Megastar guest alert!
What does it actually take to get hired in today's job market?
Lynda and Joe sit down with Gina Alvino, Senior Manager of Talent Acquisition at e.l.f. Beauty and a LinkedIn creator with more than 110,000 followers (and one of the best humans you'd ever meet), for an inside look at how recruiting really works—and what candidates can do to stand out.
Gina has spent nearly a decade in talent acquisition, including several years working alongside Joe at Daily Harvest before joining e.l.f. Beauty, where she now leads U.S. recruiting and helps shape global hiring strategy across the company's portfolio of brands.
Together, Lynda, Joe, and Gina dig into the realities of today's challenging job market: why networking and referrals matter so much, how to get a recruiter's attention, what makes a candidate memorable, and the interview mistakes that can quietly knock you out of the running.
They also get into career pivots, building new skills, LinkedIn and personal branding, handling failure, answering difficult interview questions, asking better questions as a candidate, and how AI is changing both recruiting and career development. Gina shares what she listens for when interviewing candidates—and the red flags job seekers should avoid.
Plus: Joe and Gina revisit their Daily Harvest days, the group gets into a little LinkedIn drama, and somehow the conversation ends with a case for talking to more people about your dreams.
Whether you're actively looking for a job, considering a career change, trying to grow your professional network, preparing for an interview, building your LinkedIn presence, or simply wondering what recruiters actually want, this episode is packed with practical advice from someone who spends every day on the other side of the hiring process.
In this episode: the 2026 job market, recruiting and hiring, job search strategy, networking and referrals, interview tips, career pivots, LinkedIn and personal branding, AI in recruiting, career development, and how to stand out as a candidate.
Takeaways
- Importance of genuine networking and business relationships
- Challenges and changes in the job market and recruiting landscape Navigating a challenging job market requires building new skills and considering career pivots.
- Networking and referrals play a crucial role in the job search process, providing opportunities to stand out and make meaningful connections. Navigating failure is an essential part of career growth.
- Crafting positive responses in interviews is crucial for success.
- Personal branding and embracing AI are key aspects of professional development.
Chapters
- 00:00 Introduction and Podcast Sponsor
- 01:24 Networking and Business Relationships
- 05:07 LinkedIn Drama and Guest Introduction
- 21:27 Transition to Hot Topics: Job Market and Recruiting
- 23:04 Navigating the Challenging Job Market
- 24:08 Building New Skills and Pivoting
- 25:32 The Power of Networking and Referrals
- 26:42 Standing Out in the Recruiting Process
- 48:42 Avoiding Red Flags in Interviews
- 49:39 Navigating Failure and Learning
- 50:23 Interviewing with Confidence and Self-Assessment
- 51:08 Crafting Positive Responses in Interviews
- 52:03 Listening for Key Qualities in Candidates
- 53:15 Asking Thoughtful Questions in Interviews
- 59:55 Personal Branding and Professional Presence
- 01:04:08 Finding Strengths and Embracing AI
- 01:09:21 Dreams and Normalizing Conversation Starters
