Episode Overview

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?

Links:

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/aj-eckstein

Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com

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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.

Episode Transcript

Intros

What is going on everybody? Welcome back to the Final Round Studio. Today, we’re doing something a bit differently and we’re not talking about banking, about consulting, about accounting. We are talking about crypto, and we have one of the best recruiters for one of the best Cryptocurrency companies, Coinbase, on our show today and we are so excited to give you a deep dive into the world of crypto and all of the opportunities that can come from it. So, without further ado, I’d love to welcome Linda Schubert on the Final Round podcast. So, Linda, how are we doing today? And where are you tuning in from?

Linda: Doing great. I am tuning in from San Diego.

Awesome! Well, I’m in L.A. and I cannot be more excited to dive in. So, before we really talk about the world of crypto and Coinbase, you are someone who has so much experience even prior to breaking into crypto. And I want to ask a few questions before we really dive into crypto. So, before joining Coinbase, I saw that you worked at several different companies and several different industries such as tech, healthcare, nonprofit, etc. And I would love to know and I think our audience would be curious to know how do you know or figure out if it’s time to change your job?

Linda: Yeah. I think my reasons for changing jobs have definitely varied over the years. I think for me, most of the time it’s been feeling stagnant and ready for that next challenge. And this most recent job change, I really wanted to be a part of a company that was a little bit further along on their stage of growth with more structure. I am always attracted to innovative companies that are breaking norms. So, I like working for those types of companies and also really mission focused companies and Coinbase’s mission and focus on driving economic freedom and also their commitment to their cultural values and core tenet is something that was very attractive to me.

Once you realize that it’s time to change jobs, how do you prepare for the different types of recruitment processes based on industry or maybe there is kind of the same way that you approach these different industries because obviously the recruitment process, I think for breaking into crypto is very different than breaking into the tech world.

Linda: Yeah, I honestly kind of consider Coinbase, a tech company as well, I know we’re kind of a blend of financial services and tech, but I’d say the way you approach getting a job at a company like ours versus any of those other tech companies is probably the same. We all leverage similar tools. I’d say having a really well built out LinkedIn profile is important if you are on the job search because that’s definitely going to be something that recruiters and hiring teams look at, at some point in the process.

You said, “leverage similar tools,” I’m assuming LinkedIn is one of them. Can you share any other tools that you think our audience needs to be using or needs to be on any platforms?

Linda: Yeah. So, I would say the other recruiting tools we use are probably overlay tools on LinkedIn. So, LinkedIn is the most important one. The other tools that recruiters use are things like Gym [?] or Entelo where it is able to pull someone information from most likely like a LinkedIn. It’s just another way for us to source and then reach out to them via email versus directly through an email on LinkedIn.

So, these are different than ATS or Applicant Tracking Systems, correct? This is the best way to source and actually find talent and reach out to these people?

Linda: Yup, exactly. Yeah, it’s different than our Applicant Tracking System. So, it’s just another tool to use to try and generate source leads and nurture them, I would say.

Given that you have experience sourcing talent, and let’s say I myself is someone who’s trying to get an internship or get a job, what is the best way to bridge the two? How do I maximize my chances of having someone like yourself find me and pull me into these talent pipelines?

Linda: Yeah, I would say make sure on your LinkedIn profile that you have some of the right keywords and transferable skills that we would be looking for because recruiters use Boolean search strings to try and find candidates. And if you don’t have any of those words in your profile, you’re not going to come up in our search. So, we won’t be able to proactively reach out to you. If you’re targeting a specific industry, I would make sure you have the right key terms that would transfer.

I think the best way that, I like to learn I think as well, if I can speak for our audiences, examples or analogies. So, can you give us an example of you being a recruiter using a Boolean search and then what would populate from the candidate side?

Linda: So, let’s just say a generic like I’m looking for an account executive at a SAS company. You would do parentheses account executive and, in all caps, and then SAS and you can also drill that down by location. So, searching for within the United States or within a specific city, even if you’re trying to target a specific geo but from there, you can see how many total addressable candidate pop up in your search. And if it’s too many, you can start to add more keywords to drill it down more. That’s essentially how recruiters and sourcers source is they start with a search string and they keep iterating on it until it’s generating the right type of talent that they want to be reaching out to.

