Do you know what it takes to land a job at the biggest and best organizations in the world? Do you have the skills, the competencies and drive, but you find the whole job search and interview process intimidating and difficult to catch a break?

Well, in this episode, we welcome Gisselle Ruiz, a key leader within the Global Talent Acquisition Teams at ByteDance and TikTok, who shares with us her journey as a proud first generation bilingual Afro-Latina with a deep connection to her Dominican roots and how taking risks and changing lanes helped her build her career as an expert recruiter, what her successes and failures have taught her and how she empowers all of her recruits by telling them, “They are lucky to have you!”.

Gisselle has led talent acquisition and DEI initiatives at top companies and organizations including The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, Creative Artists Agency, Google, Facebook, and most recently TikTok. She is incredibly committed to the empowerment and elevation of those from disenfranchised, marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities, especially Latinx and Black/Brown women.

Highlights:

[03:08] Gisselle’s journey

[06:10] Transition from academia to corporate

[11:29] Gaining clarity on your strengths

[14:53] Learning to leverage your network

[20:19] Sponsors and mentors that don’t look like you

[25:25] How to prepare for an interview

[32:00] What can make or break an interview

[38:32] Overcoming imposter syndrome

Quotes:

“Uncomfortable conversations are necessary and critical for growth and are part of our learning journey.” – Gisselle Ruiz

“When going in to an interview, be prepared to talk about some of your key highlights, accomplishments, achievements, failures, disappointments, challenges and barriers that you've had to overcome.” - Gisselle Ruiz

“Imposter syndrome keeps us away from opportunities and keeps us from shining at our highest level of vibration, it holds us back from being successful.” – Gisselle Ruiz

“Companies are not doing you a favor by giving you an interview or a role, they are lucky to have you.” - Gisselle Ruiz

“Go in to an interview truly knowing your worth and what you are bringing to that organization, which is far greater than what they are bringing to you.” – Gisselle Ruiz

About Gisselle Ruiz:

Gisselle Ruiz Ed.M is a human capital strategist, change agent, global talent acquisition executive, diversity, equity & inclusion leader who specializes in identifying, coaching, and developing best in class talent while creating access and opportunity through inclusive recruitment practices and strategies. She specializes in building and scaling inclusive and diverse workforces, workplaces, marketplaces, and transforming organizational culture.

Gisselle has 18 years of experience with both national and global organizations in both the public and private sector including:K-12 & Higher Education, Non Profit, Technology, and a decade in the Entertainment & Media industry. Throughout her career she has developed and executed engagement, outreach, recruitment and selection strategies of top talent across various functions and positions ranging from internships & apprenticeships, professional development programs, middle management, and senior level executive leadership positions. She has led talent acquisition and DEI at top companies and organizations including The Broad Center for the Management of School Systems, NBC Universal, The Walt Disney Company, Creative Artists Agency, Google, Facebook, and most recently joined TikTok.

Gisselle is passionate and committed to transforming, disrupting and awakening organizations and leaders to how they can combat systemic inequities, create economic empowerment, challenge legacy systems, disrupt bias, catalyze equity, and shift culture. Her mantra is that representation matters and inclusion enables and ignites the best innovation.

Gisselle holds a bachelor's degree from Clark University in Urban Development and Social Change and a masters degree in Policy, Planning, & Administration in Education from Boston University. She is a proud 1st generation transnational bilingual Afro Latina with a deep connection to her Dominican heritage. She is incredibly committed to the empowerment and elevation of those from disenfranchised, marginalized, underserved, and underrepresented communities especially Latinx and Black/Brown women. She is deeply rooted in social justice reform, dismantling systemic racism and oppression, and anti recidivism. She coaches individuals and teams on owning their power, story, and journey to amplify and unlock their potential to achieve personal and professional growth.

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gisselleruiz/

Twitter: GRuiz1003

NM Reads: Caroline Busta, "Hallucinating Sense in the Era of Infinity Content" (Document, 2024)