Next Level Career Fair Targeting with Zed Kahale
Zed Kahale was hired within three weeks of attending last year’s Venture Out Career Fest.
“After having worked in Dubai for years, feeling comfortable at work meant everything to me,” Zed says. “I’d been actively looking to get into tech for a long time, and I knew that face time was my best strategy rather than sending CVs.”
Zed, now a strategic account manager at Sensibill, has a unique background. While most of his career is comprised of customer-facing roles, he received his MBA from the University of Oxford and has spent time in a wide variety of industries, including media, nonprofit health, and consumer goods. He knew that in-person storytelling would be a key component to landing a position in tech.
“I wasn’t necessarily looking for a startup, but I did want to meet industry players,” Zed says. “Going to networking events would give me an understanding of what recruiters were looking for and give me a chance to communicate my own value, too.”
A Career Fair Wish List: What Worked and How Zed Was Hired
“When I attended the Venture Out Career Fest, I noticed it … felt different. Companies weren’t just there to represent their diversity and inclusion initiatives — they were really there to hire candidates, and they brought their best recruiters.”
When Zed visited Sensibill’s table, he engaged in a meaningful conversation with recruiters — which led to a coffee chat booked with their COO for the following week. Before Zed knew it, he was hired.
“It was one of the best hiring experiences I’ve ever had,” he says. “The whole process felt so seamless and organic, and I’m so happy with where I’ve ended up.”
Here are some tips from Zed about how to make the most out of the Venture Out Career Fest.
1. Make a hit list.
“I did my research before the event, and I chose six companies that looked like a good fit for me. I didn’t want to talk to everyone, because I didn’t want to burn out. I felt a targeted approach would be much more productive.”
While Zed ended up at Sensibill because of the way they jumped on scheduling an intro meeting, he walked away with three solid leads based on longer, more meaningful conversations with fewer recruiters.
2. Do some research about company hiring practices.
“I want to be comfortable where I’m working. Hiring practices that honour diversity is something you can see during the interview process. At Sensibill, I noticed a diverse set of people interviewing me — in gender, race, background, and age.”
3. Read company value statements — or ask about them when you’re talking to recruiters.
“Not everyone did this, but some companies displayed their core values on their table. It was so helpful for me to see their values up front, so that as a candidate I could find the best match to my own core values.”
Zed is now excited to be part of a growing company. “When I joined last year, we were just over 60 people,” Zed says, “and now we’re at 90. We’ve just secured our Series B financing for $40 million, and it’s so exciting to be part of something successful.”
Sensibill is still actively growing and hiring — look for them at the next Career Fest on January 29.
Want to be part of the LGBTQ+ tech community? Attend the Venture Out conference on March 19–20 at MaRS Discovery District.
