Quick story.
I was a staff engineer at Meta where I spent 5 years. Loved it. Meta was a great place to work and was a perfect fit for me at the time. I left in March 2022 to co-found a web3 startup. That also went pretty well. We were able to sell the company in March of 2023.
At this point, AI-fever had kicked in and my co-founder and I decided to start a new company, www.hellointerview.com, that helps candidates prepare for upcoming SWE interviews (something we know well). We offered AI mock interviews, Duolingo-style personal learning pathways, and other free or low-cost AI tools that identify gaps and help fill them.
This didn't go nearly as well. While users gave positive feedback, traction was slow. We started to get a bit more hands-on with our users, teaching concepts directly, setting up in-person sessions, etc. Essentially, the age-old adage: "do what doesn't scale."
We started to gain traction as it became evident that candidates were clamoring for a "behind the scenes" peak to better understand the hiring process at their target company.
I started meeting with 3-5 candidates a day. Their levels of experienced ranged anywhere from mid-level all the way to senior directors. All of whom had upcoming interviews and wanted to be prepared. I'll admit I had originally underestimated the power of mock interviews and interview coaching. I had never done it myself and hadn't really considered it. In fact, an early version of me might have been one of the grumps telling people not to waste their time and money. However, I started to see candidate after candidate's face light up as we broke down their session and provided feedback. It's as if a lightbulb suddenly switches on, and their profound appreciation was immediately evident.
It makes sense. Getting a new job is often the single most important thing in a persons life at that time. Thus, getting advice and guidance that increases ones chances is huge value! The real surprise, though, came from the impact it had on me. We started to receive emails almost daily, entirely unprompted. These emails are from candidates celebrating their new job offers. Their excitement is contagious, and I share in their joy. They use truly bold language to thank us for, "transforming their lives". While they certainly give us more credit than we deserve, it's heartening, and frankly a blast, to be recognized as a key part of their journey.
So what?
The word has been spreading really quickly about our services and we're now trying to hire more expert coaches. I know that there exists a rare breed similar to me who really gains a ton of fulfillment from helping others. If you're one of them, I'd love for you to consider becoming a coach at Hello Interview. You can apply directly from this link: https://lnkd.in/gdpqWte8
Don't hesitate to reach out to me directly if you have questions. DM's are always open.