And I think the two main takeaways, and correct me if I’m wrong, but what you just said, number one, make sure your profile in LinkedIn is up to date, and then number two, similar to how you would tailor your resume to the keywords on a job description, try to tailor the keywords on your LinkedIn profile because it needs to be optimized so people like yourself can help find the talent. Is that correct?

Linda: Yeah, I would say so. If you want to come up in our possible searches then you want to make sure you have the right keywords on there. But obviously make sure that it’s actual relevant experience that you have, right? So, if you have experience that you think transfers to that new industry, I think being able to tell that story in a conversation is really important as well if it’s not exact.

What would you say the companies did with the most positive employee reviews on Glassdoor?

I want to talk about your time at Glassdoor, and I think every single member in our audience has either heard of Glassdoor, has used a Glassdoor. I remember when I was applying to companies, interviewing at companies, you look at Glassdoor, see the employee reviews, see examples of interview questions. And you were a talent acquisition manager at Glassdoor for I think about four years and then currently you’re recruiting Coinbase, you’ve worked at Thrive Global, Slack and eight other companies. So, your recruitment experience is off the charts to say the least. I think this company Glassdoor is very similar to some of our younger members in our audience. It’s like ratemyprofessor.com, where you rate your professor for school. So, I would love to know from someone like you who was inside Glassdoor. Did you see any big themes of the best companies to work for who were always getting those positive reviews? Was it things like compensation? Was it work-life balance? Was it parental leave?

Tips to live and work with less stress, more productivity and greater well-being

Linda: Yeah, good question. I would say during my time there and still they have their Glassdoor best places to work list that comes out every year, and I think it’s really a blend of all of those things. I think they’re all important and weighed heavily in people’s eyes. So, I think the companies that got it right were ones that took all of them seriously into account.

That’s awesome. I know that also kind of shifting from Glassdoor to Thrive Global, you worked as the head recruiter at Thrive Global. And for some of our audience who may not be aware, Thrive Global was founded by Arianna Huffington and provides behavior change technology. So, since you were the head of recruiting at Thrive Global, what are some tricks you can share with our audience to help them live and work with less stress, more productivity and greater well-being?

Linda: Yeah, I think the most important tip I can share here is really being intentional about prioritizing self-care and taking time away from work to recharge. I think burnout is a real thing and something that we are doing at Coinbase that I’m so excited about is recharge weeks. We have four different recharge weeks a year where the majority of the company is out. So, it’s nice because it’s not like you’re taking PTO and you have that feeling of like, ‘Oh, gosh! My inbox is filling up, my Slack messages are piling up and I’m going to come back to all of these things.’ You have that like feeling of everyone’s off at the same time so you can really step away and reset and come back feeling excited and energized to return to work. So, I think a lot of companies are starting to implement similar tactics, like whatever I feel like I need that day to really have the balance to make me successful is something that I prioritize. I think one thing I’ve learned is trying out different things and seeing what works best for you and then sticking with what’s worked best for you and the consistency there is what’s most important.

How do you prevent burnout in the job search?

I’m also an advocate of time blocking your calendar, whether that is to go on a walk, walk your dog, go outside, just take a 20-minute lunch, whatever it may be because I think it’s so important if you put it in your calendar, it feels like a meeting and you’re in that meeting and you remember versus just trying to remember during a busy work day. So, I love that. And I also think you said trying out new things, see what works and doubling down, that’s the best way to find out what works for your schedule. And I love the last thing, recharge weeks, those four weeks for Coinbase sound incredible and I’m sure you come back feeling refreshed and just ready to hit the ground running.

As a job seeker and a lot of our audience is either in between jobs or they’re at one job trying to go to the next one, or maybe they’re graduating from school and trying to get that first big full-time job, burnout really is I think inevitable in the job search and it’s really, really stressful and it deals not only physically, but there’s a lot of mental stress. How do you prevent burnout in the job search?

