How We Work with Talent

Candidate Guide

How We Work With Select Candidates

This guide explains how we work with select candidates across direct client searches, marketplace or referral-based opportunities, and our Vetted Talent Marketplace.

This is an invite-only candidate support process. It is not a public job search service, and there is no fee to you as the candidate. If a placement happens, the client, company, marketplace, or referral source pays the fee.

Our goal is to be a trusted partner in your job search, grounded in honesty, ethics, and transparency. We work collaboratively with you to represent your experience thoughtfully, pursue the right opportunities, and help you take the next step in your career.

1. The 3 Ways We Work With Candidates

1. Direct Client Searches

These are roles where we are working directly with the client or company.

In this case, we usually own the client relationship and manage the candidate submission process directly. If you are a fit, we will discuss the role with you, confirm your interest, and ask for your formal submission.

2. Marketplace, Referral, or Network-Based Roles

Some roles we share may come through recruiting marketplaces such as Paraform, referral-based opportunities, LinkedIn referral incentives, or trusted network connections.

In these cases, we may have access to submit, refer, or introduce you through a specific channel, but we may not own the client relationship exclusively. Other recruiters or referrers may also be working on the same role.

Because of that, timing and responsiveness matter.

For marketplace or Paraform roles, we may ask you to join our Slack channel so we can communicate with you quickly, confirm interest, ask follow-up questions, and answer client questions in real time.

3. Vetted Talent Marketplace

Select candidates we work with are featured in our Vetted Talent Marketplace.

This is where companies can approach us directly for an introduction to you. Your profile is presented anonymously — no real names — and highlights your experience, focus areas, and strengths. If a company is interested, they reach out to us and we facilitate the introduction with your consent.

In some cases, with your consent, we will represent you exclusively and actively market you to our network and clients. Both Vetted placement and exclusive representation are by invitation only.

View Vetted Talent

2. What Happens Next

After our initial discovery call, if we feel we have roles available now or clients we can introduce you to, we will reach out directly with next steps on working one-on-one with a talent partner.

We choose these candidates based on the roles we are currently working on and where you are on your journey. Not every candidate will be matched immediately, and that is okay.

If you do not hear from us, it is not a signal of bad fit. It simply means we do not have a suitable role right now.

Regardless of whether you are assigned to a recruiter or matched to a role right away, you remain in our candidate pool. New roles come in regularly, and we will reach out when something aligns.

In the meantime, you can continue to view and apply to roles through Laura's List.

Browse Laura's List

3. LinkedIn Connection

Please connect with us on LinkedIn if we are working together.

We use LinkedIn to better understand your background, review your positioning, identify potential warm paths, and add selected candidates to our Paraform talent pool for relevant marketplace opportunities.

Connect With Laura

4. Slack for Marketplace / Paraform Roles

For marketplace or Paraform roles, Slack is used for fast communication.

We may use Slack to:

  • Share specific roles.
  • Confirm your interest quickly.
  • Ask screening questions.
  • Get answers to client questions.
  • Coordinate timing or next steps.
  • Share submission updates.

Some marketplace roles move quickly, and other recruiters may also be participating. If you are interested in one of these roles, please respond as quickly and clearly as possible.

5. Consent and Confidentiality

We will never pitch, submit, refer, or introduce you without your knowledge and consent.

Before we send anything, we will confirm that you are comfortable being considered for that specific role or opportunity.

Depending on the opportunity, we may ask for confirmation that:

  • You are interested in the role.
  • You have not already applied.
  • You have not already been submitted by another recruiter.
  • Your resume and LinkedIn are current.
  • The compensation, location, and work model make sense for you.

6. Working With Other Recruiters

You are free to work with any recruiter you choose.

The only thing we ask is that you do not have multiple recruiters submit you for the same role.

Duplicate submissions can create confusion, weaken your credibility, and sometimes prevent anyone from being able to represent you properly.

Think of this as a gentle handshake: you are not exclusive to us, but please do not have another recruiter work the same role if we are actively representing or submitting you for it.

