The Final Round

Today is a bitter sweet episode since it is our final, final episode of Season 1. And we are going to switch things up with a special episode to thank YOU, our audience, for your unwavering support since day 1. We will be sharing some of our season 1 highlights, hearing from our team that helps produce the show, and featuring some highlight knockout stories aka success stories from our audience. Some season highlights: We have now published 30 episodes with Recruiters from companies such as Netflix, Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, Spotify, Google, LinkedIn and more We have covered industries such as Consulting, Banking and finance, tech, music, venture capital, gaming, and more. We were named a top 1% show out of 2 million shows globally, according to Listen Score. We received over 160 5-star Apple Podcast Reviews And our audience submitted over 110 Knockout Stories If you want to stay up to date with The Final Round and future seasons, subscribe for free to the Knockout Newsletter at knockoutnewsletter.com and follow us on social media. Until next time, keep fighting and I will see you in the ring for Season 2. --- Links: Free career resources: www.thefinalround.com Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com Check out our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/TheFinalRoundPod Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein

To celebrate the end of Season 1, I spent 30+ hours interviewing Recruiters and compiled the BEST pieces of career advice from each Recruiter to help you land jobs! Companies include Google, Boston Consulting Group, LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta, Netflix, Microsoft, Snapchat, Spotify, Nike, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Tesla, and more... --- You can listen to the podcast version here or watch the full video on our YouTube channel with close to 10,000 subscribers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5SMgUjC2f8 --- Links: Free career resources: www.thefinalround.com Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein --- * Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Joel Lalgee has a 6-year background in agency recruiting and currently works at Hirewell. He is a massive content creator that has generated 77 million impressions in the last year and has 140,000 followers on LinkedIn. Joel is not afraid to tell it how it is and provides real and authentic career insight from the lens of a recruiter.  --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - Why is it challenging for companies to hire well? - Difference between Internal vs. Agency Recruiters? - How do Recruiters get paid and what are their incentives? - Are Recruiters out to truly help candidates get the best offer? - Why is recruiting a hard job? - Is job-searching 90% timing? - Why are Agency Recruiters in a battle with CEOs? --- Free career resources: www.thefinalround.com Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com Connect with Joel: www.linkedin.com/in/joellalgee Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein --- * Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Our bonus episode today features Dr. Eli Joseph, an author, educator, TEDx speaker, faculty member at Columbia University and Queens College, and a partner and medical examiner at ExamOne. His new book, "The Perfect Rejection Resume: A Reader’s Guide to Building a Career Through Failure", compiles lessons about failure from his own life experiences and those of influential thought leaders. Get ready to have a deep conversation about overcoming rejection and failure.  --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What's a rejection resume? - How did you use rejection to fuel your professional achievements? - Are there any ways to bend the rules in your favor? - What are some reasons why your dream job may be out of reach? - What's going on with the Great Resignation? - What are the takeaways from your book, "The Perfect Rejection Resume" --- Follow our TikTok @thefinalround Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com Connect with Dr. Eli Joseph on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elijoseph Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com --- * Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Ever heard of Snapchat? We chatted with not 1 but 2 Recruiters from Snap Inc.! Alex Bader and Lauren Turrisi are Lead Business Recruiters at Snap having worked there for a combined 4+ years. Previously, Alex spent 8 years as a Talent Acquisition Manager at Hulu and Lauren spent 3 years as a Talent Acquisition Senior Manager at Ketchum, a PR agency. This episode is one of our favorite (Snapchat) memories, and we bet it will be one of yours as well… --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What is your experience working at Snap and what has surprised you the most? - How does Snap approach the social media battle (e.g. Instagram and TikTok)  from a recruiting perspective? - What are your Snapchat scores? - How has the Snap recruiting team thought about XR (extended reality)? - What are some best practices with Recruiter phone screens? What should candidates NOT say? - What is a conventional thought in recruiting that you think should be challenged?  --- Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com Connect with Lauren T: www.linkedin.com/in/laurenturrisi Connect with Alex B: www.linkedin.com/in/abader Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com --- * Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Our bonus episode features Raj Subrameyer, a tech career strategist and author of the book “Skyrocket Your Career” which hit #5 on the best-seller list. Throughout his entire life, Raj was told he was not good enough, and suffered from severe anxiety, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem. After 20 years of false identity, Raj decided to take control of his life, and has helped thousands of people discover their zone of genius, find their dream job, launch their businesses and become successful leaders. Buckle up your seatbelts and be ready to get inspired. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - Can you walk us through your hardships earlier in your life? - What was the turning point that led you to take control of your life? - How do you define "success"? - How did you stay motivated to keep applying to jobs while receiving tons of rejections? - How did you define your vision and plan out the steps to get to where you wanted to be?  - How can our audience become rockstars? --- Subscribe for free to our "Knockout Newsletter": www.thefinalround.com/newsletter Connect with Raj: www.linkedin.com/in/rajsubra Check our Raj's Website: www.rajsubra.com Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com --- *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Linda Schubert is a Principal Recruiter at Coinbase, the largest Cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. She previously worked in recruiting and talent acquisition at Glassdoor, Slack, and Thrive Global. In her free time, she is a career mentor for candidates through Career Contessa. Get ready for an electric conversation around the world of recruiting in Crypto, NFTs, Web 3.0, and more. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What has the rollercoaster been like working at Coinbase? - How do you break into Crypto? - How to avoid burnout in the job search? - What would you say the companies did with the most positive employee reviews on Glassdoor? How about negative reviews? - How is talent shifting from tech to Crypto? - How can you learn more about Crypto and open jobs? - Do you own any crypto or NFTs? --- Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.thefinalround.com/newsletter Connect with Linda: www.linkedin.com/in/lindaschubert Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com --- * Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Annie Hopkins is the Head of Americas Graduate Recruitment at Deutsche Bank (DB) meaning she manages all of DB’s campus recruiting for internships and jobs for the US. She is also the former Vice President of Diversity Recruiting and Campus Recruiting at Goldman Sachs.  --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What are the essentials of the banking/finance industry? - What types of entry-level roles exist at an investment bank? - What might differentiate one investment bank from another? - Answering the interview question: "Why x bank?" - How do you break in with a non-traditional background, for example, coming from a non-target school? - What advice would you give candidates who are prepping for finance/ banking interviews? --- Connect with Annie: www.linkedin.com/in/annie-hopkins-9a134925/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com --- * Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Marie Ablaza (AKA "Fairy Job Mother") is a Talent Recruiter at Netflix Games Studio. She was previously a recruiter at Ubisoft, Lucasfilm, and Dolby Laboratories, and has worked in industries such as tech, entertainment, media, and video games. She was also recognized for the 2021 San Francisco Top Recruiter of the Year Award. Trust me, “You are going to BINGE this episode like you binge Netflix shows.” --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - Deep dive into Netflix Games Studio? - New Netflix Series on biggest candidate mistakes? - Favorite Netflix shows? - What do people NOT know about working in tech, media, entertainment, and video gaming? - Should you document your life/career? - Best practices for transferring from a community college? - Is success a group effort? - Why is staying involved important if your "cup" is already full? --- *Download Hirect App for Free: https://bit.ly/HirectApp Connect with Marie: www.linkedin.com/in/mariebenigno/ Marie's Personal Website: www.marieablaza.me/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ --- Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Hannah Wolf is a Senior Campus Recruiter and Global Early Career Pipeline Program Manager at Spotify, the very platform you might be listening on. Prior to Spotify, Hannah worked in Recruiting and HR at Yahoo, Bloomberg, Tiffany & Co., and more. We also brought a special co-host to this episode (Sam Kao). Let's dive into the ring... --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - How to answer the question, "Why Spotify?" - Do employees at Spotify play/love music? - What are some ways candidates can put themselves in a position to be connected to career opportunities? - What are the various programs at Spotify? - How is an HR role different than a Recruiter role? - Should your resume have unique design/format/color? --- *Download Hirect App for Free: https://bit.ly/HirectApp Connect with Hannah: www.linkedin.com/in/hannahwolf1/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Podcast episode website: www.thefinalround.com/episode23/ --- Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Elizabeth Morgan is a former Recruiter and Rejection Manager at Google and current Senior Social Media Program Manager at iCIMS. Elizabeth has built up an audience of over 70,000 LinkedIn followers and has generated 9 million views in 2021 with her weekly career content. This will be a fun episode since we will talk more than just recruiting, for instance, how Elizabeth founded her side hustle Etsy shop called Lively Liz Creations. Let’s dive in! --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - How do you find the right balance between being too personal vs. too professional online? - How do job descriptions get made? - Google looks for "Googliness" - how do you answer the "Googliness" question?  - What are the main reasons candidates get rejected?  - Do you recommend others to have side gigs and side hustles? - Is GPA important in the recruitment process? --- *Download Hirect App for Free: https://bit.ly/HirectApp Connect with Elizabeth: www.linkedin.com/in/livelyliz/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode22/ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5D8ISAj7BC4 --- Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Farah Sharghi is the first guest to be invited back on The Final Round by popular demand. We interviewed Farah on Episode 5 when she worked as a Global Talent Acquisition Partner at TikTok. This was a unique episode where we debunked TikTok career myths so be sure to check that out if you haven't listened to it already.  This upcoming episode is so unique that it might even make a headline on the NYT since Farah is now the Lead Technical Recruiter at the NYT. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - How to lead teams that change the world? - How to pivot careers (finance to tech)? - Overview of NYT, business groups, etc.? - What is the recruitment process like at NYT? - Similarities and differences between startup vs. corporate recruiting? - Uber and Lyft recruiting and hiring practices? --- Connect with Farah: www.linkedin.com/in/fsharghi/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode21/ Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeWIDgFUn58 --- Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Daniel Botero is a former Lead Campus Recruiter for PepsiCo, one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. He is currently the founder of Mastering College to Career Academy, a best-selling author, international keynote speaker, and a top-rated podcaster.  --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - Most common mistakes job-seekers make? - What is it like working for PepsiCo in the consumer packaged goods industry? - How can a focus on self-improvement help you land jobs? - What lessons have you learned from over 6-years in sales? - How do you sell yourself in interviews? - How can you excel at a campus career fair? - Why is having a mentor important and how can you get one? - I don't want to network because I have nothing to give - can you help? --- Links: *Download Hirect App for Free: https://bit.ly/HirectApp Connect with Daniel: www.linkedin.com/in/thedanielbotero/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode20/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/TzmPMxghkHs Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Benjy Spiro is a seasoned recruiter who is currently an MBA Campus Recruiting Manager at Walmart and has previously worked in recruiting and Talent Acquisition at OVER 10 COMPANIES including Goldman Sachs, The Walt Disney Company, Accenture, Pfizer, Bloomberg, Morgan Stanley, Credit Suisse, RBC Capital Markets, Christies, Barclays Corporate and Investment Bank, and more. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What have you learned after being a recruiter for 10+ companies? - How have you been able to recruit across multiple industries (Consulting, Banking, Media & Entertainment, and more)? - Importance of Gen Z on the job market? - Why is helping candidates your passion? - Are there certain qualities you look for in candidates?  - What would you say to people who are afraid to network because they feel as if they have nothing to give? - Are candidates too casual with recruiters? --- Connect with Benjy: www.linkedin.com/in/benjyspiro/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode19/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OvRu_rYQsvY *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Leah Frank is a former consulting recruiter for over 5 years at Bain & Company and McKinsey & Company. Leah managed full-cycle hiring for full-time and intern candidates including candidate pipeline management, application screening, training/onboarding, and more. She now works as the GM of an organization called "MyConsultingOffer" to help more candidates land top consulting offers. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What was the expectation vs. reality of being a recruiter at McKinsey and Bain? - How should a candidate deal with an exploding offer if they are trying to continue interviewing at another firm? - What are company “Sell Weekends”? - What advice do you have for candidates to help their resumes and cover letters shine in the application process? - What does networking look like on the company side? - Do you have any office preference tips given that you recruited for offices around the country such as Denver and SF? - Why did you leave recruiting and what are you up to now? --- Connect with Leah: www.linkedin.com/in/leahfrank/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode18/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/OFgVmjhvKzc *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Gorick Ng is the Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of The Unspoken Rules: Secrets to Starting Your Career Off Right. This book is a guide to help early-career professionals navigate the school-to-work transition and ascend to positions of leadership, based on 500+ interviews with professionals. Gorick is a career adviser at Harvard College, specializing in coaching first-generation, low-income students. He has worked in management consulting at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and investment banking at Credit Suisse. He has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and more. Gorick is also a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What are the takeaways after interviewing over 500 professionals for this book?  - What truly separates students who get accepted vs. rejected to Harvard College? - What separates students who get the best jobs? - What advice can you share after successfully landing top consulting and banking jobs? - Why are you passionate about helping underdogs like first-generation and low-income students? - How can our listeners thrive in the workplace and grow to become leaders? --- Connect with Gorick: www.linkedin.com/in/gorick/ Learn more about Gorick’s book: www.gorick.com/ Connect with the host: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Get 1-on-1 Career Coaching: www.careercoachingcompany.com/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode17/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/q1N0j3REdAQ *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Nicole Fernandez-Valle has been in the recruiting space for the past 3 years. During this time she has placed hundreds of candidates in the hospitality space at Royal Caribbean to tech at Wix.com. Her passions include bringing data and diversity into recruitment as well as demystifying the recruiting process. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - Experience recruiting for a global cruise line? - Does having a side hustle help with recruiting? - If you are recruiting for Wix, should you make a free Wix website? - When and how often should you follow up with recruiters? - Should candidates make a personal website in addition to a LinkedIn profile? --- Connect with Nicole: www.linkedin.com/in/nicolefernandez-valle/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Get 1-on-1 Career Coaching: www.careercoachingcompany.com/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode16/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/UtIYNprEKkE *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Erika Love is a Lead Recruiter at McKinsey & Company where she leads undergraduate recruiting for the McKinsey Black Network and the Hispanic & Latino Network. In her role, she focuses on creating high-impact programs to educate, support and prepare students for roles in consulting. She has led a significant effort in doubling Black hires at McKinsey, growing relationships with HBCUs, and expanding opportunities for first-year and second-year undergraduates through internships and programs.  --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What is one thing that makes a candidate stand out in the Performance Experience Interview (PEI)? - How can our listeners prepare for the PEI? - What exactly is Diversity Recruiting?  - What do you look for in young students like Freshmen? - Are certain office locations tougher to get offers in than others? - When you are between a few final candidates, how do you decide who receives the offer? --- Connect with Erika: www.linkedin.com/in/erikaklove/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Get 1-on-1 Career Coaching: www.careercoachingcompany.com/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode15/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FYAraNk4rDE *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Our guest today is Sarena Tseng, a University Relations Recruiter at Cox Communications. On top of her day job as a recruiter, she is a career coach for students, a LinkedIn expert for young professionals, and a guide for aspiring content creators on LinkedIn. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - Difference between recruiters and hiring managers? - Why and how to build a personal brand? - How to grow your audience on LinkedIn? - How to position yourself as a candidate? - What to post on LinkedIn? --- Connect with Sarena: www.linkedin.com/in/sarenatseng/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Get 1-on-1 Career Coaching: www.careercoachingcompany.com/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode14/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/KTPNNfQ-oH0 *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Chris Garinger is the #1 recommended recruiter on LinkedIn and has recruited for 9 leading companies including Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Binti, to name a few. --- Here are some questions we will be answering: - What is the process of how recruiters and hiring managers decide on candidates? - Is it easier to get a job in a less-popular company location? - Do online skill courses matter for recruiting? - Biggest takeaway after recruiting for over 9 companies? - How to reinvent yourself in a virtual environment? --- Connect with Chris: www.linkedin.com/in/cgaringer/ Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/ Get 1-on-1 Career Coaching: www.careercoachingcompany.com/ Read the episode transcript: https://thefinalround.com/episode13/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ylDY9JtRj-4 *Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.