Katie Egan

Tell me about yourself and your journey into big tech.

My name is Katie, and I was born and raised in the Bay Area. I graduated from Cal State East Bay with a degree in Business Administration and a focus on Human Resources. My career began in Talent Acquisition (TA) as a Full-Cycle Recruiter at Aerotek which is a staffing agency, where I was introduced to the world of recruiting and its various functions.

After a year in that role, I was eager to explore new opportunities and expand my skill set. A former colleague working at Facebook as a Recruiting Coordinator shared insights about the position, which aligned perfectly with my interests outside of traditional recruiting. With her referral, I navigated the interview process and soon joined Facebook as a Recruiting Coordinator on a six-month contract. Following that period, I successfully transitioned into a full-time role. My journey at Meta included the opportunity to work as an individual contributor for 2.5 years and manage a team for 3 years. 

I remained with Meta until May 2023, when layoffs—particularly in TA—affected my position. Following the layoffs I found myself working as a consultant while I searched for my next opportunity. I am now a Hays employee supporting program management at NVIDIA.

What advice do you have for others who want to break into big tech or do what you do?

If you’re looking to break into big tech, my top advice is to focus on building genuine connections and leveraging your network. The industry can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re just starting out or searching for your next role. I found it incredibly helpful to connect with professionals on LinkedIn who were either in positions I aspired to be in or in roles that matched my interests. I’d reach out to schedule a call, during which I’d learn about their career journeys, the steps they took to advance, and their backgrounds. This not only expanded my network but also opened my eyes to opportunities I hadn’t considered before. 

Finish this sentence. Outside of the office, you can find me:

Being a mom and spending a lot of time with family and friends! Every weekend is spent enjoying our local Bay Area surroundings. We really enjoy getting outside and finding new trails to walk, enjoying our local farmers market and finding new restaurants to try. Not to mention the wineries, if you are close to Livermore, I highly recommend spending time trying one of the 50 wineries we offer.

Brenna’s key takeaways from this week’s coffee chat

Katie's career journey illustrates the importance of building genuine connections and leveraging your network. Thanks to her proactive approach to job searching, she was able to:

• Get a referral at Facebook from a former colleague

• Learn from others who were in positions she aspired to be in

Want to apply Katie’s strategy to your own job search?

Here’s an example of how I would reach out to a former colleague for a referral:

Here’s an example of how I would reach out to someone I admired on LinkedIn:

Thank you so much for taking the time to read today’s newsletter! If you have any feedback, please let me know down below. Have a great rest of the week and see you in the next one! Cheers, Brenna

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