Looking for a job? Highlight your ability, not your experience | Jason Shen

Summary

This inspiring talk addresses the shortcomings of traditional hiring practices and advocates for a more innovative approach to talent acquisition. The speaker, drawing from personal experience and extensive research, challenges the audience to look beyond conventional metrics like degrees and pedigrees. They propose three strategies: expanding the search for talent beyond traditional hubs, hiring for performance by assessing candidates through practical demonstrations of skills, and obtaining a holistic view of candidates to avoid biased judgments. The talk concludes with a call to action for employers to adopt these new hiring practices and for candidates to effectively communicate their unique abilities.

Takeaways

• 🎓 Only a quarter of college graduates work in a field related to their degree, indicating a disconnect between education and employment.
• 🔄 Many successful people, like the speaker, transition into fields unrelated to their studies, showing adaptability and self-education are key.
• 🚀 The speaker's success at Etsy came from going beyond the standard job application, demonstrating creativity and initiative.
• 💡 Hiring systems from the 20th century are outdated and miss out on potential talent, highlighting the need for innovation in recruitment.
• 🤖 Advances in technology like robotics and machine learning are changing the nature of work, suggesting future jobs will be unlike any we've seen before.
• 🌟 To find talent, look beyond traditional sources like Ivy League schools and prestigious organizations.
• 🏞 The Oakland Athletics' strategy of looking beyond traditional metrics for talent can be applied outside of sports.
• 💼 Hire for performance by asking candidates to demonstrate their skills, as work samples are strong predictors of job success.
• 👀 Don't judge candidates quickly based on superficial factors; get a holistic view to avoid flawed assessments.
• 🌈 Employers should embrace new hiring practices, and candidates should learn to tell their stories compellingly.

Q & A

What is the speaker envious of?

The speaker is envious of people who work in jobs that are directly related to their college major.

What did a 2010 study find about college graduates and their fields of work?

The study found that only a quarter of college graduates work in a field that relates to their degree.

What did the speaker study in college, and what career path did they not pursue?

The speaker studied biology, but did not become a doctor or a scientist.

What did the speaker have to teach themselves to prepare for a career in technology?

The speaker had to teach themselves sales, marketing, strategy, and even a little programming.

How did the speaker get a job at Etsy?

The speaker got the job by reading Etsy's IPO filings, building a website with an analysis of the business and four new feature ideas, two of which the team was already working on.

Who is Brian Acton and what is his story?

Brian Acton is an engineering manager who was rejected by Twitter and Facebook before co-founding WhatsApp, which was sold for 19 billion dollars.

What is the speaker's main concern about the current hiring systems?

The speaker is concerned that the current hiring systems are failing us by causing us to miss out on people with incredible potential.

What is the speaker's first idea for identifying tomorrow's high performers?

The first idea is to expand the search for talent beyond traditional places like gifted child programs, Ivy League schools, and prestigious organizations.

What is the hiring platform the speaker co-founded called?

The hiring platform the speaker co-founded is called Headlight.

What does the speaker suggest as a way to showcase unique skills and abilities?

The speaker suggests seeking out ways to showcase unique skills and abilities outside of just the standard resume and cover letter.

What does the speaker mean by 'get the bigger picture'?

The speaker means that we should have a holistic view of a candidate's background and not judge them based on a single aspect or short stint on their resume.

What is the speaker's vision for the future of employment?

The speaker envisions a world where people are seen for their true capabilities and have the opportunity to realize their full potential, with employers embracing new ways of identifying and cultivating talent.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 The Shift from College Majors to Diverse Careers

The speaker expresses envy towards individuals whose jobs align with their college majors, such as journalists and engineers. However, they note that this is increasingly rare, with a 2010 study revealing that only a quarter of graduates work in fields related to their degrees. Despite having two biology degrees, the speaker did not become a doctor or scientist and instead pursued a career in technology, teaching themselves various skills. They recount their unconventional path to becoming a Product Manager at Etsy, which involved creating a website showcasing their analysis and ideas for the company. The speaker emphasizes the need to look beyond traditional hiring practices to identify potential in overlooked candidates, citing the example of Brian Acton, who was rejected by Twitter and Facebook before co-founding WhatsApp. They argue that with advancements in technology, we should expect to do jobs we've never done before and calls for new strategies to identify future high performers.

