Hired, Not Fired

Guest: Cici Lyne, Early Careers Talent Acquisition Consultant, PTC Ever wondered how to break into the tech industry—or how to get noticed as an entry-level candidate when you’re facing thousands of competitors? This week, Dr. Deb Samuels-Peretz sits down with Cici Lyne, who not only recruits early-career talent for global tech company PTC but is also a proud member of Gen Z herself. Cici pulls ba...

Guest: Elizabeth Diley, Director of Emerging Talent and Careers at Medtronic Elizabeth Diley is back for part two of our conversation! As Director of Emerging Talent and Careers at Medtronic—the world’s largest medical device company—Elizabeth is on the frontlines of what it takes to land an entry-level job or internship at a top organization. Curious about what makes a candidate stand out among t...

Guest: Elizabeth Diley, Director of Emerging Talent & Careers, Global Talent Acquisition at Medtronic Ever wonder what it takes to get noticed—and get hired—by a game-changing company like Medtronic? This week, Deb sits down with Elizabeth Diley, the director of Emerging Talent and Careers at the world’s largest medical device company. With more than 17 years in talent acquisition, Elizabeth o...

Guest: Matt Wisner, Walmart What’s it  really  like to land an internship, and a career, at one of the world’s largest employers? In this episode, Matt Wisner from Walmart lifts the curtain on early career opportunities for Gen Z and shares how Walmart’s skills-first hiring is changing the game. Wondering what a “merchant” does, or what types of projects interns actually work on? Curious why Walma...

Guest: Matt Wisner, Senior Director of Strategic Talent Pipelines at Walmart Ever wondered what it’s really like to launch your career in retail, and what Walmart is looking for when hiring entry-level talent? In this episode, Deb Samuels-Peretz sits down with Matt Wisner, who brings over 20 years of experience in talent acquisition for giants like Walmart and Amazon. Matt offers an insider’s take...

Guest: Robbin Boyd, Senior Manager of Early Career Talent at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits What actually catches a recruiter’s eye beyond your resume? In this episode, Dr. Deb Samuels-Peretz sits down for part two with Robbin Boyd, a true champion for early career talent and DEI at Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits. Robbin has helped drive a 65% intern conversion rate at SGWS, so she kno...

Guest: Robbin Boyd, Senior Manager of Early Career Talent & DEI Champion at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits What  really  catches a hiring manager’s attention when you’re applying for your first job or internship? Robbin Boyd leads early career talent at Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits—the largest alcohol distributor in the U.S.—and she’s here to spill what makes Gen Z candidates get tha...

Guest: Dagny Belak, Program Manager of Internship Programs, Akamai Technologies Wondering what it takes to turn that internship into a full-time offer? In Part 2 of our conversation, Dagny Belak pulls back the curtain on Akamai’s global internship program and what makes it such a strong launchpad for early careers. This episode covers everything from how remote interns can still build genuine conn...

Guest: Dagny Belak, Emerging Talent Recruiter at Akamai What does it take to get noticed—and get hired—by one of America’s top workplaces for Gen Z? In this episode, Deb sits down with Dagny Belak from Akamai, the technology powerhouse behind global online security and cloud computing. Dagny shares an inside look at what makes Akamai’s culture stand out, plus the must-have skills that help early c...

Guest: Abbey Brewer, Early Career Hiring Leader at Alcon What does it take to truly stand out when landing your first job or internship? In Part 2 of our conversation with Abbey Brewer, who leads early career hiring at Alcon, we dig deeper into what makes Gen Z candidates shine—beyond just listing soft skills on a resume. ·      Discover small actions that make a lasting impression ·      Why tail...

Guest: Abbey Brewer, Manager of Onboarding & US Early Career at Alcon What does it really take to get noticed as a Gen Z candidate in today’s job market? Abbey Brewer, a dynamic talent leader at Alcon, joins Deb to reveal how one of the world’s leading eye care companies approaches early career hiring—and why your soft skills may matter even more than your technical chops. • What’s the “try to...

Guest : Emily Neuberger, Campus Talent Acquisition Specialist at Lockton Want a behind-the-scenes look at how internships really lead to job offers? Or maybe you’re looking to break into the world of commercial insurance? In this can't-miss Part 2 conversation, Emily Neuberger of Lockton dishes out what she’s watching for when recruiting interns and entry-level candidates, both at career fairs and...

Guest : Emily Neuberger, University Relations & Campus Recruiter at Lockton What’s it like to break into a stable, people-focused industry that most students don’t even consider? This week, host Deb sits down with Emily Neuberger, an expert campus recruiter at Lockton—the world’s largest privately held commercial insurance brokerage. Emily brings over a decade of experience in higher ed and ca...

Guest : Chelsea Vallilee, Talent Acquisition-Early Career Recruiter, Fastenal What actually gets your resume—and you—noticed by a recruiter? Chelsea Vallilee, Regional Recruiter at Fastenal, joins Deb to reveal what matters most when she’s considering entry-level candidates. Spoiler: it’s not just about hard skills or experience. In this lively first part of our conversation, Chelsea dishes on: •...

Guest : Chelsea Vallilee, Talent Acquisition-Early Career Recruiter, Fastenal Are AI-written resumes and cover letters a shortcut—or a setback? In this episode, Chelsea Vallee of Fastenal returns to share how Gen Z job seekers can use AI wisely without losing their own voice. Plus, she unpacks how to stand out if you don’t have much professional experience, why soft skill badges matter, and how ne...

In Part 2 of our interview, Stephanie Steele returns to share practical, real-world advice for Gen Z job seekers aiming to stand out—even if you’re short on experience. What’s Covered: How to ace behavioral interviews Tips for using AI in resumes and cover letters (without getting into trouble) Building your network from scratch—even if you don’t have industry connections Why ghosting recruiters c...

Guest: Stephanie Steele, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition Programs at Rapid7 Stephanie Steele knows what it takes to get hired. With years of experience recruiting early-career talent, she’s passionate about helping Gen Z candidates bridge the gap between school and the workforce. As Senior Manager at Rapid7—a global cybersecurity company—Stephanie has reviewed countless entry-level applicatio...

Guest: Chrissy Joseph, VP of People Strategy at BitSight Technologies Chrissy Joseph has over twenty years experience in recruiting and HR. In the last fifteen years, she has led efforts in building recruiting functions in numerous start up up tech companies in the Boston area. Chrissy is currently Vice President of People Strategy at BitSight Technologies. In This Episode: No experience? No probl...

Guest: Michael Brown, VP of Global Talent Attraction at Snyk Michael Brown, recently the Vice President of Global Talent Attraction at Snyk, is the founder of Door3 Talent, helping startups hire faster, smarter, and with less chaos using AI. Michael brings over twenty years of experience in talent acquisition with a decade in leadership roles. Since joining Snyk in April 2022, he's built a success...

Guest : Michael Brown, VP of Global Talent Attraction at Snyk Michael Brown, recently the Vice President of Global Talent Attraction at Snyk, is the founder of Door3 Talent, helping startups hire faster, smarter, and with less chaos using AI. Michael brings over twenty years of experience in talent acquisition with a decade in leadership roles. Since joining Snyk in April 2022, he's built a succes...

Guest: Chrissy Joseph, VP of People Strategy at BitSight Technologies What’s the real reason some Gen Z candidates land the job—and others don’t? In this episode, Chrissy Joseph pulls back the curtain on what hiring managers are really paying attention to in early-career interviews. From overlooked soft skills to subtle red flags that sabotage your chances, she shares exactly what separates the st...