Lauryn Kardatzke

What types of roles do you recruit for at Pinterest?

I’m on the corporate functions pod at Pinterest, which covers a lot of different areas. We recruit for finance, corporate strategy, legal, people tech, and a few other subgroups that roll up into corporate functions. It’s kind of a catch-all team, which gives me a lot of exposure to different business orgs, hiring managers, roles, and levels. I like the variety as it keeps me sharp, interested, and engaged.

What makes a candidate stand out?

The number one thing that makes a candidate stand out to me is, very simply, enthusiasm. But by that, I don’t mean someone who’s overly excited, talking loudly, quickly, or in a way that feels inauthentic. Instead, it’s more about the thoughtfulness and consideration they put into their answers - how they connect their experience to what I’m asking.

That enthusiasm often shows when a candidate has done their due diligence. For example, they might have thoroughly read the job description, and if I’m talking to someone in investor relations, maybe they’ve listened to a recent earnings call and referenced it. They might have researched the team members they’d be working with, learned a bit about their backgrounds, and tied that into the conversation. And, of course, taking real-life examples from their past work and connecting them to what they’d be doing at Pinterest. That extra step - the research, the effort - really goes a long way. It shows they’re engaged and serious about the role.

For me, since I do 100% passive outreach (I don’t talk to applicants, internal referrals, or inbound candidates), it’s especially important to see that the candidate is invested in the opportunity. If they are, then I’m going to mirror that investment in them.

Another thing that makes a candidate stand out is their thoughtful engagement and use of our time together.

On a typical day, my calendar is stacked with meetings and candidate screens, and I want to give every second of those 30 minutes to the candidate so they can position themselves in the best light. That enthusiasm piece is great, but sometimes it leads to long-winded answers. I love feeling a candidate’s energy, but if their response takes up too much time, it can ultimately take away from other important aspects of our conversation.

I encourage candidates - especially if they get nervous - to write down key points in advance or create a reminder to pause during their answer and check in. For example, they can ask, “Is this answering your question?” or “Am I getting off track?” If they feel like they’re going too deep into the weeds, they can say, “I’ll stop there - that was a lot. I’m happy to go into more detail if you need me to.”

I’m comfortable redirecting candidates, but when someone is self-aware enough to course-correct themselves, that tells me a lot about how they’d interact in a team setting or with their manager. Everyone rambles sometimes, but if they can catch themselves and acknowledge it, that goes a long way.

Similarly, a candidate can stand out in a bad way if they go over our allotted time, forcing me to take time away from another candidate. Unfortunately, that can leave a negative impression.

What’s your number one piece of advice for jobseekers?

My biggest piece of advice for job seekers is to work their connections. That means reaching out to the right people and being thoughtful in their outreach.

For example, I often get asked for referrals, but as a recruiter, I can’t refer anyone - it’s a conflict of interest. That’s probably true for 9 out of 10 companies. So don’t reach out to a recruiter for a referral. Also, recruiters can’t give you “tips and tricks” because that would create an unfair advantage over other candidates, which isn’t equitable hiring.

Instead, reach out to people who know you - people who can genuinely vouch for your work. A referral is someone putting their credibility on the line for you, so they’re not going to do it for someone they’ve never met.

Also, make it as easy as possible for them to help you. For example, if you’re asking for a referral, say:

• Here’s the link to the job on the company’s career site (not LinkedIn).

• Here are three bullet points connecting my experience to the job description.

• Here’s my updated resume.

• I’d love if you could refer me. Let me know if you need anything else.

People are willing to help and want to help, but they’re also busy. If you make it easy for them, they’re much more likely to say yes.

More than ever, job seeking is about leveraging connections to get a conversation or an interview. So few people I’ve talked to recently have gotten jobs just by applying online. That route still works, but you’ll have much better odds if you also engage with people who work at the company - whether that’s through networking, grabbing coffee, or asking for a referral.

AMA (Ask Me Anything!)

Whether you have questions around job searching, interviewing, or working in big tech, feel free to submit them below. Each week, I will address one of them in an upcoming newsletter.

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

Sharing is caring

Like this newsletter? Share it with your friends and have them signup here.

Other ways I can help you

Download my personal resume template: It has helped me land interviews at companies like Meta, Google, TikTok, Salesforce, and Uber.

Book a 1:1 coaching call with me: I’ve helped jobseekers land interviews and offers at companies like Meta, Amazon, Salesforce, and Pinterest.