Linda: I would say to not let a rejection hinder your kind of progress and not let it get you down because you should take each one of those experiences as a learning and take whatever takeaways you have from that and continue to apply it. I think it is a really competitive market right now, so sometimes it can really just come down to you and one other candidate and they may just have like one other bit of experience that you don’t have. So, I always tell candidates like sometimes it’s nothing particular that you did or didn’t do. It’s just this other candidate was slightly better in this area, if that makes sense. So, I think the other piece too is just remembering like looking for a job can feel like a full-time job and it’s because it takes a lot of time and you really have to stick with it and make sure that I think being really thoughtful and intentional about the types of companies that you are approaching and trying to go after and that they’re really fit for your career goals, what you want culturally in a company and what your experience lends itself to.

What has the rollercoaster been like working at Coinbase?

I think those are such good tips to try to avoid burnout, especially during the really stressful times of job search. I think one of my jobs, my goals as the host of the Final Round podcast is to instead of have a brick wall behind a company to open up the curtain and almost have a Glassdoor, I know we’re using the Glassdoor analogy from the company Glassdoor, and to really learn what life is like behind the scenes from a cultural perspective, talent perspective and even recruiting perspective. So, let’s kind of shift gears and talk about Coinbase. I think everyone can agree with me, I think yourself included Linda, that Coinbase has been in the news a lot in the last few years from going public with their IPO at an initial market cap of $85 billion last year to launching a viral Super Bowl ad that basically I think they said that they won the Super Bowl this year which was hilarious to being named the 2021 Company of the Year by Inc. Magazine and to now becoming the largest crypto exchange in the United States, which all of those are just mind boggling. I have to ask what has the rollercoaster been like working at Coinbase?

Linda: It’s been amazing thus far. Honestly, I love the stage of growth that we’re in and there’s still so much excitement to come for us in the industry as a whole. And I’m surrounded by really smart, talented people and that drives me to be my best, which is important. And I think our cultural tenet around bringing top talent into every seat was something that was really impactful for me coming in as a recruiter because I can have a direct impact on that with the talent that I bring into the company.

I’m sure it’s been a rollercoaster, a rocket ship, whatever you want to call it but it’s crazy really how much they’re doing. I know they’re also launching an NFT Marketplace soon, which I think the CEO and Founder Brian Armstrong said that it could literally be bigger than the exchange side of Coinbase right now, which is so exciting from an employee standpoint. I want to dive a little bit deeper into this viral Super Bowl commercial from Coinbase. And if our audience hasn’t seen it or I’m sure you’ve seen it multiple times already, it was so simple yet so creative. And just to share with our audience, that ad included a QR code that would bounce and float around the screen in front of a plain background with video game music and there was an opportunity to get $15 in free crypto and then also a chance to win millions in crypto. I think people love this and it resonated with them because it was so simple and obviously, did not cost that much to make versus the other Super Bowl ads, but it was so effective and it was just a way to stand out. And on the topic of standing out, how could our audience take the same theme and stand out in their recruitment journey?

Linda: I think the best way a candidate can really stand out from the crowd is showing up really authentically and having a really compelling and personal reason as to why they’re attracted to that particular company and that particular role. I think people who are really aligned with the company mission and vision is something that really sets them apart.

How do you build that authentic story, that narrative and really tailor it to the company? Are there any best tips for our audience there?

Linda: Yeah, I would say do your research, go on the company’s website, blog, look on LinkedIn at other people that work there and what their stories are and where they came from and then go on Glassdoor, read reviews, all of the above.

How can you learn more about Crypto and open jobs?

