How to answer "Tell me about yourself"

Ever get stuck with “almost" candidates? Smart, capable people… but missing the one thing that really matters? Here’s how we helped a company go from stuck to hired in just 2 weeks. A med-tech client came to me feeling stuck. They had a candidate in process who was bright and capable… but missing one critical piece of experience. And in this case, that industry experience a non-negotiable. Timing was tight. Expectations were high. Instead of forcing a fit, we reset. We listened. Got clear on the must-haves vs. the nice-to-haves. Then we got to work. Within a week, we delivered a focused shortlist. One candidate stood out immediately - med-tech background, sharp product instincts, and the right kind of energy to fit the team. Two weeks from intake to offer. Zero wasted time. And a team that was feeling confident. It’s not luck. It’s not volume. It’s process. Knowing how to listen. Where to look. And what actually matters in a hire. If you’re tired of hearing “they’re great, but…” after every debrief, maybe it’s time for a different approach. Quality > Quantity. Always.

Last week I made 3 intros between candidates and hiring leaders. All 3 candidates botched the reply (sorry folks, had to call this out….for the greater good) “(Name), great to connect. When might be a good time for you for a call? Looking forward!” No no no. Two big problems with this reply 1) you didn’t offer times. Now I get it, you’re unemployed and they are a VP so you’re defaulting to them. But what this is subtly doing is showing your lack of ownership / proactiveness. They can always reply back with other times that work better. But at least offer a few. 2) this is a PERFECT opportunity to do literally 10 mins of research and mention something interesting about their company “Also, I just read up on the recap of your recent customer event. So interesting how you’re launching X this quarter. I bet that will result in Y, right? Excited to hear more when we speak!” This is like the most obvious layup of a thing to do to stand out and show you know how to do the job they’ll be interviewing you for. Big missed opportunity of you skip it. Shows you’re either lazy, unaware, or maybe just not that great of a GTM professional Hope this helps!!

Making it to final rounds is tough. Staying in the race? Even tougher. With 55% of hiring managers reporting recruitment challenges this year, the competition for top GTM roles has never been fiercer. Here’s where most candidates drop out, and how to avoid becoming a statistic: • Initial HM Chat - Decision made in the first 10-15 minutes. This isn’t casual, it’s your moment to prove you’ve done the homework. Research their latest funding, understand their ICP, and come armed with strategic questions. There are 5-10 others who will put in the work. Don’t be the one who shows up unprepared. • Preso Round - Vague brief? That’s your opportunity, not a trap. Smart assumptions + clear reasoning = strategic thinking in action. Decision makers want candidates who thrive in ambiguity, not those who play it safe and blend in • Final CRO Meeting - Budget holder = final decision maker. Come with hard numbers: quota attainment %, biggest deals closed, revenue impact. Stories without metrics don’t close deals—or land offers. In a market where only 41% of professionals feel confident about their company’s hiring processes, preparation is your competitive edge. Nail the first impression. Show strategic thinking under pressure. Back everything with numbers. What’s the one interview stage that caught you off guard? #GTMRecruitment #SalesHiring #APJTalent #TechSales 

🚀 𝟲𝟬 𝗗𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 “𝗬𝗲𝘀”: 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗘𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 Budgets are tight, but growth targets haven’t budged. Over the last 24 months, Morgan Executive Search has averaged 𝟲𝟬 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 on VP- and C-level searches—while holding a < 𝟱 % 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲. Here’s what makes the difference:  • 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝟭. A crisp, metrics-based scorecard keeps every interviewer aiming at the same target.  • 𝗥𝘂𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲, 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲. Candidates stay warm because everyone—hiring team included—knows exactly what happens next.  • 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮, 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲. Real-time comp benchmarks turn negotiations into alignment, so offers land fast and stick. If you’re looking to fill a critical GTM seat before Q4, let’s chat.

A candidate I placed a few years back reached out to me. He had left the role I placed him in (WAY past his guarantee) and was welcomed back at his old job. He gave it a fair shot. He explained the situation, and asked if there were hard feelings. Of course not. Here’s the truth: As a recruiter or candidate, you can vet a company six ways to Sunday. Glassdoor reviews, Google reviews, research, network calls... But culture can take time to reveal itself. And when it turns toxic, the new hires are the last to know. That client is not a client anymore. This candidate, though, is still in my pool! Because he didn’t trade his integrity for a paycheck. I’d represent that every day of the week.

