Scouted’s Virtual Interview: Tell Your Story Your Way

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

4 min read • Originally published January 15, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

4 min read • Originally published January 15, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

Here at Scouted, we’ve always believed that you’re more than your resume. And that foundational value has driven how we’ve built our entire company, platform, and product. That’s why we give you the opportunity to complete a Virtual Interview as part of your holistic profile, to help you show off your talents, personality, and potential.

We’re all about empowering you to tell your story, your way.

At the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone else. That’s why we give you the option to complete your virtual interview, only if you want to. It’ll unlock ALL of our jobs, and, more importantly, it also significantly increases your chances of landing an interview with our partner companies.

Below, we’ve detailed a few key benefits of completing the Scouted Virtual Interview and why it will help you land that awesome job…

Unlock all jobs at Scouted

The first benefit of completing your Scouted Virtual Interview is pretty obvious – it unlocks all jobs on Scouted! While many of our partner companies allow candidates to apply to roles without a Scouted Virtual Interview, several of our high-profile partner companies require it – they find the Virtual Interview extremely valuable in getting to know the candidates on their rosters. Many hiring managers also use the Scouted Virtual Interview to replace their initial phone screen, so it can also expedite your interview process!

Increases your chances of being selected for an interview for any/all jobs

Candidates on Scouted who complete their virtual interview are 58% more likely to be selected for an interview with our partner companies. Like we mentioned above, our partner companies value the Scouted Virtual Interview as a way to get to know candidates on a deeper level. It helps hiring managers make better decisions by providing more information beyond a resume by enabling them to virtually meet you (at their convenience).

Say a startup is looking to hire an operations manager and you’ve been in Financial Services your whole life but are looking to break into the startup world. From your Scouted Virtual Interview, a hiring manager has a chance to get a sense of your interpersonal skills, process orientation, as well as your grit. They can get insight into why you want to change careers and how your previous experience is transferable and relevant to other industries and functions.

Lets you control your narrative

As a candidate, your first goal is to get yourself to the interview stage with your top companies, and your main tool to do that is your resume. Most companies get inundated with applicants, and the average hiring manager spends roughly 6 seconds(!!) on each resume. If you’re worried about hiring managers making the wrong assumptions from your resume and/or overlooking your individual talents and story, your Scouted Virtual Interview provides a way around that.

Our unique five-question Virtual Interview is intentional and thoughtful: Our questions probe for grit, tenacity, interpersonal skills, and other key factors of potential success – factors that don’t always come across on a resume. We see way too much talent get overlooked for opportunities because they didn’t attend the *right* school or didn’t have the *right* former title and we realized how much both candidates and companies were missing out. We want you to be in control of the story you tell, and your Scouted Virtual Interview empowers you to do that.

My career path makes sense, but I want to stand out

Even if you’re not worried about the story your resume tells because, to be honest, your career progression makes perfect sense – it’s linear, logical, and impressive – your scouted virtual interview can be what sets you apart from the rest.

It puts a face to a name and a story that goes beyond a piece of paper. It helps you add an additional dimension to a standard job application by humanizing you and bringing your story to life.

The choice is yours

Here at Scouted, we’re all about empowering you to tell your story, your way. If you feel like you can do that without completing your Virtual Interview, we get it! Just look for the Scouted job postings without the video logo. We value you as a candidate – and we respect that you’ve opted to not complete the Scouted Virtual Interview.

Like I said before, at the end of the day, you know yourself better than anyone! We’re just here to help guide you in your job search. We’re excited to offer job opportunities to even more candidates than before – and we’re equally committed to supporting you along your career journey in whatever way we can.

Whether you are changing careers or simply wanting to add another dimension to the standard job application – the Scouted virtual interview lets you control your narrative and, it helps us tell your story the way you want it to be told.

Happy applying!

Cheers

Jax

#hirepeoplenotresumes

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Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Climb the Ladder

How to Nail a Video Interview

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

5 min read • Originally published January 22, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

5 min read • Originally published January 22, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

Here’s the obvious: COVID-19 is changing the way a lot of businesses are functioning.

That being said, many companies are finding new ways to adapt their old processes to continue functioning, even when working remotely.

We’re seeing many companies transition to interviewing candidates over video conferencing and even creating processes to onboard new employees remotely without ever having met them in person.

Even before the COVID-19 crisis, companies were trending toward video or virtual interviews and one could potentially argue that even after it’s safe to return to our offices, that video interviews will continue to be increasingly utilized.

So, how are you currently feeling about your video interview skills? Does the extra experience with Facetime or Instagram stories make you a pro? Or are you nervous about not being able to get a holistic feel for the company or read social cues as in a traditional interview?

Wherever you find yourself on the preparedness spectrum, we want to share our tips for having a great video interview.

Test your equipment

The day before your interview, you’re going to want to test your ability to connect online. That’ll give you plenty of time to work out the kinks, should you find any. If you can, try to set up a practice call using the same or similar software that you’ll use for the interview (Google Meet, Skype, Zoom, etc). If that means calling your mom or your roommate 5 feet away, so be it. Better safe than showing up 10 minutes late to an interview you get to do from home.

Pick a quiet room

Ideally, you should have an entire room to yourself for the interview. Try to pick a place that’s tidy and well-lit and also free from distractions. While hiring managers will be able to understand (especially during quarantine) that some background noise is to be expected, try your best to keep the outside noise to a minimum. It’ll allow you to concentrate on your answers and hiring managers to focus on you.