I think these are such great tips. Again, we go back to Glassdoor. Glassdoor is an amazing resource to find things like interview questions as well as just real authentic reviews and like you said, doing the research. Obviously, if the audience can’t tell her, if you can tell Linda we did a lot of research for this interview, trying to tailor our questions and making sure that it’s relevant questions asking you about your personal life, your background experiences and your time at Coinbase. And I think when you do the research, it’s very obvious from the other side and if you don’t, it’s also very obvious. So, making sure that you show up prepared, asking the right questions and then tailoring what you know to the company and your story. So, talking about talent for a second in the overall crypto landscape. I feel like most crypto companies focus on recruiting engineering roles since you rarely hear about open roles on the non-technical or business side. However, I reviewed the Careers page on Coinbase’s website and man, was I mistaken because Coinbase, and I think if these stats were correct from last week, there are 30 different teams hiring at Coinbase with over 400 open roles. So, if you’re a candidate, I feel like this could be a little bit overwhelming. Where do you even start when you’re looking at opportunities at a company like Coinbase?

Linda: Yeah, I think going to our Career site and starting to filter by the functional department that your experience applies to would be a first, and then from there geographically filtering is like the easiest starting place and because we are a remote first company now. Like if you’re based in the United States and you look and see that there’s a United States role that you’re interested in, you can be based anywhere, which is really great. It really kind of unlocked the potential for us to hire so much more talent given that change. I think the other piece too is really spending time to review the job description and the job requirements and make sure that you do have the right experience and transferable skills before applying to it. I think oftentimes, there are job seekers that are banging out their resume to a lot of different jobs but not really taking the time to read the job description and what the scope of the role is and what the experience is that was required and that’s something that I think people don’t realize like we, as recruiters see on our end and the Applicant Tracking System as well.

Let’s say we have someone from our audience, it’s a job seeker and a candidate and their name is Emily and Emily is super interested in crypto. They want to break in and work at a fantastic company like Coinbase. They go to the Careers page like you said, they work on filtering, they go by location, they go by team function, work experience, etc., but they find a few roles that could be a really good fit. Do they put all their eggs in one basket and apply to just one role? Or is it okay, and I’d love to hear from your perspective as a recruiter, to see one candidate, let’s say Emily apply to multiple roles at the same company?

Linda: Yeah, I think it’s fine for them to apply to multiple roles at the same company, similar to what I was saying, as long as their experience applies and they have a compelling reason as to why they’re interested in more than one role and they can speak to that in the interview process and they’re really transparent about their interest in more than one opportunity. I think sometimes it can confuse hiring managers if a candidate applies to multiple roles and is trying to interview for multiple teams and roles in tandem without an explanation as to why. So, I think as long as they address it then it doesn’t make the hiring manager question their commitment to that particular role on their team, if that makes sense.

How do you break into Crypto?

No, that makes complete sense. I think going back to what you said about an authentic story and tailoring into the company, making sure that the roles that you’re applying to and even if it’s multiple, all kind of fit into your story. I think the next question I’d love to ask you, Linda, and I think this is the million-dollar question for this episode today, how does one break into crypto?

Linda: Yeah, I think there’s so many new crypto startups popping up every day that there’s a lot of opportunity now. The term “break into crypto,” I think is funny because most people coming in don’t have crypto experience. They have transferable functional experience. Like me, for example, I started with no prior crypto experience, but my recruiting experience is translated to this world. So, I think a lot of people get hung up on, “Oh, well, I don’t have crypto experience.” Well, if you have the functional experience that we’re looking for and the job description doesn’t specifically call out the need for crypto experience, then I would encourage you to try and apply.

I think that’s so refreshing what you just said. And I think that’s going to be the theme of this episode that you said, most people breaking into crypto don’t have prior crypto experience and that’s also similar across other industries. So, don’t think that you have to come in with 20 years of crypto experience because A, it hasn’t even been around that long. It’s such a new industry. But even if it’s another industry that’s been around for a while, just make sure that you can focus on those transferable skills, like you said, and it’s easier to break in with your story.

Linda: Yeah, absolutely! I think to your point, crypto is still so novel that I think this is the time to really break in and get the experience right, and you’ll get in the weeds and learn so much once you are part of one of those companies. So, I think making the case for why your experience translates and why you’re interested in that particular company and in the space will take you really far.

And if you’re interested in the world of crypto, maybe you’ve invested in some Ethereum, in some Bitcoin, Solano, whatever, maybe you’re interested in this NFT boom, you hear about Coinbase’s viral Super Bowl ad, you see these startups, where would be the best place to start? Is there a certain platform or a certain type of resource or tool that you can use to just have a good holistic understanding before focusing on a few target companies?

