Question 1

What advice would you give to someone who is actively developing themselves toward the goal of obtaining a C-suite position?

Accepted Answer

If you want to reach the C-suite, you need to start showing up like a leader
 now.
 So that means looking beyond your day-to-day tasks and really understanding the
 business
 as a whole, how it makes money, what challenges it's facing, and where it's
 trying to go next.
 Because when you can connect the work that you do with the company's long-term
 goals,
 you stop being just an employee and start becoming someone who thinks and
 operates like an executive.
 And it's that shift in mindset that often gets you noticed at that level,
 especially when applied consistently.
 So good luck.

Question 2

What's the worst career advice you ever received?

Accepted Answer

Years ago, one of the first companies that I worked for changed its business
 model, so for a financial reason, they decided to outsource the entire IT
 department had to be closed, I was part of the team, we had four amazing
 professionals.
 So I was, because I needed to leave the company and I was already investing my
 time in teaching, so I wanted to question why professional abilities that was
 painful, unexpected and so on.
 And my direct manager, who knew me well, immediately, just reminded me that you
 are capable and knew whose opinion matters.
 So I want to say the truth is, the heroes of our life appear in the hardest
 moments of our lives, new your weaknesses, honor your strengths and always stay
 close to the environment that are positive, ethical and supportive. Thank you.

Question 3

How canyou move past feeling stuck mid-career  because you don’t have a degree? I’m currently working in the field with almost 7 years of experience.

Accepted Answer

So you're not missing a degree.
 You just need a plan for translating your experience
 into skills that employers are asking for.
 So pick it up you job posts that you'd like,
 grab the top tools and skills that they repeat,
 and then mirror that language in your resume and LinkedIn.
 On top of that, add credibility to your bio
 such as a certification or even a short LinkedIn post
 that positions you as a thought leader in your field.
 You can even add a recommendation
 from a manager or a client,
 but you put all of that together
 and you have a personal value proposition
 that you can use across all mediums,
 whether it's your resume, your LinkedIn profile,
 or even in conversations.
 And this way, if the question about a degree comes up,
 just own it, say I don't have a degree,
 but what I do have is seven years of X, Y, and Z,
 And here's how I'll add value in the first quarter.
 You got this.

Question 4

How should I answer “Why should we hire you”?

Accepted Answer

Why should we hire you?
 Great question.
 I'd answer it two ways.
 One, make sure they know that you have a lot of passion
 and enthusiasm for the job opportunity.
 Secondly, take specific job requirements
 and make sure they align to your skills and experience
 and highlight why you are uniquely qualified
 to take on this role, this endeavor.
 Be enthusiastic, be passionate,
 and be uniquely qualified.
 That's why you should be hired.
 Thank you.
 [ Silence ]

Question 5

How do you answer “What’s your biggest weakness” in an interview?

Accepted Answer

So this question is really all about self awareness.
 Do we understand our limitations
 and how are we going to overcome them
 or how are we overcoming them actively?
 People generally tend to give a lot
 of cookie cutter and cliche responses to this question
 because we're trying to play it safe.
 But that's actually a missed opportunity
 and it's also going to have a negative consequence
 of appearing to dodge the question.
 So instead, we want to draw from our experiences
 and be able to give a really authentic answer.
 So in my case, I talked about how I had a very junior mindset
 going into a very senior role
 and because of which I would stack up my day
 with a whole lot of tactical work.
 And because of this, I was slowing down my dream tremendously.
 But once I was given the feedback,
 I talk about how I changed my mindset to work
 on the top two to three things
 and re-prioritize and focus my time
 on the things that the executive team really cared about,
 the things that mattered the most to customers.
 But because of this, I was able to show that I'm adaptable.
 I have that maturity to be able to groom myself
 into a more senior role and also be able to manage
 and prioritize my time effectively
 so that I can actually help my team move quickly
 and make decisions faster.