Dress appropriately

We probably don’t even need to tell you this… but interviewing from home doesn’t mean you get to wear the same clothes you ate your breakfast cereal in. To play it safe, just wear what you would plan to wear to an in-house interview. Hiring managers may be less tuned in to your outfit choice during quarantine, but to play it on the safe side, be sure to pick an outfit that’s professional, non-distracting (ie. avoid bright colors or patterns – better to let your personality do the talking), and neat/free of wrinkles.

Pro tip: we recently discovered that if you want a slightly more “polished” look during your Zoom call, simply go to settings” ➝ “video” ➝ “touch up my appearance” for a laptop, or on your phone go to “settings” ➝ ”meetings” ➝ “touch up my appearance.” We’ll be using this one for our next team meeting.

Have a copy of your resume handy

Just like you’d probably show up to an in-house interview with a copy of your resume, be sure to have a copy handy during your video interview as well. You don’t necessarily need to print out your resume (let’s save a tree, shall we?), having a PDF open on your computer to reference will work as well.

Keep your internet tabs and running programs to a minimum

There are two types of people in the world: the ones who hate having unused internet tabs open, and the ones who have no less than 7 tabs open at all times. Which are you?

In any case, you’re going to want to close out of unused tabs and computer programs just to make sure your video quality is the best it can be and your internet speed isn’t maxed out. It’s a simple tip, but it’s a little way to help your interview run smoothly without distraction.

Take notes

Just as in any interview, taking notes is a great idea to remember important information as well as show that you’re engaged and interested. While doing your interview through your computer, you can either take notes using a pen and paper or by opening a new Word or Google doc and typing a few notes as they come up. It’s also a good idea to jot down any questions you may have ahead of time on the same sheet.

Also read: Questions You Should Always Ask in a Job Interview (And Some to Avoid)

Don’t forget your personality

While this is important in any job interview, it’s even more important to remember during a remote interview. When we don’t get the chance to meet with a hiring manager in person, things like handshakes, gestures, and “active listening” body language can be lost.

During your interview, do your best to be engaging, smile, and look into the camera. While you don’t need to overdo it with hand gestures, simply remember to have good energy and show that you’re excited about your conversation with the interviewer.

13 Questions to Assess a Company’s Commitment to DEI

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

6 min read • Originally published February 1, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

6 min read • Originally published February 1, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

Let’s be candid here… If you ask a hiring manager (or any one of your interviewers) if a company has diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies or procedures in place, you’re likely to receive a legalistic, by the books “but of course!” response.

Yet, just because a company says something is true, doesn’t mean it is in practice. So, how do you find out about what a company’s culture is actually like?

Here are 13 questions (plus a few tactical must-do’s) you should bring to your next interview to probe on an organization’s dedication to providing an equitable and inclusive environment for its employees.

Start at the top.

1 | How diverse is the executive team?

Change and impact start at the top and trickles down; a representative c-suite is a visible indicator of whether or not a company prioritizes diversity (in all senses of the word).

This is a great place to start – and a question that you can probably answer through research on the company. Have a look at the executive team (the c-suite) – do you see people like yourself represented? If the team seems homogeneous, plan to ask your interviewers about what (if any) plans are in place or in motion to change the make-up of the executive team.

2 | What about the Board of Directors?

A company’s Board of Directors holds enormous power, and can change or challenge the c-suite/leadership decisions, remove leadership, and make critical decisions about the future of the business, so it’s imperative that the Board is diverse. This is especially important for a privately held company where there is little regulation or color into leadership decisions. Remember, the Board will want to do what is best for business, but not all business decisions impact employees equally – make sure that you see someone like yourself on the Board, too.

Ask about middle managers, VPs, and leadership opportunities

3 | What’s the makeup of the managerial team?

What does the current team look like? Are you joining a team of all men? All women? All engineers? All Ivy League grads? All white people? Diversity comes in all shapes and colors – ethnic, racial, socio-economic, sexual, geographical, political, religious, gender, intellectual diversity – so it’s important to probe on the makeup of the team.

Not to mention, managers and director-level employees are often on the front-lines of major decisions surrounding hiring, bonuses, layoffs, and firing.

4 | What leadership training programs do you offer?

Great, 40% of Associates are women of color! But what are you doing to advance these women within your company? Some firms do a great job of offering mentorship and training/education opportunities to help elevate and promote from within… ask about these initiatives – and who has access to these initiatives.

5 | What does the promotion and evaluation process look like and who is in charge of these decisions?

Now, we’re not telling you to ask for that promotion from day one. What we do encourage you to do is ask about how the company approaches annual/bi-annual evaluations and promotion decisions. It’s also important to ask who is involved in these decisions (is it a homogeneous committee?) and what data points are used to evaluate candidates (if there is not a process, that might be a red flag that schmoozing is overvalued, and things like hard work and ability undervalued).

Probe on programming and goal setting.

6 | How do you prioritize social events that all employees feel they can take part in?

Not all employees will feel at home at every event, and it’s important that teams consider this when planning company-wide or team-wide social activities. As we wrote about before, people with families might not have as flexible a schedule to attend evening events; people that don’t drink might be uncomfortable if every gathering centers around alcohol consumption. The fact of the matter is, if people are not participating in these key relationship-building events, they are not forging ahead in their careers simply from being left out.