Linda: Yeah, good question. I don’t know if there’s one particular platform. I would say going on LinkedIn and seeing if you have any mutual connections in this space and reaching out to them to pick their brain about their experience working at whichever company that is and asking them if they would be willing to refer you. If it is a company that has a role that’s of interest to you is definitely a good place to start. Also, there’s so many different ways right now to kind of learn about crypto online and maybe getting involved on those different platforms and just reading and researching. I just recently started going on Discord and reading different things on there, and it was something I didn’t even know existed 6 months ago. So, there’s so much I think opportunity for people to learn in this space right now.

I also think that one of the things that separates the crypto world or industry from other industries is it’s so collaborative and it is so community based. So, build out your Discord, your Twitter and I think those are kind of where the crypto communities live. And then I think people are very open to helping others and that’s where you can find out kind of what’s going on in the different parts of the larger crypto industry.

Linda: Yeah, absolutely.

Recruiting for Coinbase

I’ll be honest with you, Linda, I’ve learned a lot and I stay up to date with my crypto news with a newsletter that I’m sure you’ve heard of called Coinbase Bytes. And that’s actually a newsletter made from Coinbase and it’s free and it’s sent to your inbox, and you basically get this week’s biggest crypto news. That’s how I stay up to date. And I’d like to ask a fun question. If you were to make a newsletter called Linda’s Bytes where you share secret career tips with the general audience, what are some things you look for in candidates recruiting for jobs at Coinbase? And what overall advice can you give them?

Linda: I would say take the time to research and be able to speak to what in particular about the culture and the mission resonates with you and then taking it a step further, research the teams and their backgrounds and where they came from and be able to speak to why you feel like your background and experience would translate. I think that preparation piece is key and really does set someone apart from just “I want to get into crypto” versus like “I am particularly interested in X company for these reasons.”

Let’s say that that first launch of the Linda’s Bytes newsletter just hits and it becomes so, so, so successful and there’s newsletter 2 for that second week, and that second newsletter is focused on answering the why Coinbase or why are you interested in crypto interview questions. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that if you go into that interview and just say, “Oh, I’ve heard of Bitcoin. I’ve invested in some random crypto currency, and I’m interested.” I feel like that’s not enough because it’s very common, very similar to how we had a Spotify recruiter on a couple episodes ago. even a Netflix recruiter from some past episodes and we were talking about how to answer the why Spotify or why Netflix question. And since there are so many users and it’s a consumer facing brand, you can’t just say, “Oh, I love binging Netflix shows.” It’s not enough. So, how would you recommend a candidate to answer why Coinbase or why crypto question?

Linda: Yeah. I mean, with Coinbase, I would say there’s a variety of reasons why someone might be attracted to us in particular. But I think being able to speak to that and what personally attracted you whether it’s our position in this space as a leader or our mission or our culture, I think there’s a lot out there on our blog that people can research to learn about us and being able to speak to, “Oh, I read this on your blog and X really stood out to me and is something I’m excited about,” is something that makes a big difference for candidates.

Or even subscribing to Coinbase Bytes and even pulling out a certain news story from that and again, showing that you did your research and that you know about the company.

Linda: Absolutely, yeah. I think familiarizing yourself with our different products and being able to speak to that is huge.

How is talent shifting from tech to Crypto?

On the topic of newsletter, I know we said Coinbase Bytes. We had the fun example of Linda’s Bytes. The Final Round has actually come up and launched their own newsletter called the Knockout Newsletter where we share highlight content for my interviews like this one with Linda from Coinbase. We share highlight internships and jobs. We have kind of what’s buzzing around the business world with recruiting careers, job search. We have knockout stories, etc. So, for our audience listening, if you haven’t checked it out yet, I’ll drop a link in the show notes below to subscribe for free to the Knockout Newsletter and it’s a great way to kind of hear more bites essentially from interviews like this with wonderful guests like Linda.

