 👉🏽 Perfect your 'Tell me about yourself' response. Keep it simple: your professional background, skills you've gained, and how these relate to the role. Don't overcomplicate, don't ramble, and PRACTICE! Include a memorable fact/statistic if you can! 👉🏽 Always have questions ready for the interviewer. This shows your interest and helps you evaluate the role and company. Examples: How will success be measured in this role? What's a current project you're working on that you're excited about? What is the current tech stack for someone in this role? Is there a process in place for actionable feedback, and if so, how is progress tracked? Depending on the position, I always have about 6-10 questions ready, but I generally ask these first. 👉🏽 Use the STAR method for answers. Structure your responses with Situation, Task, Action, Result. Be succinct and practice this format. It’s very easy to ramble, but there is so much value in being concise and confident. These insights come from my own experiences and discussions with fellow candidates. Hope you find them useful! With that said, I'm going to sip on some tea and relax because I'M SO HAPPY I'M DONE INTERVIEWING ❤️

It’s so easy to blame the recruiter. It's not the market. It's not your resume. It's not even your experience. It's how you treat the process. Here are 7 ways candidates ruin their chances with recruiters: 1. Applying for jobs you don't actually want. "Just testing the waters" shows. If you have no real intention of accepting, it's a missed opportunity for both of us. 2. Ghosting after an interview. We prepped you. Followed up. Chased hiring managers for updates. Then... nothing. A simple check-in keeps the door open. Silence closes it. 3. Sending mixed signals about salary. You said $10K more was non-negotiable. Now it's suddenly flexible? Clarity upfront helps us advocate for you with confidence. 4. Ignoring feedback. If we suggest tweaks to your resume or interview answers, it's to help you stand out. Ignoring it means missing a chance to improve your odds. 5. Disrespecting the hiring process. Running late. Constant reschedules. Seeming disengaged. It doesn't just reflect on you. It impacts how seriously hiring managers take your candidacy. 6. Stretching the truth about experience. We verify. Hiring managers verify. Background checks verify. Honesty builds trust. Trust gets you opportunities. 7. Accepting an offer, then backing out last minute. We negotiated for you. Secured the best terms. When candidates pull out unexpectedly, it strains relationships we've spent years building. 👉 Recruiters aren't gatekeepers. We're advocates. But we can only fight for you if you give us something to fight with. ♻️ Repost if you know someone job hunting right now. — Shulin Lee 💛 P.S. Which one have you seen (or done)? No judgment. We've all learned the hard way. 😅

The “Visibility Gap”: Why Great Candidates Get Overlooked. Being qualified is no longer enough. I’ve worked with so many talented professionals who: ✔️ Have the experience ✔️ Have the track record ✔️ Have everything it takes to thrive in the role And yet… they’re overlooked. Not because they’re not capable, But because they have a visibility gap. Here’s what that looks like: A LinkedIn profile that reads like a resume, not a value proposition Messaging that focuses on tasks, not impact A personal brand that says “competent,” but not “obvious fit” At the senior level, companies aren’t just hiring experience. They’re hiring presence. Alignment. Credibility. Here’s how to close your visibility gap (starting today): 1. Revamp your LinkedIn headline ✅ Skip your current job title ✅ Use keywords + value Example: “Ops Leader | Scaled Teams to $100M | Building People-First Processes” 2. Rewrite your About section ✅ Start with your career story ✅ Highlight core strengths + results ✅ End with what you’re looking for next 3. Update 3 key bullets on your resume ✅ Start each with an action verb ✅ Quantify the result ✅ Tie it to business value 4. Comment on 3 posts a week in your industry ✅ Add insight, not just “Great post” ✅ Engage with people you’d want to work with 5. Audit your digital presence ✅ Google your name ✅ Make sure what shows up reflects your value You don’t need to be loud. You just need to be seen, clearly, consistently, and strategically. 💬 Which one are you tackling this week: LinkedIn, resume, or visibility? Drop it below. Let’s close the gap

Bad onboarding kills good deals. Here’s why slowing down actually gets you ahead. I used to think speed was everything. • Get things done. • Close the deal. • Move fast. And honestly? In a lot of cases, that’s true. But where people mess up is when they confuse speed with rushing. I see this all the time with new web designers and agency owners. • They’re eager to close. • Eager to start. • Eager to get that next client. So they rush through onboarding. No deep dive into what the client actually needs. No clear scope. Just a quick contract and “Let’s get started.” Because they’ve been told, “The faster you close, the better.” But that’s not speed. That’s recklessness. And there’s nothing good that comes out of rushing things. -> The client says, “This isn’t what we expected.” -> You go back and forth with endless revisions. -> You lose time, money, and sometimes the entire project. Worst case? You tank your reputation. All because you skipped the one thing that makes a difference: listening. Speed is good. But skipping steps isn’t speed - it’s self-sabotage. So slow down. • Ask the right questions. • Set clear expectations. And please don't get it confused. A strong onboarding process doesn’t slow you down it sets you up to win. And when you do that? Clients don’t just hire you. They trust you. And business is all about getting that trust strong :) —— ✍ Question: Have you ever rushed into a project and regretted it later? What happened?