7 | How do you foster an open, communicative environment for your employees?

This question probes at a company’s willingness to provide a safe and open space for all employees to voice their concerns. Your interviewer might not know the ins and outs of the company’s formal policy, but they should be able — and willing — to speak to their personal experience, and that is likely better than a formal “our policy says xyz.”

Another way to ask this question is: What are you doing to promote a culture in which individuals at all levels and of all backgrounds feel supported enough to speak up?

Ask about the HOW.

8 | How do you celebrate diversity of ideas and people?

This question is especially important for leadership and your potential immediate manager. Don’t be afraid to ask how they plan to elevate and promote the different opinions, background, and perspectives of their team and company.

9 | Do you have a DEI working group or breakout group to help foster greater change?

Not all companies are equally successful at fostering an inclusive culture, but all companies can (and should) continue to push for progress and do better for their employees.

If you are interviewing with a larger company, the HR lead, Head of People, or Chief Talent Officer might be able to offer color into the various breakout groups that the company offers employees who desire the space to connect with employees of diverse backgrounds and experiences and help leadership with long-term DEI vision and goals.

While that in itself does not mean that they value diversity, it is an indication of how they are prioritizing it.

10 | Who is in charge of the hiring process and how are they making sure that the pipeline of candidates is diverse?

In other words, are candidates from non-traditional or non-obvious backgrounds even seeing the job opportunity? A company’s recruiting team should have processes in place to bring in diverse candidates early on in the interview process.

11 | Did the company issue a statement of solidarity with Black Lives Matter?

If a company produced a statement around BLM, ask the people you are interviewing with about their follow through accordingly. As the adage goes, actions speak louder than words.

If the company chose not to produce a statement, ask why – and then ask what they are doing to work towards actionable change.

And, lastly, don’t forget to ask the tough questions.

12 | Where do you think the company needs to improve the most?

Don’t be afraid to ask your interviewer about what the company still needs to work on in terms of creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. If the company is actually putting in the work, employees will likely be more willing to be more open and honest with you about the state of things.

13 | What tangible goals does the organization have surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion? Who is responsible for making sure these goals are met?

Goal setting is a proven method to creating a more inclusive working environment. Understanding a company’s long-term vision within their DEI initiatives will help you better understand where they’re at right now, and what the work place might look like five years from now. Not every organization is starting from the same place, and tolerance for joining a company that may be at the early stages of their DEI journey is personal.

And a tactical few points to remember…

Ask to speak with a peer

The most helpful thing is likely talking to people who work at the company because talk is cheap, and leadership can say what they want, but it’s the folks on the ground who really experience a culture in action.

Pick 2 – 3 questions and ask to multiple people

Whenever you’re trying to understand something like core values of a company, it’s good practice to pick a few questions and ask those same two or three questions to every person that you meet during the interview process. Compare the answers: Is there consistency across the board, or are there conflicting perspectives?

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Climb the Ladder

5 Actionable Tips to Find Your First Job Faster

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

5 min read • Originally published June 3, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

5 min read • Originally published June 3, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

Searching for your first job is a rite of passage. Every year, millions of young people enter the job market for the first time and grapple with the uncertainty of figuring out their first career step.

The COVID-19 pandemic only adds another layer to the uncertainty faced by first-time job seekers. In 2020, we saw the weakest job market for recent graduates since 2008, with a 45% drop in hiring for this group over the course of last year.

Fortunately, things are looking up for the class of 2021. Many employers are ramping up hiring in recent months, and entry-level job postings are up significantly compared to this time last year. It’s still a highly competitive environment, but there are finally a growing number of opportunities.

So, how can you successfully navigate your first job search in this challenging market? Here are five tips to get started:

1. Target your applications

Writing a thoughtful, short cover letter as part of each application is a low-effort, high-impact strategy for standing out from the crowd. It seems simple, but you would be surprised how many people either don’t submit any personal message or send one that is long and generic.

Landing your first job is all about convincing the hiring manager that you are a great fit for the company and role, despite your lack of professional experience. This is where a short cover letter can go a long way.

Think critically about why you’re interested in the company, then determine how your skills and experiences apply to the job. If you can convey this succinctly in a short message, you will immediately set yourself apart from the majority of candidates who simply drop their resume and contact info. It also does not have to be an essay. In fact, often a punchy three to four-sentence note — with a few bullet points on why you’re a good fit and passionate — is the perfect way to sell yourself and advance to the interview stage.

2. Engage your network

As a recent graduate, you may think that your network is more limited than it actually is. Professors, career counselors, alumni, friends, and parents are all reasonable contacts that you can reach out to during your job search. It never hurts to ask for a virtual “coffee chat,” and you may find that more people than you expected are willing to help.

Some estimates suggest that up to 70% of all jobs are not published and 50% are filled through networking. The more time that you can devote to engaging and expanding your network, the more likely it is that you will position yourself to land one of these opportunities.

The goal of each conversation that you have should not be to ask for a job. Instead, treat the conversation as a way to collect information and make a connection that could be mutually beneficial down the road. Focus on telling your story, and learning about theirs, instead of getting an immediate payoff.