The exception is candidates who have agreed to exclusive representation. If you are being represented by That British Chick Agency, you work with us exclusively and should not engage other recruiters for the same job search.

7. Referral Bonus

If a role we share is not right for you, but you know someone who may be a strong fit, you are welcome to refer them to us.

If your referral is placed through us, you may receive a $1,000 referral bonus after all of the following happen:

  1. You introduce the person to us.
  2. We submit or refer them.
  3. They are placed.
  4. We have been paid by the client, marketplace, or referral source.

Referral bonuses are paid only after placement and payment are complete.

Quick Summary

  • Connect with Laura on LinkedIn.
  • We will never pitch or submit you without your knowledge and consent.
  • You are free to work with other recruiters, but avoid duplicate submissions.
  • Candidates who agree to exclusive representation work with us exclusively for that job search.
  • This process works best when we are selective, clear, and strategic.
Candidate Resource

Optimize Your Resume for Marketplace & Vetted Talent Representation

Your resume is used to represent you across relevant hiring marketplaces, founder-led searches, and our Vetted Talent Marketplace.

The goal is not to add buzzwords or rewrite your experience to sound more impressive. The goal is to make your background easy for recruiters and hiring teams to understand quickly and accurately.

Resume Header Recommendation

Include a line in your resume header that signals your availability and flexibility:

Open to: Full-time, fractional, or contract opportunities | Remote, hybrid, or on-site

This helps recruiters and hiring teams immediately understand the types of engagements you are open to without having to ask.

Formatting Rules

Use black font only. Do not use colored text. Use bold for emphasis where needed. Keep your resume easy to read and limited to two pages maximum.

Many hiring teams assess candidates not only by job title and responsibilities, but also by the type of company environment in which the work was completed. A role at a pre-seed SaaS startup may require a very different working style from the same title at a large public company.

For each employer on your resume, add one short company-context line beneath the company name and job title.

Recommended Format

Company Name — Job Title

Funding stage or ownership | Company size | Business model | Vertical

Example:

Acme Software — Lifecycle Marketing Manager

Series A B2B SaaS company | Approximately 60 employees | Fintech

1. Choose the Company Stage or Ownership Type

Venture-Backed Companies

  • Pre-seed startup
  • Seed-stage startup
  • Series A company
  • Series B company
  • Series C company
  • Late-stage venture-backed company
  • Venture-backed scale-up
  • Unicorn

Privately Owned or Independently Funded Companies

  • Bootstrapped startup
  • Founder-funded company
  • Privately held company
  • Family-owned company
  • Private-equity-backed company
  • Growth-equity-backed company

2. Add Company Size

  • Fewer than 10 employees
  • 10–25 employees
  • 26–50 employees
  • 51–100 employees
  • 101–250 employees
  • 251–500 employees
  • 501–1,000 employees
  • 1,000–5,000 employees
  • 5,000–10,000 employees
  • 10,000+ employees

3. Choose the Business Model

  • B2B SaaS
  • B2C SaaS
  • Enterprise SaaS
  • SMB SaaS
  • Mid-market SaaS
  • Vertical SaaS
  • Horizontal SaaS
  • Product-led growth SaaS
  • Sales-led SaaS
  • Usage-based SaaS
  • Subscription software
  • Developer-tools platform
  • Consumer technology platform
  • Tech-enabled services company

4. Choose the Company Vertical

  • Artificial intelligence
  • AdTech
  • Climate tech
  • Consumer technology
  • Cybersecurity
  • Developer tools
  • Digital health
  • E-commerce
  • EdTech
  • Fintech
  • Financial services
  • Healthtech
  • Healthcare
  • HR tech
  • InsurTech
  • Legal tech
  • Logistics and supply chain
  • MarTech
  • Media and entertainment
  • PropTech
  • Real estate
  • Retail technology
  • Sales technology
  • Travel technology

5. Show the Stage You Experienced

  • Joined at pre-seed as employee 12.
  • Joined at Seed and remained through Series B.
  • Joined at approximately 30 employees and supported growth to more than 150.
  • Joined before the company established a formal marketing function.
  • Joined during the transition from founder-led sales to a structured GTM team.
  • Joined following the company’s acquisition by [Company].