Reintroducing Humanity into the Hiring Process: 7 Key Principles 1- Avoid Ghosting – Every applicant deserves a response. Silence erodes trust and respect. 2- Communicate Transparently – Set clear expectations about the recruitment process, including timelines and next steps. 3- Maintain Warmth in Communication – Engage personally with candidates rather than relying solely on automated systems. Recruitment is about people, not just processes. 4- Value Candidates' Time – Only proceed with interviews if there is a genuine interest in the candidate. Don’t waste their time if they're not a serious contender. 5- Streamline Interview Rounds – Avoid unnecessary, prolonged interview rounds. Respect the candidate's time by making the process efficient and purposeful. 6- Be Willing to Take a Chance – Recognize that experience isn’t everything. Many skills can be taught on the job. Everyone deserves a chance to prove themselves, just as we all once needed a break to begin our careers. 7- Look Beyond the Resume – Candidates are more than just their qualifications. Invest the effort to understand their full story, not just what's on paper. Every job application represents a person who is navigating the often stressful and challenging journey of job searching. It is vital to remember that, at any time, any of us could be on the other side of the process. By treating candidates with the dignity, respect, and empathy they deserve, we not only improve the hiring experience but also cultivate relationships built on trust and mutual respect.

Why Your Rushed Words Are Losing You Influence ... Have you ever been on the receiving end of a rapid-fire download of information? That relentless flow of words, delivered at breakneck speed? It's a common trap. What you often get isn't clarity, but cognitive overload. Too much data, sprayed into the ears of the listener, quickly becomes noise. The true intent of your communication gets lost. And the listener only ever retains a small portion of your thoughts. The rest is lost forever. This is particularly critical in high-stakes scenarios: a medical practitioner discussing life-altering treatment options, or an executive detailing investment strategies, or in a sales situation. Speed, in these moments, can be detrimental to understanding and trust. Think of it like traffic rules for your words: the simple comma and full stop are like the 'give way' and 'stop' signs. They aren't suggestions; they're essential for smooth flow and avoiding collisions and cognitive overload. It doesn't hurt to slow down. The opposite happens: more information is retained, and a deeper connection is formed. Because the listener doesn't feel talked at or word sprayed. My challenge to you is simple, yet transformative. Before you utter another word: -> Allow a Calm, Connecting Breath. (CCB in action!) -> Then, speak on that breath. -> Let each short sentence carry just ONE idea, followed by a brief, intentional pause. Try this simple shift. You'll become a significantly more effective and respected communicator when you stop rushing words and start truly connecting. (Calm of the sea against the chaos of the clouds. A balanced picture. Image by Joe from Pixabay) #ExecutiveCommunication #CoachingTips #MindfulLeadership

Most people think career transition = résumés, job applications and interviews (yes but there are many more layers) The thing that many don’t work on enough is visibility. Because visibility is what gets you seen, trusted and remembered before you ever apply. It’s not about being loud or self-promotional. It’s about being intentional with how you show up So opportunities find you instead of you chasing them. Here are my 4 C’s of visibility that actually move your career forward 1. Credibility visibility (proof that you can do what you say you can). This is your professional evidence: portfolios, case studies, testimonials, results. It’s what backs up your claims and builds instant trust. →Emma built a short case study deck of projects she led, it became a big factor in landing her a senior consulting role. 2. Consistency visibility (the signals you send by showing up regularly). The way you post, comment, engage, and contribute to industry conversations. The consistency that makes you known for something. → Michael began sharing insights weekly in the areas he was targeting (operations and leadership). This led to recruiters reaching out for roles he hadn’t applied for. 3. Connection visibility (the network that activates opportunity). This isn’t about collecting contacts, it’s about conversations and building genuine relationships. → Daniel re-engaged with two mentors in his desired field. One introduction turned into an interview. 4. Clarity visibility (how clearly you communicate who you are and what you want next). When your message is clearly communicated, others can see where you fit. → Priya started articulating her move from finance into a more data focused function. That clarity led a former manager to refer her for a role in the new area for her. If you’ve been doing everything right on paper and still not moving forward, look at your visibility strategy. PS I have a new posting schedule (from this Wednesday): Monday, Wednesday, Friday 8am AEDT Sunday 10am AEDT What is your posting schedule? let me know in the comments below.