Over time, the benefits of networking compound. End every meeting, whether online or in person, with “Do you know anyone you think I should connect with?” You’ll run into many dead ends, but you’ll also be surprised at how quickly your network grows and new career opportunities arise.

3. Build a personal website

As a newcomer to the working world, your biggest weakness is your lack of professional experience. But just because you lack professional experience, does not mean that you don’t have any experience that is relevant to potential roles.

Creating a personal website is a great way to feature the experience that you do have and show off your personality to potential employers. Having this online presence helps establish credibility and gives you a place to easily post resume highlights, work samples, and other materials that hiring managers might be interested in.

A personal website may be more critical in some fields than others, such as journalism, graphic design, or other creative fields. Regardless, it shows initiative, maturity, and a level of seriousness that can quickly put you at the top of an employer’s short list.

If building a website from scratch seems daunting, there are a growing number of no-code tools that can help. For instance, with Notion, you can quickly build an online resume or personal site in less than a few hours. You can then share that site with employers via a public URL on Notion or your own domain.

4. Prepare to be flexible

When times are uncertain like they are now, the perfect job may not be immediately available. Remember, you’re not necessarily making the ultimate career decision with your first job. It’s an initial step to gain some experience, and you can always switch later as your goals and interests evolve.

If you’re struggling with your search, one avenue to consider is a paid internship. It may or may not turn into a permanent gig, but studies show that roughly 70% of people to receive a paid internship are later offered a full-time job. Getting your foot in the door and getting to work — especially at a company where you could see a future fit — is better than sitting at home waiting for the perfect role that may never come.

5. Check your social media

Finally, reviewing your social media content is always a good idea for job seekers. It’s often part of due diligence today for hiring managers to look over a candidate’s online presence before making an offer. It may seem foolish, but do not let this be a reason why you don’t get the job — in a competitive market like this, it doesn’t take much for an employer to move on to the next qualified candidate.

Be thoughtful, stand out, have confidence in yourself, and stick with it. Your first job search is the most difficult. If you follow these tips, you’ll have some good practice for the next one.

KEVIN HARRINGTON is the chief executive officer of Joblist, an AI-powered job search platform that personalizes the process of finding the right job.

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Climb the Ladder

11 Tips to Refresh Your Personal Brand Before Job Hunting

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

4 min read • Originally published June 10, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

4 min read • Originally published June 10, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

Welcome to Recruiter Q&A, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers!

Today’s Question: What’s one piece of advice you’d give someone who is trying to clean up their personal brand before job hunting? How will this help their chances of getting hired?

These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization composed of the world’s most successful young entrepreneurs. YEC members represent nearly every industry, generate billions of dollars in revenue each year, and have created tens of thousands of jobs.

1. Google Yourself

Run a Google search of your name and location (the latter is especially important if you have a common name) and evaluate whether the image of you the algorithm presents is the one you want employers to see. You cannot clean up your personal brand unless you already know how it looks and what you desire to change. — Duran Inci, Optimum7

2. Highlight the Strengths You Have

Focus on the strengths you have. If that doesn’t feel like enough, highlight your passions as well. Use your personal brand as an opportunity to create the blueprint for becoming the person you want to be. Showcasing your enthusiasm can really impress potential employers quite a bit. — Richard Fong, Automatic Growth

3. Focus on Skills More Than Qualifications

The current economy has proven that those who survive difficult times are those with certain skills. Businesses can benefit from a skilled employee more than a person with a good educational background. I’m a college dropout myself, and I was fortunate to understand the world is run by talented and skilled people. — Vikas Agrawal, Infobrandz

4. Simplify Your Language

You can clean up your personal brand by simplifying the words you use to describe your experience. People don’t have the time or patience to read a 2000-word post about your industry experience. Keep information about past jobs, experience, and education to a minimum to attract the eyes of busy employers. — John Turner, SeedProd LLC

5. Focus on Building Value and Connections

You want to create content and have some great personal branding if you want your reputation to carry you forward. This is something that more companies are going to look at when they evaluate a candidate. Consider hiring someone to audit your profile. — Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting, Inc.

6. Use Social Media for a Positive Purpose

When I research prospective hires, I look at how savvy and influential they are on social media and how they interact with others. If they are polite and provide value, I’m always impressed. If they are rude, inappropriate, or lack engagement, I quickly realize they do not understand how to interact with others and may not be a fit for our company. — Matt Wilson, Under30Experiences

7. Streamline Your Website

The best way to clean up your personal brand before job hunting is to streamline your website. We’ve all visited personal brand sites that were clunky and lacking innovation. Spend some time cleaning up your design, streamlining contact forms, and fleshing out your resume and testimonials. You’ll have a much better chance at getting hired that way. — John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

8. Highlight Your Practical Work

Although professional qualifications and experience are important, practical work matters more than anything else. Someone who has done coding from childhood and is a whiz at solving technical problems isn’t necessarily going to have a tech degree. In your personal brand, focus on the practical projects you’ve done. Create case studies to highlight your abilities on your social media accounts. — Blair Williams, MemberPress

9. Consider the Image You Want

Consider the type of image you want to have. If you haven’t planned this out before, then it’s likely you have content on your accounts that doesn’t align with your personal brand. In that case, it’s necessary to delete any posts or subjective opinions from your social media and start fresh. — Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms

