Leaving Google for a $495K Role (and no RTO)

You might be shocked to hear this:

But it wasn’t easy (even with Google on her resume). She was actually rejected after her first interview (and her second interview).

Like most MAANG folks, she found out pretty quickly that companies weren’t gonna hire her just bc she had a fancy logo on her LinkedIn profile. (The same way they won’t hire someone just bc they have fancy MBA, PMP, or XYZ letters after their name)

Because contrary to popular belief… having great logos on your resume is NOT enough to get a job in this market. Your resume doesn’t matter nearly as much as the words that come outta ya mouth in interviews (**I hope you read that in a Jersey accent**).

What Works in Big Companies Doesn’t Always Land in Smaller Ones

In large orgs, success often looks like:

• Leading scaled initiatives
• Cross-functional alignment
• Owning parts of a complex system
• Communicating with dozens of stakeholders

But in mid-size companies, interviewers are often looking for something different:

• Can you do more with less?
• Can you own an entire system?
• Can you roll up your sleeves and build?
• Can you tie your work to revenue, not just reach?

This meant she couldn’t just repeat her old resume bullets or interview stories.

She had to translate her experience.

Here’s What We Coached Her On:

 Highlight scrappy wins
Instead of leading GTM with 14 teams,
she talked about a new campaign strategy
with zero budget and it resulting in $X.

Emphasize ownership, not just alignment
She didn’t just “collaborate cross-functionally.”
She worked in the trenches.
She owned outcomes.

Translate impact to revenue, not just reach
Small teams love ROI.
She tied her work to actual numbers
aka new customers, win rates, and dollars
(real dollars in the bank today – not reach or engagement)

 Show how she solved problems with limited resources
One of her best interview answers
was about solving a messy problem
before her team had headcount to solve it.

Try This: 3 Tactical Prompts to Reframe Big Company Experience

If you’re at a large company now and exploring something smaller, try journaling on these prompts this week:

1. What’s something I’ve scrappily built, fixed, or improved?
2. Where have I taken ownership of something others were hesitant to touch?
3. What’s a business outcome I’ve improved (revenue, pipeline, retention, etc.) and how did I do it?

You don’t have to downplay your big company experience.

But you do have to translate it into language that matters in a leaner environment.

Leaving a big brand can feel risky.

But sometimes, it’s how you unlock the best version of yourself and show up as a better wife, husband, mom, dad, son, daughter, etc etc etc.

Hope this helps you (or a loved one).

Cheers!

Katie

P.S. In case you missed our last workshop… At the time I’m writing this, we now have 1 of our 3 coaching spots left: Click here if you’d like to apply for 1-on-1 coaching