Ratna | @jobwhisperer

Non-recycled tech & corporate job search advice for operations roles.

Get weekly-ish tips on interviews, resumes, networking, salary negotiation, and how to break through the noise in a crowded market. I’ve worked in product, GTM, strategy and ops roles at Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce, hired and developed high-performing teams, coached 100s of job seekers (without insider connections) into roles that changed their lives. The problem is that most career advice is outdated and comes from folks who’ve never hired, survived an 11-round interview loop, or worked in the roles you’re applying to. I write the advice I needed, but couldn’t find. 👉🏾 Not another boring newsletter. 2,000+ job seekers are already reading, so join our community. Subscribe now.

Man in gray shirt thinking with hand on chin

The question that almost cost me the interview

I was recently halfway through my interview rounds and got this curveball question that threw me off... 👋🏾 By the way, you probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 🙏🏾 Whether you're job searching, planning to start, or just want to stay on top of this wild job market, thank you for being here! 🆘 Back by popular demand: I’m offering standalone resume rewrites and LinkedIn revamps for a limited...

about 16 hours ago • 3 min read

A man with a backpack looking at a laptop

“You were great... but we went with someone else”

Today, I'm going to show you the four levels of an interview answer (and why most people never get past Level 1). 👋🏾 (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 🙏🏾 Whether you're job searching, planning to start, or just want to stay on top of job market trends, thank you for being here! 🆘 Back by popular demand: I’m offering standalone resume rewrites and LinkedIn revamps for a limited time....

about 2 months ago • 2 min read

man giving rose to another man

We've decided not to move forward with your application :(

Wondering what you said (or didn't say) to make the hiring manager pass on you? (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 👋🏾 Whether you're job searching, planning to start, or just want to stay on top of job market trends, thank you for being here! I recently interviewed 10 hiring managers and asked one simple question: "Why did you pass on candidates who were qualified?" Some answers made...

3 months ago • 2 min read

So your cold outreach messages keep getting ignored. Now what?

Here's part 2 of last week's “WTF happens to your job app after you hit submit?!” Today we'll cover the cold messages that cut through the noise — and the ones that flopped. (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 👋🏾 Thanks for tuning in. When I was hiring recently, my inbox turned into a full-on traffic jam: 500+ external applicants 100+ referrals 50+ internals And a huge wave of cold DMs...

4 months ago • 2 min read

a typewriter with a job application printed on it

Your resume wasn't rejected by AI. I just never saw it.

Back in your inbox with a behind-the-scenes look at what's really going on after you hit apply (part 2 coming next week). (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 👋🏾 Either way, I'm glad you're here. 500+ applications. 100+ cold DMs. 100+ referrals. Here's what I've learned from being in the hiring seat (because some of it surprised even me). This week, I’ve been reviewing resumes,...

4 months ago • 2 min read

an inflatable unicorn is sitting on the floor

You don't need to be a unicorn

Back in your inbox to help you unlearn another piece of job search advice that never should've gone mainstream. 😩 (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 👋🏾 Thank you for being here! If you’ve been spinning out trying to answer: 👉 “What's my zone of genius?” 👉 “What makes me different?” 👉 “Why would someone pick me over 100 other candidates?” You're stuck because: You’re overcomplicating...

5 months ago • 2 min read

Woman works on laptop while sitting on a couch.

You did everything right in that interview, so WTF happened?

Another week... another dose of job search advice they don’t teach you in school.💡 (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or maybe from social media. 👋🏾 Thanks for being here! Lately, I’ve been talking to a ton of hiring managers who’ve had to make tough calls between equally qualified candidates. The one thing that edges out the best from the best? Their ability to clearly articulate relevant business impact in...

5 months ago • 1 min read

a man sitting on a couch talking to a woman

Tell me about yourself… No, not like that :(

Back again with job search advice that actually works. (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or from social media. 👋🏾 Hiring Manager: "So... tell me about yourself!" My brain: Summarize my entire career history in 2 seconds. Be memorable, but not weird. Sound human, but not sloppy. Love this for me. When you get this question, the interviewer is handing you the mic and letting you set the tone for the entire...

6 months ago • 2 min read

A couple enjoys a dinner date at a restaurant.

Stop asking, "What's the culture like?"

Welcome to another week of actually useful job search tips you won't find anywhere else. (You probably know me from one of my freebies (resume templates, interview prep, questions to ask your interviewer), or from social media. 👋🏾 You ever cringe at yourself mid-sentence? Like when your brain short-circuits and you accidentally say “Love you!” to your boss? And now you have to change your name, move cities, and start a new life? Yeah... also kinda how it feels when you realize you just asked...

6 months ago • 1 min read

a woman is reading a resume at a table

The resume tweak hiring managers actually notice

Ratna @jobwhisperer here! At some point you downloaded one of my job search freebies. Maybe it was my resume templates, maybe it was my interview prep guide, or maybe you just panic-clicked anything that felt like a lifeline out of the job search black hole. Either way, we haven’t really connected yet. And I'm changing that today. Whether you're on your 500th application, battling extreme interview anxiety (been there), or just keeping your options open (aka you’re one “Got a sec to chat?”...

6 months ago • 1 min read

Get weekly-ish tips on interviews, resumes, networking, salary negotiation, and how to break through the noise in a crowded market. I’ve worked in product, GTM, strategy and ops roles at Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce, hired and developed high-performing teams, coached 100s of job seekers (without insider connections) into roles that changed their lives. The problem is that most career advice is outdated and comes from folks who’ve never hired, survived an 11-round interview loop, or worked in the roles you’re applying to. I write the advice I needed, but couldn’t find. 👉🏾 Not another boring newsletter. 2,000+ job seekers are already reading, so join our community. Subscribe now.