10. Write on Job-Focused Platforms

Create content on job-focused social platforms and provide feedback to others whenever possible. When you create a small community through your personal brand, recruiters will be able to easily recognize your work ethic. Also ensure that all of your personal social profiles are professional in nature and content. — Jordan Edelson, Appetizer Mobile LLC

11. Look Through the Eyes of a Prospective Employer

Look over your social media accounts through the eyes of a prospective employer. If you have posted a lot of content that might be a problem on a particular platform, you might want to delete that account entirely. Don’t be too self-critical, though, as people expect you to have some life outside of work. — Kalin Kassabov, ProTexting

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Climb the Ladder

Your Value Is More Than Visible Success Metrics

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

3 min read • Originally published June 18, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

3 min read • Originally published June 18, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

As a leader of an early-stage startup, I’ve learned that the value you bring to your company – and the people within it – is much more than the success metrics visible to the rest of the world.

For those of you familiar with the world of venture capital, perhaps you’ll agree that there is often a dissonance between what I would call “perceived value” versus “inherent value.” To the outside world, the tangible milestones of raising capital, growing your team, launching new products, and increasing revenue are what define success.

And, when you don’t meet these visible expectations, it’s easy to feel insecure about your company’s worth and, by extension, your worth. It’s easy to feel unsure about the experience you are providing to your employees.

And when you’re unsure of your employee experience, attrition can seem like a negative reflection of your team. Moreover, I’ve found that one of the most emotional parts of running my own company has been managing team transitions.

Navigating transitions can be complicated and exhausting. Not only do you have to worry about succession planning to ensure that business can continue as usual, but you also have to think about managing morale as a colleague leaving can change the cultural dynamic of your team.

Of course, I know that personnel decisions are “business, not personal.” But, It sure feels personal when these are people who didn’t just join your company, but they joined you on a mission to try and help you achieve the impossible. And then, one day, they’re no longer working by your side.

And yet, like with many things in life, it’s just as important to know when to move on as it is to know when to stay.

When I reflect on my time as CEO, I am most proud of what people have accomplished after leaving Scouted. Every single person who has left Scouted has been able to punch above their weight class, taking on significant responsibility in their new job. Every single person has gone on to do meaningful, impactful, and impressive work. Each person that joined our small, scrappy startup took a chance on us. We also took a chance on them, hiring unproven and inexperienced talent. And, it paid off for both of us.

My co-founder and I started Scouted because we knew that a person’s first, second, or third job could change their entire career. We wanted to create a platform and community that helped people unlock and realize their full potential.

With time, I have learned that team transitions are the ultimate manifestation of Scouted’s mission. And, if that’s not something to be proud of then, then I don’t know what is.

It’s the space and opportunities you create for learning and growth that will leave the most lasting, meaningful impact.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong,

Jax

SVP, Recruiter.com
#hirepeoplenotresumes

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Climb the Ladder

Top 5 Brain-Based Tips to Outsmart Procrastination

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

6 min read • Originally published July 27, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

6 min read • Originally published July 27, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By: Dr. Rebecca Jackson, Vice President of Program and Outcomes at Brain Balance Achievement Centers

How ironic to be procrastinating on writing an article on procrastination. Yet here I am at 11:15 on a Thursday night typing away. The challenge and pain are real. We know that putting off a task doesn’t make it go away, in fact, it can complicate our lives, yet we do it over and over again. Why? And why do some people procrastinate more than others? To set yourself up for less stress and more success we’re going to dig into when and why we procrastinate and what strategies you can implement to get things done now rather than later.

What is procrastination?

Procrastination is the act of putting off or delaying something that needs to be done. We all do it from time to time, but did you know how much you procrastinate, the type of tasks you avoid, and when you procrastinate has a lot to do with your brain?

The act of tackling a task requires energy, a plan and follow through. The complexity and topic vary on how it impacts your emotions, thought process, and energy required to tackle the task. Some items on our to-do list leave us feeling drained, physically, or emotionally. Other items require the same elements but leave us feeling energized, based on what we find fun and rewarding.

Human nature is to protect our brain and energy reserves. We naturally gravitate toward things that we find fun, easy, or rewarding over tasks that are hard, uncomfortable, or draining (pay the bills or watch your favorite show, one requires energy while the other does not). While it is easy to avoid the unpleasant, it can result in a pile-up of tasks increasing our stress levels and decreasing our productivity.

The role of stress on productivity and procrastination

Stress is like a careful balancing act, lean a little one way and you can recover, lean too far and the result can be catastrophic.

Low levels of stress can happen when we put something off. This mild stress can heighten your focus and memory, but only for a short period. This is in part due to release of a stress hormone, cortisol, which can impact both brain functions and the fuel needed to support those functions. This surge of hormones accentuates our senses and attention and can be helpful in completing a task under pressure. It provides an opportunity to focus and knock something out when facing a deadline. But this heightened response demands more fuel, providing us a short window of time to function optimally when stress is heightened before running out of fuel and crashing. Continued low levels of stress, or a heightened stress response, shifts our brain even further into a fight or flight response. This protective reaction allows us to flee from danger. The cost of this response pulls energy and resources from our higher-thinking brain regions to support necessary survival functions. A highly stressed brain will struggle with sustained focus, planning, organization and follow through. Instead, you’ll find yourself agitated and irritable, rather than focused and productive. A fatigued or stressed brain will have to work much harder to produce high quality work.