6. Make Your Responsibilities and Results Easier to Weigh

The company-context line explains where you worked. Your bullets still need to explain what you personally owned and achieved.

  • Hands-on execution
  • Zero-to-one building experience
  • Measurable business outcomes
  • Ownership and decision-making
  • Work completed directly with founders or executives
  • Experience creating processes from scratch
  • Cross-functional collaboration
  • Team, budget, revenue, pipeline, or customer scope
  • Experience relevant to the target company’s stage and vertical
  • Stable tenure and increasing responsibility

7. Resume Examples

Company Name — Growth Marketing Manager

Seed-stage B2B SaaS startup | Approximately 25 employees | MarTech for ecommerce brands

Company Name — Senior Product Marketing Manager

Series B enterprise SaaS company | Approximately 180 employees | Cybersecurity

8. Keep Your Information Consistent

  • Company names
  • Job titles
  • Employment dates
  • Promotions
  • Education
  • Acquisitions or company-name changes
  • Location
  • Current role status

Final Candidate Checklist

  • The official company name is listed.
  • The funding stage or ownership type is accurate.
  • The company size reflects the period when I worked there.
  • The business model is clear.
  • The primary vertical is identified.
  • Any acquisition, merger, or rebrand is explained.
  • My startup or scaling-stage experience is visible.
  • My bullets show what I personally owned.
  • My strongest results are measurable where possible.
  • My resume and LinkedIn profile are consistent.
  • I have not exaggerated or added experience I cannot verify.

Why This Matters

This additional context helps us represent you more accurately in our Vetted Talent Marketplace and identify marketplace opportunities that match your actual background.

Candidate Resource

Interview Prep: How to Stand Out

Many candidates do not make it past the first interview because of poor interview technique, not capability. You have the skills. This page is about making sure the interviewer sees them too.

The #1 Problem We See

Candidates talk about what “we” did instead of what “I” did. They ramble past the 3-minute mark. They use internal jargon the interviewer doesn't understand. And they walk in without prepared stories.

All of these are fixable. Interviewing is a muscle. You need to practice.

The Rules

1. Answer With Clear Ownership

Use “I” not “we.” The interviewer wants to know what you personally did, decided, built, or drove.

2. Keep Answers Under 3 Minutes

Be concise. Hit the key points and stop.

3. Avoid Jargon

Translate internal terminology, acronyms, and tool names into plain language.

4. Focus on Stories That Show the Problem and the Outcome

Explain what was broken or needed, what you personally did, and what happened.

Prepare 3–4 Stories

  • A time you built something from scratch (0–1).
  • A time you solved a hard problem or overcame a blocker.
  • A time you drove measurable results.
  • A time you led, influenced, or collaborated cross-functionally.

Use the STAR Method

S — Situation

Set the scene in 1–2 sentences.

T — Task

Explain your specific responsibility or problem.

A — Action

Explain what YOU did, including your decisions and steps.

R — Result

Explain what happened and quantify the outcome wherever possible.

If You're Transitioning From a Large Org to a Startup

  • You want more ownership and direct impact.
  • You've operated like a builder inside a larger organization.
  • You're energized by ambiguity and speed.
  • You want to be closer to customers, product, or decision-making.

Have a Real Answer for “Why This Company?”

  • Research the founder through LinkedIn, podcasts, or interviews.
  • Understand the vertical and why the market interests you.
  • Connect your skills to the company's current stage.

Practice

  • Record yourself answering questions and listen back.
  • Time your answers. If you go over 3 minutes, trim.
  • Practice with a friend or partner.
  • Do at least 2–3 mock rounds before a real interview.

Quick Checklist Before Every Interview

  • I have 3–4 stories prepared using STAR format.
  • Each story uses “I” language with clear ownership.
  • I can deliver each story in under 3 minutes.
  • I have a specific, researched answer for “Why this company?”
  • If transitioning from a large org, I can clearly explain why.
  • I've practiced out loud at least once.
  • I've removed jargon and translated everything to plain language.