05:01

🔍 Expanding Talent Search and Hiring for Performance

The speaker shares three ideas to improve talent identification and hiring practices. The first idea is to expand the search for talent beyond traditional places like Ivy League schools and prestigious organizations. They use the example of the Oakland Athletics in baseball, who found success by recruiting players with untapped potential. Pinterest's Head of Design and Research is also highlighted for building a diverse team by focusing on portfolios rather than pedigrees. The second idea is to hire for performance, which the speaker practices through their hiring platform, Headlight. This involves asking candidates to demonstrate their skills through work samples, which research shows to be a strong predictor of job success. The speaker suggests practical examples of how candidates can showcase their skills for different roles. The third idea is to get the bigger picture of a candidate's background and potential, using personal anecdotes about差点儿被误判为有特殊需求的孩子的经历, to illustrate the importance of considering the full context of a person's life and experiences before making judgments. The speaker concludes by urging employers to adopt new hiring practices and candidates to learn to tell their stories compellingly, to create a world where everyone can realize their full potential.

Keywords

💡College Major

A college major refers to the specific field of study that a student chooses to focus on during their undergraduate education. In the context of the video, the speaker expresses envy for those whose jobs align with their college major, suggesting a traditional career path. The video highlights a shift from this norm, as only a quarter of college graduates work in a field related to their degree, indicating a broader range of career possibilities beyond one's academic specialization.

💡Product Manager

A Product Manager is a professional responsible for guiding and overseeing the development of a product from its conception to its launch and beyond. The speaker mentions not having held this title before applying to Etsy, illustrating the point that career paths are not always linear and that individuals can transition into roles for which they have not had formal training.

💡IPO Filings

IPO stands for Initial Public Offering, and filings are the documents a company must submit to regulatory authorities to become publicly traded. The speaker's thorough analysis of Etsy's IPO filings and creation of a website with business analysis and new feature ideas demonstrate initiative and a self-taught approach to impressing potential employers, which ultimately led to a job offer.

💡Hiring Systems

Hiring systems refer to the processes and methods used by organizations to recruit and select employees. The video argues that traditional hiring systems are outdated and failing to identify individuals with significant potential, as they often rely on credentials and experience that may not reflect a candidate's true abilities or potential to excel in a role.

💡Robotics

Robotics involves the design, construction, operation, and use of robots, as well as computer systems for their control, sensory feedback, and information processing. The video mentions advancements in robotics and machine learning as transformative forces in the workplace, automating routine tasks and suggesting a future where individuals will need to adapt to new job roles and responsibilities.

💡Talent

Talent refers to a natural aptitude or skill, especially one that allows someone to excel in a particular area. The video emphasizes the need to search for talent beyond traditional pools, such as Ivy League schools, to find diverse and high-performing teams, as talent is not confined to a specific demographic or educational background.

💡Headlight

Headlight is a hiring platform co-founded by the speaker, designed to give candidates an opportunity to demonstrate their skills before being hired. This platform exemplifies the concept of hiring for performance, where candidates are evaluated based on their abilities to perform specific job-related tasks, rather than just their resumes.

💡Work Samples

Work samples are actual examples of a candidate's work that demonstrate their skills and abilities. The video cites employment research indicating that work samples are one of the best predictors of job success, suggesting that practical demonstrations of skill are more valuable than traditional hiring criteria.

💡Holistic View

A holistic view implies considering the whole person, including their experiences, background, and potential, rather than just a narrow set of criteria. The video argues for a more comprehensive assessment of candidates, as judgments based on limited information can be flawed and overlook individuals with great potential.

💡Credentials

Credentials are documents or qualifications attesting to a person's qualifications or status. The video challenges the common practice of equating credentials with competence, advocating for a broader evaluation of a candidate's abilities and potential, not just their formal qualifications.

💡Potential

Potential refers to the capacity to develop or succeed in the future. The video's central theme revolves around recognizing and unlocking the potential of individuals, suggesting that current hiring practices often fail to identify those with the greatest potential for success in a role.

Highlights

People who work in jobs related to their college major are becoming the exception, not the rule.

Only a quarter of college graduates work in a field related to their degree according to a 2010 study.

The speaker graduated with degrees in biology but pursued a career in technology instead.

The speaker had to self-teach skills like sales, marketing, strategy, and programming.

The speaker got a job at Etsy by analyzing their IPO filings and proposing new features.

Brian Acton, rejected by Twitter and Facebook, co-founded WhatsApp, which was sold for $19 billion.

20th-century hiring systems are failing to identify people with incredible potential.

Advances in robotics and machine learning are transforming the nature of work.

We should expect to do jobs we've never done before for the rest of our careers.

The speaker consulted with leaders and conducted talent experiments to find hiring strategies.

Expand your search for talent beyond traditional places like Ivy League schools.

The Oakland Athletics' success in recruiting overlooked players transformed baseball.

Pinterest built a diverse team by focusing on portfolios, not pedigrees.

Hire for performance by asking candidates to demonstrate their skills before hiring.

Work samples are one of the best predictors of success on the job.

Candidates should showcase their unique skills and abilities beyond the standard resume and cover letter.

Get the bigger picture of a candidate to avoid flawed judgments based on limited information.

We should stop equating experience with ability and credentials with competence.

