🐋 It's the finals countdown!
You've been killing it. How to take advantage of this next season. Plus, early sales positions @Free Agency open NOW exclusive to our readers in NYC!
Congratulations to everyone who has finished their semester — and good luck to those still in their finals!
This week 💦
Tech News: what current layoffs and hiring freezes mean for you (and our new favorite TikTok account for tech industry advice and analysis) 🤔
Tips for Goals: set intentions and build a playbook to reach your summer goals 🏆
Tech News — Wave of tech layoffs 🌊 👀
Tech employees across the industry have suffered waves of layoffs as companies respond to post-pandemic shifts and the downturn in the market.
Cameo, whose popularity exploded during the pandemic, said goodbye to 87 employees in response to decreased demand. This layoff comes less than a year after the company hit vaulted unicorn status.
Meta shared that it’s slowing its hiring, Robinhood is trimming 9% of its workforce, and Uber’s CEO announced they were going to treat hiring “like a privilege.”
🤨
Cut to the chase: what it means for college students and new grads?
In short — don’t let it discourage you from your job search. Getting an entry-level job will be harder, but companies will still need to invest in their workforce over time. Talented entry-level employees (read: less expensive than senior counterparts) may even be more attractive to hiring managers on a budget.
We don’t know how long the market will continue to regress. Getting into a new role is best done sooner rather than later. Avoid possible increased difficulties, stop procrastinating on that resume, and get on those career sites.
Look for companies with:
Financial health — what $$$ they’ve raised and how recently (Crunchbase is a great source for this)
Flexibility — are they adjusting their product and services to continue to bring value to their customers despite market changes?
Hey — are you on TikTok? Check out Sherveen for more tech news + career insights!
It’s time to set summer goals 👏
Kill it at an internship or job
Begin a side project
Explore curiosities
Build a portfolio
Make new friends (a.k.a networking)
May, June, July, and August are months that are supercharged with potential. ⚡️
How are you going to take advantage of your time?
1. Be holistic — strive to develop as a whole person
Yes, we know you’re here because you want to break into the tech industry.
But, something we love about our community is our shared passion to grow in all areas of life and the recognition that work is a part of life — not life itself. 🍃
So begin goal setting by selecting 3-5 categories that will function as a framework — choose what works for your vision of a better life. This might include creative thinking, networking, leadership skills, spirit/soul, finances, and athletics.
Then create 2-4 specific, time-bound, measurable goals within each of them. Check out this chart for inspo:
Bonus: draw connections between them to create a synthesized overarching vision of success
(Meal prep helps my savings goals, working out keeps me energized and healthy to accomplish other goals, etc.)
2. Know what you don’t want to do
Woohoo, you’ve determined what you want to accomplish this summer!
Now, consider habits that pose a threat to them being accomplished. For many of us, it’s social media consumption and binge-watching…
Pinpoint anything that sucks away time and energy without producing value towards your goals — and work on cutting it down. That doesn't mean you need to stop doing what you enjoy, but that you should think about how any addictive loops are keeping you from being your best self.
Bonus: Recognize why you have formed this habit — what need does it attempt to satisfy? For example, watching YouTube videos could be used to artificially fill our social needs. Be strategic and find ways to satisfy these needs in healthier ways.
3. Understand the value
In our most-loved newsletter, Want to start a summer side project?, we broke down how side projects allow you to independently develop valuable skills and experiences.
This is especially relevant in light of the current uncertain hiring landscape — if you find yourself unable to secure an internship or job this summer, use the time to develop a portfolio or gain experiences that you will be able to leverage in the future.
As always, here’s the latest openings!
👨🎓New Grad
Sales Development Representative, Free Agency
Free Agency is a NYC-based startup that has raised over $15M from top VCs, including Maveron, Bloomberg Beta, and Resolute Ventures. Also on their cap table? Kevin Durant’s Thirty Five Ventures and Kygo’s Palm Tree Crew!
Free Agency is bringing Talent Agents to tech. Athletes like LeBron and Durant and entertainers like Zendaya have teams and agents that manage the “business side” of their careers, so why shouldn’t the rest of us?
They’re now looking to hire a number of early sales hires in New York City — and Tech Pod readers get first chance to apply.
Product Marketing Analyst, Jerry
Product Catalog Associate, Accenture
Product Marketing Associate, Poshmark
Marketing Coordinator, Starry, Inc.
Last Words
Remember that movie, Limitless, about the pill that allows you to use 100% of your mind’s power?
If you could take that IRL, what would you create? How would you spend your day?
What are some small steps you can take to nurture your mind’s ability to focus, think clearly, and follow things through?
🐋
Written by Jacqueline Mastrelli