Question 6

Help mentees get to know you

Accepted Answer

Hi, my name is Vivek Sahai.
 I'm the CEO of Altire AI, a Seattle-based startup.
 We are fixing the $800 billion recruiting mess,
 turning 250 noisy applications
 and 42-day long hiring cycles
 into 5 to 10 perfect finalists
 in as short as 48 hours.
 The result is 60 to 80% cheaper, far less biased,
 and with better diversity and quality of hire.
 I built Altire after years leading talent teams
 and watching great companies bleed time
 and money on broken processes.
 Here on Upnotch,
 I am looking to connect with HRTech founders,
 B2B SaaS operators and investors
 who have scaled fast and know the real pain of hiring.
 If that's you, let's talk.
 Happy to swap notes or explore how we can help each other.
 other. And thanks for watching!

Question 7

What are the biggest mistakes people make when job hunting?

Accepted Answer

The biggest mistake I see people make in job hunting, specifically in the real
 estate industry,
 is chasing what's called splits.
 So in the real estate industry, you get paid a commission when you help buy or
 sell a home.
 Typically, what happens is you're required to hang your license at a brokerage,
 think
 remax, Keller Williams, Liv Sotheby's, these big companies, you can work at a
 boutique
 as well.
 And in order to take on the risk, the liability of carrying you and potentially
 writing a
 contract that may get them in trouble, they want to be compensated for that.
 There are splits as low as 50/50, meaning both you and the company take home 50
% of
 the commission to as high as 90/95% where you make 90/95% of the commission,
 your company
 takes 5 to 10% whatever it is.
 But the challenge is, how is that company going to help you get to your first
 deal?
 If they don't have a training program to get you to that first deal, 100% split
 of nothing
 is still nothing.
 Focus on making sure you're at a company that will get you to your forced deal
 on a training program.

Question 8

What is Mentor Clips?

Accepted Answer

Hi, I'm Tatia. I'm excited to introduce Mentor Clips, our newest feature on Up
notch.
 Here's how it works.
 Mentees can post a question to our entire mentor community.
 The mentors can respond with a short one minute mentor clips.
 What's great is that multiple mentors can answer the same questions.
 So mentees get a variety of perspectives and not just one point of view.
 It's fast, it's easy, and it brings mentorship to a life in a whole new way.
 Try it out, ask a question, share your insight, and help each other grow.
 [BLANK_AUDIO]

Question 9

What helps when imposter syndrome kicks in?

Accepted Answer

So, three things I want to share when it comes to Imposter Syndrome.
 First of all, it is absolutely normal, even CEOs go through it.
 It's part of growing.
 It's the growing pain that you get when you go from something completely
 familiar to
 you're going into uncharted territory and you don't feel like you belong.
 So it's just okay, it's part of that and it just means you're evolving and we
 want to
 start thinking about what value we're going to create versus what validation we
're going
 to get.
 Second piece is I've always found a tremendous amount of comfort in sharing
 this with people.
 Every time I share with someone, they come back and say, "Oh, yeah, me too.
 This happened to me as well."
 And then you start to feel like, "Oh, this is something that other people
 experience
 as well."
 The third thing that I would say is I actually have a jar of all my
 accomplishments, of
 my notable achievements, and these are notes that I have little strips.
 I actually open them up and read them every now and then.
 And it really reminds me that the data doesn't lie.
 I have achieved these things through growth and then I'm just in a new growing
 phase again.

Question 10

How do I bounce back after a layoff?

Accepted Answer

You stop taking it personal.
 You start taking control.
 A layup doesn't define your work.
 It's a business decision and not a reflection
 on your talent or potential.
 Let yourself feel it.
 But don't just get stuck there.
 Take a breath, get clear on what you really want next.
 Update your resume, reach out to people,
 take one small step today.
 The opportunity is in the disruption.
 Use it.
 You're not starting over.
 You're starting from experience.
 And don't forget to contact the mentor.