Employers should embrace new ways of identifying and cultivating talent.

Candidates can help by learning to tell their story in powerful and compelling ways.

We can build a world where people are seen for their true capabilities and have the opportunity to realize their full potential.

Transcripts

You know who I'm envious of?

People who work in a job that has to do with their college major.

(Laughter)

Journalists who studied journalism,

engineers who studied engineering.

The truth is, these folks are no longer the rule,

but the exception.

A 2010 study found that only a quarter of college graduates

work in a field that relates to their degree.

I graduated with not one but two degrees in biology.

To my parents' dismay, I am neither a doctor nor a scientist.

(Laughter)

Years of studying DNA replication and photosynthesis

did little to prepare me for a career in technology.

I had to teach myself everything from sales, marketing, strategy,

even a little programming, on my own.

I had never held the title of Product Manager

before I sent my resume in to Etsy.

I had already been turned down by Google and several other firms

and was getting frustrated.

The company had recently gone public,

so as part of my job application,

I read the IPO filings from cover to cover

and built a website from scratch which included my analysis of the business

and four ideas for new features.

It turned out the team was actively working on two of those ideas

and had seriously considered a third.

I got the job.

We all know people who were ignored or overlooked at first

but went on to prove their critics wrong.

My favorite story?

Brian Acton, an engineering manager

who was rejected by both Twitter and Facebook

before cofounding WhatsApp,

the mobile messaging platform that would sell for 19 billion dollars.

The hiring systems we built in the 20th century are failing us

and causing us to miss out on people with incredible potential.

The advances in robotics and machine learning

and transforming the way we work,

automating routine tasks in many occupations

while augmenting and amplifying human labor in others.

At this rate, we should all be expecting to do jobs we've never done before

for the rest of our careers.

So what are the tools and strategies we need

to identify tomorrow's high performers?

In search for answers, I've consulted with leaders across many sectors,

read dozens of reports and research papers

and conducted some of my own talent experiments.

My quest is far from over,

but here are three ideas to take forward.

One: expand your search.

If we only look for talent in the same places we always do --

gifted child programs, Ivy League schools,

prestigious organizations --

we're going to get the same results we always have.

Baseball was transformed when the cash-strapped Oakland Athletics

started recruiting players who didn't score highly

on traditionally valued metrics, like runs batted in,

but who had the ability to help the team score points

and win games.

This idea is taking hold outside of sports.

The Head of Design and Research at Pinterest

told me that they've built one of the most diverse

and high-performing teams in Silicon Valley

because they believe that no one type of person

holds a monopoly on talent.

They've worked hard to look beyond major tech hubs

and focus on designers' portfolios,

not their pedigrees.

Two: hire for performance.

Inspired by my own job experience,

I cofounded a hiring platform called Headlight,

which gives candidates an opportunity to shine.

Just as teams have tryouts and plays have auditions,

candidates should be asked to demonstrate their skills

before they're hired.

Our clients are benefiting from 85 years of employment research,

which shows that work samples

are one of the best predictors of success on the job.

If you're hiring a data analyst,

give them a spreadsheet of historical data and ask them for their key insights.

If you're hiring a marketing manager,

have them plan a launch campaign for a new product.

And if you're a candidate, don't wait for an employer to ask.

Seek out ways to showcase your unique skills and abilities

outside of just the standard resume and cover letter.

Three: get the bigger picture.

I've heard about recruiters who are quick to label a candidate a job-hopper

based on a single short stint on their resume;

read about professors who are more likely to ignore identical messages from students

because their name was black or Asian instead of white.

I was almost put on a special needs track as a child.

A month into kindergarten,

my teacher wrote a page-long memo

noting that I was impulsive,

had a short attention span,

and despite my wonderful curiosity,

I was exhausting to work with.

(Laughter)

The principal asked my parents into a meeting,

asked my mother if there had been complications at birth

and suggested I meet with a school psychologist.

My father saw what was happening

and quickly explained our family situation.

As recent immigrants, we lived in the attic

of a home that cared for adults with mental disabilities.

My parents worked nights to make ends meet,

and I had little opportunity to spend time with kids my own age.

Is it really a surprise that an understimulated five-year-old boy

might be a little excited in a kindergarten classroom

after an entire summer by himself?

Until we get a holistic view of someone,

our judgment of them will always be flawed.

Let's stop equating experience with ability,

credentials with competence.

Let's stop settling for the safe, familiar choice

and leave the door open for someone who could be amazing.

We need employers to let go of outdated hiring practices

and embrace new ways of identifying and cultivating talent,

and candidates can help by learning to tell their story

in powerful and compelling ways.

We could live in a world where people are seen for what they're truly capable of

and have the opportunity to realize their full potential.

So let's go out and build it.

Thank you.

(Applause)