In addition to stress hormones being released impacting the brain, research has demonstrated differences in the brain of people that procrastinate more. Heightened activation in the amygdala is seen, an emotional center of the brain that can create heightened fear and hesitation. This can result in negative thoughts and feelings, “Am I doing this right? I’m terrible at this.” These negative emotions are paired with less activation in the prefrontal cortex, the region of the brain that can help to regulate and control our actions and reactions. The result is more hesitation and less control.

Whether you procrastinate a lot or a little, there are strategies to heighten brain engagement and maintain your focus for longer periods of time. These strategies will allow you to channel the focus and energy that comes from a little pressure but plan and organize yourself in a way that sets you up to deliver your best work, and not exhausted efforts.

Top 5 Brain Hacks to Overcome Procrastination

#1: Fuel your brain for success

To focus and perform, your brain requires fuel and not all fuel is created equal. Providing your body with nutrients for sustained energy can help to regulate your focus and mood throughout the day as opposed to quick burning fuels that deplete quickly. While sugars provide a short burst of energy, protein, and healthy fats like those found in avocados and nuts, provide slow burning fuels to support you for longer periods of time. Adding protein and fats to meals and snacks can keep you mentally engaged and productive more consistently throughout the day.

#2: Start with the tasks you’d rather avoid

While you may want to avoid the most draining or unpleasant tasks, there is huge power in doing those items first. Take advantage of your fresh and focused brain power at the start of the day by digging into the hard, the complicated, or the frustrating challenges first. Get them done, checked off the list and off your mind. Then, celebrate checking off each item and starting your day feeling accomplished.

#3: Identify your slump times during the day

Schedule your day so your favorite or most rewarding tasks are scheduled during your natural slump time. If you’re a mid-afternoon crash person, that’s the time to do the mindless things that need to be done, or the things that re-energize you. Connect with a favorite co-worker you need to touch base with or catch up on busy-work emails. Engaging in things we enjoy or are rewarding can revitalize your energy and focus, versus hard, or frustrating tasks that will drain our brain and emotional energy, leaving less for what you’re tackling next.

#4: Implement single-task focus

We live in the era of multi-media-multi-tasking, which can diminish our efficiency. How we function today makes it HARD to do just one thing at a time. We watch TV with a computer and phone in our lap. This approach makes it easy to start lots of things and complete fewer tasks effectively. Our attention is constantly pulled in many directions, often diluting the quality of our attention. To increase your productivity and focus on ONE task at a time. Block scheduling can help to accomplish this by assigning yourself time to answer emails, work on a project, or return phone calls. Turn off your ringer and alerts while engaged in your single focus tasks to prevent being pulled, distracted, and jumping around.

#5: Motivate with muscles and movement

Exercise is one of the most powerful tools we have at our disposal to engage our brain to focus and be effective. Start your day with exercise, then add movement breaks into your day when you feel your focus or motivation waning. Taking just a few minutes to spike your heart rate and engage your muscles can re-energize your brain, allowing you additional time of productivity in your day.

Creating a plan won’t make the stressful or mundane tasks in life go away. The dishes will still need to be done and your taxes filed, but hopefully by implementing these brain tips you’ll develop some new and highly productive habits. A fresh and focused brain will allow you to perform at your best and may even create more time to relax knowing that your to-do list has been done. Maybe you’ll even finish articles sooner so that you can get to bed earlier to be more refreshed for the next day!

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Climb the Ladder

5 Key Metrics That Will Elevate Your Resume

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

6 min read • Originally published August 5, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Scouted

Scouted was a hiring marketplace that matched candidates to roles based on potential, serving clients from high-growth startups to Fortune 500 companies.

6 min read • Originally published August 5, 2021 / Updated March 19, 2026

You know that your resume needs to stand out in today’s recruiting environment.

When hiring managers review applications, they’ll usually have several candidates who can do the day-to-day job they’re looking to fill.

In these cases, applicants who differentiate themselves effectively will beat out those who wrote out a laundry list of what they were “responsible for.”

You should never try to stand out using extravagant formatting features such as colors, graphics, or photos, however.

Recruiters are impressed by quality content – not your ability to assemble a pretty document (unless you’re applying for graphic design roles).

The key to standing out?

Craft achievement-driven bullet points that demonstrate the impact you made on an organization.

By incorporating key metrics and KPIs into your resume, you’ll make your claims more believable and immediately build up credibility in the eyes of hiring managers.

This article discusses 5 metrics that give your resume a competitive advantage.

1) Revenue & Sales Growth

If you’re responsible for improving company revenue or sales, cite specific figures to demonstrate your contribution.

Consider creating a spreadsheet to keep track of notable achievements from each of your roles:

How much did you increase revenue on a month-over-month or year-over-year basis?
How many sales did you make?

You’ll also want to put these metrics into context:

What strategies did you use to increase revenue?
Were there any headwinds (such as the pandemic) that make this a particularly impressive achievement?

When you leverage specific metrics and explain how you achieved them, you help recruiters envision how you’ll add value to their company.