I want to shift for a second, staying in the crypto world, but talking about talent and talent strategy and I understand that crypto is growing at an alarming rate. I mean, every day it’s moving. I think there was something out there that said that crypto is an industry that moves a couple of times faster than any other industry because it’s so new and there’s so much going on and you can blink and then the next big thing is happening in crypto. And I understand that talent is really challenging to acquire and retain as a recruiter for any company in crypto. So, what is going on from a talent perspective in the world of crypto?

Linda: Yeah, I think similar to what we were talking about earlier because it is still so novel in so many ways, there’s not as much crypto experience talent out there as there are crypto jobs today, most likely. So, I think again, it comes back to you don’t necessarily need to have crypto experience for every job at crypto companies and you have to start somewhere. So, putting yourself out there and researching different companies and looking at what the job description says is a must-have versus a nice-to-have and seeing where your experience fits in is the best approach.

So, is there a very well-known pipeline of where most of this talent that’s going into crypto is coming from and I’ll give you the example, I feel like consulting, banking, finance, very common industries and they mainly focus on business schools at different universities across the world. Where is this talent coming from?

Linda: Yeah, good question. I think it’s very different depending upon the department and the team for us, at least, we hire a lot from traditional financial services but also from tech and also from other crypto companies and also from consulting and other things in between. So, again, I think lot of times it’s more important for them to have the specific functional expertise that translates rather than the industry given where we are right now

To add one interesting data point I think from this specific question, I read in a recent report from the New York Times that it said the rate at which the crypto industry is poaching talent from tech giants has left even Google’s CEO worried and is forcing companies to offer additional incentives to employees to stop them from quitting because I think a lot of people agree with the fact that this is not get rich faster, but rather once in a lifetime or once in a generation opportunity as this new industry is booming. Have you seen a lot of people from kind of Silicon Valley and the larger tech companies come and go to Coinbase?

Linda: Yeah, we have and I agree with everything you just said. I think that people that kind of see the writing on the wall as far as the potential future that crypto holds is what makes this industry attractive. And I think also people that are attracted to the innovation and the pace of growth that we’re in are the types of folks that I think are leaving sort of larger tech giants and coming to us because we’re kind of at that stage where we’ve already gone public but we’re really just getting started in so many ways, which is exciting.

How can you learn more about Crypto?

I think crypto is a subject that majority of people have heard about, but they don’t know too much about it. I think once you learn, it’s called kind of the crypto rabbit hole where you learn about one thing and you just dive, dive deeper, deeper, you join different Discord groups, whatever it may be, a different twitter threads and you become obsessed, you start investing and you really, really dive in. But for some of our audience who might be not as aware of what’s going on in the crypto world, where is the best place to start and learn about what’s going on in crypto?

Linda: For me, I really got started on Coinbase’s site. There’s a lot of information on there to get started and we even have a product called Coinbase Earn where if you have a Coinbase account, you can go through these learning modules and earn free crypto by learning about different crypto tokens, which is really cool. And also, just our blog and our website have a plethora of information but there’s also like you mentioned Discord, Twitter, different newsletters you can subscribe to. Like you said, you can go an inch deep and then realize like that’s just the beginning which is exciting because there’s so much to learn.

Once you learn everything today, you realize tomorrow comes around and something has completely shifted in changes and it’s moving so rapidly. But I think like you said, the campaign Coinbase Earn and they have so much marketing and advertising especially I’ve seen a ton across different YouTube videos and you basically get paid to learn about crypto and you get to earn free crypto. And I’d love to ask kind of finishing up the topic on crypto and Coinbase. How do you as a recruiter who finds talent to fill these crypto roles, how do you envision the future of crypto and what’s going to go on in the overall industry as well as where talent is going to shift in the next few years?

Linda: This is a hard one to answer because I think no one can really predict it, but I think that given there is so much excitement and growth right now in this space that it’s a really great time for people to get into crypto. And similar to what you were saying that the rate of change and growth in our space is what did you say? 2X, I didn’t even know that, but I think that that’s just all the more reason why now is the time to jump on board and start to learn and get involved.

