Written by: Snježana “Ana” Billian, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Nikita, a developer turned recruiter, is currently working as Senior Technical Recruiter with Uber and having previous recruiting and hiring experience with Amazon. She is also an entrepreneur and mentor, having a combined audience of 100K+ followers across different social media platforms.
Nikita’s articles have appeared in The Hollywood Times and Business Insider. She believes in the motto “If I can do it, anyone can do it.” She has helped 1,000+ job seekers get interviews and job offers from FAANG+ Companies. She has been nominated for various women entrepreneur awards, has been a TEDx speaker and has conducted 50+ webinars globally with various universities and clubs.
How did you come up with the idea to start FAANG-Path?
I got the idea to launch FAANG-Path at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic when many people lost their jobs and were unable to find a new opportunity. And so I thought: “Why not bring together the people I have in my network so that they can help each other out?”
I thought about connecting job seekers with the industry experts who were employed by top companies so they could receive hands-on resume and interview advice from people who were in their target role.
I looked for industry experts with all kinds of backgrounds and seniority levels—data scientists, data analysts, software engineers, product managers, etc. We started with two mentors, and today we have more than 70 experts who have mentored over 700 candidates. We work closely with the job seekers and the mentors to find the perfect match and cater to the candidate’s specific needs.
I love this concept. In your experience, what are the top mistakes job seekers make that prevent them from getting hired?
One of the biggest mistakes people make is not tailoring their profile to their target position. You can’t use the same resume to apply for a software engineer and a product manager role.
Another mistake I see people make—especially when they are looking to transition into a new role—is that they expect us and their mentors to perform magic on their profiles. But the truth is, your mentor cannot magically add skills and experience you don’t have to your profile.
When you’re looking to transition into a new role, you need to:
Understand the ins and outs of your target role.
Be crystal clear why you want to transition into that role.
Understand what experience and skills you need to acquire to make your profile appealing for that role. Can you start a personal project or do freelance work to gain some hands-on experience? What kind of courses and certifications can you enroll in to get the skills you need?
Accept that a career transition is doable, but getting the skills and experience you need takes time.
That’s a great point. Can you share some examples of people who were successful in their career transition?
Recently we helped a business consultant working for Deloitte break in to the product management role in a tech company. Obviously, we helped her craft her resume and conducted mock interviews with her. But she also did her part of the work. She created a website and a portfolio of work that was relevant for the product manager role. It took her some months to do this, and eventually she got a full-time offer as a product manager. Career transitions require long-term thinking, and many people are not willing to put in that extra effort.
According to you, what’s the most important thing career changers need to consider in their job search?
The first and most important thing is to understand why you want that career transition. I have the feeling that many people are looking to change careers because of peer pressure, but they don’t understand their own big reason for doing it. You need to do your research and due diligence and make a decision that’s yours, not someone else’s. And when it’s your decision, you’ll be ready to put in the effort it takes to achieve your goals. Only at this point does it make sense to start creating a strategy and an action plan to make it happen.
Also, be prepared to try out different things. Some of them won’t work; others will. Everyone’s story is different, and you need to find out what works best for you.
For more information, visit my website and connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram.
Snjezana Ana Billian, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
Snježana Ana Billian is a career coach and the founder of Workmazing, an online career platform for people looking to create a meaningful career.
Workmazing's vlog and online summits are devoted to sharing thought-provoking interviews with authorities in the field of career, leadership, and happiness at work.
Ana is the co-author of the bestseller "Inspired By The Passion Test – The 1 Tool For Discovering Your Passion And Purpose."
She was featured in Business Insider, Thrive Global, Brainz Magazine, and other media outlets.
In the past decade, Ana has led numerous human resources programs for large-sized multinational corporations, helping executives and high-potential professionals step into more prominent roles.
.jpg)