This approach will leave a stronger impression than a generic statement saying that you were “recognized for consistently achieving sales targets.” Instead, you can explain that you:

“Increased online sales revenue by 20% year-over-year by implementing abandoned cart recovery emails in Shopify, exceeding team sales target by 150%”

2) Cost Reduction & Profitability Improvement

If you’re not in a position that generates revenue, think about quantifying ways in which you decreased costs.

Questions to address include:

By how much did you decrease operating costs?
Did you reduce the cost of producing a product or delivering a service? How?
Are there any other overhead costs you eliminated, such as outsourced contractors or expensive tools?
By how much did you improve your division’s profitability?

You may have to dig through old dashboards or invoices to gather these metrics, but hiring managers will be impressed by your thinking about ways to improve the company’s bottom line.

If your materials costs decreased because you secured better pricing from suppliers, explain that you:

“Lowered materials cost by 18% in 6 months by renegotiating contracts with 4 suppliers.”

3) Process Optimization

In almost any role, you can improve existing processes – even if it’s not officially part of your job description.

Remember that companies are always looking for ways to increase efficiency.

By putting numbers behind your achievements in this area, you’ll demonstrate how having you on the team will help the company get more done with fewer resources.

How much time did you save via new processes you created?
What tools did you leverage to make your work more efficient?
By how much did you improve efficiency?
What results did the analysis you conducted yield?

To measure efficiency, think about how long certain tasks used to take you to complete before you implemented new tools or processes.

If preparing month-end financial statements used to take a week and your new Excel models help you get it done in a day, you can write a bullet point such as:

“Reduced time to prepare month-end financials by 80% by creating a new Excel model”

4) People

You can still quantify your achievements if your role primarily involves leading people.

Elevate your bullet points that have to do with recruitment, training, and team leadership by addressing the following questions:

How many people were on your team? How many direct/indirect reports did you have?
How many candidates did you interview and for how many positions?
By how much did you improve team member engagement scores or retention?
How many training sessions did you deliver? How did they improve team performance?

These metrics help contextualize your role’s scope and impact, giving recruiters a clearer understanding of your leadership ability.

If team performance improved after you launched a new hire training program, you could say that you:

“Developed and rolled out a training program for new analysts that resulted in increased performance scores (+10 points) and on-the-job engagement (+18 points)”

5) Marketing & Partnership Development

If you work in marketing or build partnerships, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to quantify results:

How many impressions did your marketing initiatives generate?
Can you calculate the ROI of your marketing campaigns?
How many deals did you sign? How many partners did you bring on board?
By how much did you increase conversion rates?

Don’t forget to put your metrics into context by providing year-over-year comparisons or timelines to strengthen your case further:

“Established relationships with 4 investors, resulting in 6 new hotel development deals within two years.”

In Summary

Incorporating metrics into your bullet points will take research and advanced planning, but trust that the extra effort is well worth it.

Once you’re happy with your base content, you can tailor your resume to your target roles to further bolster your chances of landing interviews.

About the Author

Matt Glodz is the Founder of Resume Pilots, an award-winning executive resume writing service. Matt graduated from Cornell University, where he studied business communication with leading professors in the field. He is also a Certified Professional Resume Writer and Certified Professional Career Coach. At Resume Pilots, Matt and his team bring writing excellence, superior service, and market expertise to applicants who are looking for job-search services beyond mere resume assistance.

FAQs: Leveraging Metrics for Success

Q: Why is it important to include metrics on my resume?

A: Including metrics on your resume demonstrates your tangible impact on previous organizations, making your achievements more credible and compelling to hiring managers. It showcases your ability to drive results, giving you a competitive edge.

Q: What types of metrics should I include on my resume?

A: Consider including metrics related to revenue and sales growth, cost reduction and profitability improvement, process optimization, leadership and team development, and marketing and partnership development. Specific figures related to achievements in these areas can significantly strengthen your resume.

Q: How can I quantify achievements if I’m not in a revenue-generating role?

A: You can quantify achievements by detailing cost reductions, process improvements, efficiency gains, team development impacts, and the results of marketing initiatives. Look for ways you’ve contributed to your organization’s bottom line or operational efficiency.

Q: Can incorporating metrics into my resume make a difference in my job search?

A: Absolutely. Metrics provide concrete evidence of your contributions and can set you apart from other candidates who may only list duties or responsibilities. This data-driven approach can catch a recruiter’s eye and increase your chances of landing an interview.

Q: What if I can’t access exact figures or metrics from my previous roles?

A: If you don’t have exact figures, estimate the impact as accurately as possible or describe the scope of your projects and initiatives. You can also mention the methods or strategies you used to achieve results, giving context to your contributions.

Q: How do I make my achievements stand out with metrics?

A: Use clear, concise bullet points to highlight your achievements, including the metric, briefly explaining how you achieved it and the context if necessary. This format makes it easy for hiring managers to see the value you can bring to their team.

Q: Should I tailor the metrics on my resume for each job application?

A: Tailoring your resume’s metrics and achievements to align with the job you’re applying for can further enhance your application. Highlight the metrics and results most relevant to the position to demonstrate your suitability and potential impact.

Topics:

Candidates, Climb the Ladder

Hot Jobs

Hot jobs pr

Interested in wrangling the relationship between the public and a company?

By Ayana Young

Ayana Young is a communications and PR strategist with 15+ years of experience spanning media relations, lifestyle brands, professional sports, and publishing.