I think very similar to how people bet on different tokens, different cryptocurrencies for its future potential, what are some things that our audience can do to have a higher perceived value and to get people to bet on them?

Linda: I would say that the people that share really good specific examples in an interview in response to the questions that are asked of them and also making sure that they’re able to tell that story about how their experience translates. And lastly, passion goes a really long way. So, I think that can really set people apart.

Do you own any Crypto or NFTs?

And I think also it’s the community side as well, right? Especially like if you talk about any NFT project and why people bet on one project versus another one, it’s the marketing, the perceived value, the community, how well they’re branding themselves. And yes, we’re talking about an asset, but candidates are also assets to companies. But if you don’t become visible, we’re never going to find you. You could be the most talented person in the world, but if you don’t have an optimized resume, if you’re not on LinkedIn, you don’t build out a profile, no one’s going to find you. So, I love what you said about really having people bet on you and take a chance on you and sometimes you’re one yes from that first opportunity and people are looking at your potential but you have to market, you have to build your personal brand, like you said. So, such great tips there. And more of a fun question Linda, do you own any crypto or NFTs?

Linda: I do own some crypto and I actually get part of my paycheck paid in crypto through Coinbase, which is really cool.

I did not know that. Can you share what specific Cryptocurrency you’ve invested in?

Linda: So, if you go on the Coinbase app, you can set up direct deposit through the app if you have an account so your employer can also pay you direct deposit in whichever Coinbase crypto token you choose from the options. For me, I’ve been like more mainstream with the ones that I choose like Bitcoin and Ethereum but there’s a lot of different options on there.

The Final Question

That is so cool. Again, we did so much research for this episode. I did not know personally that you can get paid a portion of your paycheck in crypto, which again goes true to the mission of trying to be bullish on the industry and really dive into this whole new asset class. So, that’s so, so cool. Thank you for sharing. And Linda, as much fun as this episode has been, unfortunately, we only have time for one more question. I want to be obviously mindful of your time on a Sunday as we’re recording this. So, one final question that we ask every single guest on the show, what is the best piece of advice that you can give to our audience to help them get past the final round interview and land their dream job?

Linda: Yeah. So, first of all props to that person for making it to the final round. That’s awesome in and of itself for folks. And I think sometimes it’s really hard for hiring teams to decide and it may come down to just one thing that set that other candidate apart. So, candidates that are really transparent about their motivations, what’s important to them and what particularly about this company and this opportunity stands out to them and it’s important to be able to really clearly tell that. And also, building rapport with your interviewers and really showing up authentically and as a human and letting your personality shine through. Like we talked about earlier, this is a really competitive market, so anything you can do in that regard to set yourself apart and make yourself stand out.

Super quick follow up. You said building rapport with the interviewers, how do you most effectively?

Linda: Yeah, I think making sure that you’re asking them questions as well and that you may be spent the time researching their background prior to getting on the call, and if there’s any like particular thing that you have in common, calling that out or asking them questions about their journey and how they got to where they are, are ways you can build rapport.

I always say that interviewing is very similar to dating, but if you go in there blindly it’s a blind date for you. But the interviewer knows everything about you, right? So, you want to go in and making sure you know just as much about the interviewer in the company as they do about you and your background. So, Linda, without further ado, thank you so much again for being on the show. It was an absolute blast and for our audience, I think everyone appreciated including myself the deep dive into the crypto industry. So, thank you so much again.

Linda: Yeah, thank you for having me.

Outro

As Linda mentioned, there are hundreds of positions available at crypto based companies like Coinbase waiting to be filled. Are you going to shoot your shot at working in the crypto industry? If you need more tips and tricks from recruiters to help you land roles in industries like crypto, be sure to subscribe for free to our brand-new newsletter at knockoutnewsletter.com. I also added the link in the show notes below.

And guess what? Spotify recently introduced podcast reviews. So, if you enjoyed this episode, we would greatly appreciate it if you could rate the show on Spotify or even Apple podcast. Until the next episode of the Final Round, keep fighting and I will see you in the ring.

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Ep. 26: Coinbase (ex-Glassdoor & Slack): Principal Recruiter, Linda Schubert