🚀 Ever wondered what goes on in the mind of an engineer while hiring? Spoiler alert: it involves a mix of logic, creativity, and possibly a bit of caffeine. I've just wrapped up a blog post that dives deep into the intricate world of hiring from an engineer's perspective. Whether you're a hiring manager, an aspiring engineer, or just someone curious about what makes top talent tick, this read is for you! Get ready to unlock insights that will elevate your recruitment game. Check it out here: https://ift.tt/vVYf6Hr

💬 “Thanks for your time… we won’t be moving forward.” That’s where most hiring stories end. But it shouldn’t be. I’ve hired 11 employees. Product marketers, partner marketers, and analyst relations managers. To do that, I interviewed ~80 people and held approximately a gazillion conversations. I knew what candidates wanted from me: answers. ❓ Why didn’t they move forward? 🔍 What could they improve? I used to tell them—honestly, directly—because I’ve been in their shoes. I’m in their shoes right now. Then a talent partner pulled me aside: ⚠️ “We can’t give that feedback to candidates. Those words could be used against us.” I thought the opposite was true. But I listened. And I reluctantly stopped giving feedback. Here’s the thing: 💬 Feedback is the lifeblood of growth. 💥 The hiring process is broken—and silence is part of the problem.

While I am happily employed for the last 4 years I received an automated response to a job application that I placed online FOUR years ago :O With friends and family currently looking for work I hear their frustrations. It’s incredibly disheartening to apply for roles, sometimes waiting 6 months to a year, only to finally hear back through an automated, impersonal rejection. By that point, the role (and often the candidate’s enthusiasm) is long gone. This isn’t just a personal frustration—it highlights a deeper issue in how we treat people who are genuinely trying to work, grow, and contribute. The silence followed by automation leaves many job seekers feeling invisible and undervalued. What’s broken isn’t the ambition or willingness of candidates—it’s the system that fails to communicate, respect timelines, and provide meaningful feedback. A simple, timely acknowledgment, even if automated at first, paired with a genuine follow-up or closure, could change the experience drastically. Until hiring processes value people as much as positions, we’ll continue to see talented individuals become discouraged, not because they lack ability, but because the process makes them feel like they don’t matter.

The job hunt is broken. We’re told to sum up our entire value—years of experience, unique skills, creativity, drive—onto one sheet of paper. Then we’re told to “stand out” among hundreds of other one-sheets in a digital pile that might never even get seen by a human. Employers ask for degrees… but often don’t care what they’re in. They’ll disqualify candidates with more relevant, hands-on experience in favor of a checkbox that means nothing to the actual work. They post “requirements” they don’t truly require, and in the process, they filter out the exact people who could bring the most value to the team. We’re passing over innovators, leaders, and problem-solvers—not because they can’t do the job, but because they don’t fit into the narrow shape of a job description that’s more fantasy than reality. If you’ve been overlooked, you’re not alone. And if you’re hiring—look past the paper.

The smartest new hires don’t dazzle. They notice. I once hired a young analyst with a quiet presence. No flashy credentials. No bravado. Six weeks in, she caught a flaw in our pricing model—one that was costing millions. Why? 👉 She asked the right questions and paid attention to the details. 🥇 She earned a promotion within a year. Discover what she asked here: https://lnkd.in/em7C2JJg I can usually tell within one meeting who’s going to rise fast—and who’ll fade into the background. ❌ It’s not the school. ❌ It’s not the résumé. ✅ It’s the questions they ask. ➔ Curious people climb quicker because they connect dots others ignore. In the first 90 days, that curiosity becomes your competitive edge. Here’s what they do differently: 🔍 They ask system-level questions. Not “What do I do?” but “What problem are we solving here?” 🤗 They care about the business, not just their inbox. 🧠 They observe before they act. 📑 They study how work really gets done. Who holds influence. What’s unsaid. 👀 They use their fresh eyes to spot what veterans miss. 🤝 They use curiosity to build trust. 🫢 They don’t talk to be seen. They ask to understand. And when that intention is real? Leaders notice. What’s the best question you were asked by a new hire?