1 min read • Originally published July 25, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Ayana Young

Ayana Young is a communications and PR strategist with 15+ years of experience spanning media relations, lifestyle brands, professional sports, and publishing.

1 min read • Originally published July 25, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

Are you a good writer, a strong communicator, relationship builder, detail and goal oriented, and have the gift for gab? If so, a career in PR could be just right for you!

Whether you’re looking to start your career off with an entry-level assistant position, mid-level account manager position or an senior-level role, our job board has just what you’ll need to find your next big public relations career move.

No jobs were found

Topics:

Get Hired, Hot Jobs

Advice From the Pros

Pitch your niche

Write What You Love, Love What You Write

By Ayana Young

Ayana Young is a communications and PR strategist with 15+ years of experience spanning media relations, lifestyle brands, professional sports, and publishing.

3 min read • Originally published September 13, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

By Ayana Young

Ayana Young is a communications and PR strategist with 15+ years of experience spanning media relations, lifestyle brands, professional sports, and publishing.

3 min read • Originally published September 13, 2017 / Updated March 19, 2026

A lot of people really like craft beer. But, how many people love it enough to do a crazy 40 Day/40 Pennsylvania Craft Brewery Tour? Most of us enjoy a morning cup of coffee, but how about at 4500 feet in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, off the tourist path? Yes, that would be me.

Writing about both passions, craft beer and specialty coffee, have resulted in my essays being published in national media venues recently. My article about craft beer becomes a treatise on a theology of work. My writing about coffee in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica becomes a piece about a cool place and a kind people and leaving the comfort zone.

Write What You Love

The author Ray Bradbury wrote wisely, “Write only what you love and love what you write.” Because I can afford to pick and choose my subjects, a big part of me finding writing momentum in the last couple of years has been to go deep about what I love and then write about it. Simple advice, but it has made all the difference. I work as a school counselor by day at a high school. Two of my colleagues are also published writers. One writes about fishing and waterways. The other pens science fictions novels. We have all found our niche because we first found our loves.

A niche is an ecological term where a species finds a place in creation to not just survive but thrive. The origin of the word comes from French/Latin word for nest. In our frenetic multi-firework display 21st-century media landscape, it is a challenge to attract and engage readers. We are like hummingbirds with ADD, sound biting our way through the day and night, flitting and fleeting.

Love What You Write

How to get readers to land and settle down in your metaphorical nest? A sustainable strategy is to cultivate a high level of expertise and enthusiasm for subjects that others find intriguing but doing it in a unique and unusual style all your own. Herman Melville wrote, “It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.” If you are only going to copy someone else’s style and subjects, such “success” is shallow and unsatisfying in the end.

What is your Unique Writing Proposition (U.W.P.)? What do you think about, spend your money on, or fill your time with? That is what you love.

Here are the interests that I have put into my nest: a love of people and culture expressed through food, drink and travel; a high degree of research and writing chops honed through earning a Ph.D. about adolescent cognitive and emotional development and the college transition (and wrote a book about it); a smidgen of snarkiness tempered by self-deprecation, with a foundation of sincerity in wanting to make the world a better place; a theological and philosophical framework undergirding it all that differentiates me from others; and a sense of humor. That’s my U.W.P.

What’s yours?

Topics:

Advice From the Pros, Go Freelance

Unlock all jobs at Scouted

Increases your chances of being selected for an interview for any/all jobs

Lets you control your narrative

My career path makes sense, but I want to stand out

The choice is yours

Test your equipment

Pick a quiet room

Dress appropriately

Have a copy of your resume handy

Keep your internet tabs and running programs to a minimum

Take notes

Don’t forget your personality

Other video interview tips:

Start at the top.

Ask about middle managers, VPs, and leadership opportunities

Probe on programming and goal setting.

Ask about the HOW.

And, lastly, don’t forget to ask the tough questions.

And a tactical few points to remember…

1. Target your applications

2. Engage your network

3. Build a personal website

4. Prepare to be flexible

5. Check your social media

1. Google Yourself

2. Highlight the Strengths You Have

3. Focus on Skills More Than Qualifications

4. Simplify Your Language

5. Focus on Building Value and Connections

6. Use Social Media for a Positive Purpose

7. Streamline Your Website

8. Highlight Your Practical Work

9. Consider the Image You Want

10. Write on Job-Focused Platforms

11. Look Through the Eyes of a Prospective Employer

What is procrastination?

The role of stress on productivity and procrastination

Top 5 Brain Hacks to Overcome Procrastination

#1: Fuel your brain for success

#2: Start with the tasks you’d rather avoid

#3: Identify your slump times during the day

#4: Implement single-task focus

#5: Motivate with muscles and movement

1) Revenue & Sales Growth

2) Cost Reduction & Profitability Improvement

3) Process Optimization

4) People

5) Marketing & Partnership Development

In Summary

About the Author

FAQs: Leveraging Metrics for Success

Q: Why is it important to include metrics on my resume?

Q: What types of metrics should I include on my resume?

Q: How can I quantify achievements if I’m not in a revenue-generating role?

Q: Can incorporating metrics into my resume make a difference in my job search?

Q: What if I can’t access exact figures or metrics from my previous roles?

Q: How do I make my achievements stand out with metrics?

Q: Should I tailor the metrics on my resume for each job application?

Write What You Love

Love What You Write

Julie Ritzer Ross