Behind the Boards: Insight from Pinterest Recruiting

Bringing our mission to life starts with the people behind the product, and we’re looking for talented individuals to join our team. As you’re exploring opportunities to drive impact and innovation at Pinterest, read this article for insightful tips from members of our Recruiting team – starting with preparing your resume all the way through the interview process. 

Preparing your resume | Alvin Fung, Senior Technical Sourcer, Dublin

Hi! My name is Alvin and I'm a Senior Technical Sourcer based in Ireland. I hire across all areas of Engineering & Product in Europe and globally.

My best advice for someone looking to make their application stand out is to keep things clean and readable. Oftentimes, recruitment teams are looking at thousands of applications, and you want to make sure that your skills are clear on your resume. I usually advise people to minimise or remove any additional unnecessary imagery from resumes unless they're absolutely essential or part of a portfolio. 

In Pinterest Engineering, some of our top priorities are ownership and technical ability so make sure that bullet points about your experience mention projects you might have led end to end or technical challenges that you had faced and accomplished. 

If you are applying for different types of jobs, you should also ensure that you have separate resumes ready with specific important experiences you have that are relevant for each. Don't worry if you feel that your resume will look plain as you can always include links to your professional social accounts and those are where you can really make your personality shine through!

Storytelling during interviews | Tova Dodge, Senior Sourcer, Seattle

Hey, hi! My name is Tova Dodge, and I work in Creative Recruiting at Pinterest, which includes Marketing, Design, and Content. 

When it comes to Pinterest interviews, I often tell candidates that what works well with Hiring Managers is to go deep and succinct. It's tech, so being brief is always key, but we want to know the context around a thing – the How and the Why, not just the What. Be prepared to share your impact, and what some of the challenges were. Pinterest loves great storytelling, across the board!

Going beyond the solution | Kent Kassel, Recruiting Lead, Seattle

Hey Everyone! My name is Kent and I am a Recruiting Lead here at Pinterest! I have been supporting our General Software Engineering positions for a little over three years now and sit in Seattle, WA. I wanted to share some quick interview advice on how you might be able to stand out with our hiring teams and I hope you find these tips helpful and practical! 

“If you are thinking it on the inside, you should be sharing it on the outside.” We want to get to know how you approach challenges as a potential colleague, not just the solution you complete during your interview. Being able to clearly communicate your thoughts, roadblocks, or general questions are all indicators of how well you will be able to problem solve and collaborate at Pinterest. So don't be afraid to think out loud, clarify any questions you have or simply ask for help. 

Showcasing your expertise | Ryley Edwards, Recruiting Lead, San Francisco

Hi, I’m Ryley and I lead hiring for Product Management across the US. Below you’ll find my three best pieces of advice for showcasing your skills and expertise during the Pinterest interview process. 

Answer questions with specificity. Go beyond surface-level responses, and use every opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge, experience and confidence. For example, here are three helpful examples. 

1. Describe your individual impact on a project, rather than focusing only on the broader team’s achievements.
2. Commit to a particular approach when asked how you would solve a problem, rather than offering only general strategies.
3. Share real experiences that have shaped your decision-making, rather than relying solely on textbook answers.

Maximize your time and provide the interviewer with as much helpful information (or “signal”) as possible. Ask clarifying questions to quickly identify the core of each prompt, then respond succinctly while covering the most important details. Once you’ve answered, trust your response, but be open to elaborating or clarifying if the interviewer requests it.

Lastly, trust yourself, be yourself, and keep things positive and engaging.

Ready to apply? Discover opportunities to shape a unique career path at Pinterest. 

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