Recruiting Leader @ Zapier | Former Educator | Advocate for job seekers, humanizing recruiting, and making the workplace more equitable for everyone!!

WARNING: There are scam accounts using my name. The only domains I use are "zapier.com" and "bonniedilber.com". If the email comes from any other domain, it's a fraudulent account, please report to your email provider, and to the FTC. https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/
If you receive comments referencing me on your posts, these are bots as part of a scam, please report and block those accounts! 

A bit about me: I'm a former educator and dog/toddler mom who is passionate about equity in the workplace. I love to be outdoors except when it's super hot, I'm a foodie who hates cheese, and I like cooking, politics, and travel. I have a full time job managing the GTM/Ops recruiting team at Zapier, and also love creating content on recruiting, workplace culture and trends, and career development. There's a lot of misinformation and I try to combat it as much as I can! 

My goal is to educate and bring transparency to recruiting and hiring processes - I hope my content helps you understand why things play out the way they do. That doesn't mean I always like or agree with the realities of being a part of the working world in 2025, but I think we're all better off when we understand the rules of the game we're playing. 

All opinions are my own and do not reflect those of my employer! If you'd like to work at Zapier, please apply directly on our jobs page. 

I do not have the capacity to respond to DMs or answer one-off questions but DO answer reader questions and offer free 1:1 chats via my newsletter on beehiiv - your best bet is to submit it there!
You can access all of my resources here: https://linktr.ee/bonniedilber

Bonnie Dilber

If I were looking for a job in 2026, I'd:
- build an agent on Zapier that understands my skills, values, and goals and delivers 10 newly posted roles that are a good match to my inbox every day.
- use Anthropic Claude to review those job descriptions and pull additional company insights to help me shape my application, networking strategy, and interview prep.
- use Lovable to build a portfolio website that shows (not tells, but SHOWS) my achievements, results, testimonials from former colleagues, or even individualized landing pages to make my case for why I'm the right fit for a specific role. 
- use Gamma to build executive-friendly slides for presentation stages.
- use Cursor to prototype a tool that shows my approach to solving problems. 

And there are two reasons I'd do this:

1. I think it would make my job search easier and more efficient then scrolling through 20 job boards every day trying to figure out what to apply for.

2. It would show actual AI fluency - something a lot of companies (at least in tech!) want - in a far more meaningful way than things like: 
- an AI-generated resume 
- copy-pasting AI-generated copy into an application
- reading from an AI assistant in interviews
- saying, "I use chatGPT for everything" in interviews with no meaningful evidence of impact

The bar for AI fluency for non-technical folks like me is evolving.
In 2023, it was, "I have a ChatGPT account."
In 2024, it was, "I use an AI assistant to think through problems. 
In 2025, it was, "I'm using a variety of AI tools in my work." 
And in 2026, it's, "I'm using AI to build solutions that help me deliver stronger results by making me better, faster, and more strategic."

Recruiting Leader @ Zapier | Former Educator | I’m a fan of transparency in recruiting, leveraging AI to make work more efficient and human, and workplaces that work for everyone.

Just some quick reminders that in the US:

1. Employers shouldn't be asking you for your current salary. 

It's illegal in some states. And  even where it's not illegal, it's wrong.
Your previous earnings are irrelevant to your future earnings, and companies should be setting your compensation based on their salary ranges and compensation philosophy, not on what you've earned in the past.

If asked, you could respond with something like, "My current salary isn't relevant, I'm currently interviewing for roles in the $200-230k range, but ultimately I'll consider the total package when making my decision here." 

2. Employers shouldn't ask you to do an unpaid work trial. 

A small project in the interview process or even a few hours of co-working as part of the interview process is fine.

But being asked to do a week long unpaid work trial violates FLSA protections. 
If this is asked of you, you could note, "I'm happy to demonstrate my skills through the interview process, but a week-long unpaid trial isn't something I'm able to commit to. I'd love to find another way to show you what I can do." or even, "Extended unpaid work trials aren't compliant with FLSA protections. I'd be glad to do a paid trial or a shorter skills assessment instead."

3. Required onboarding and training should be compensated.

The FLSA also clearly notes that any sort of training that's mandated for your job should be compensated. 

Of course, this doesn't apply to things that you seek out and choose to attend for your own development. Your employer does not need to pay you if you attend a conference that they did not ask you to attend.  but anything at their request or encouragement should be compensated.

If you're asked to do onboarding before your start date, you could say, "I'm happy to work on this, should we adjust my start date accordingly?" or "I won't have the capacity to work on this until my official start date, but look forward to prioritizing it on day one." 

I genuinely believe that most employers want to do right by their employees  and if they are making these sorts of requests, it probably has more to do with not understanding the policies than it does intentionally causing harm. 

Often these sorts of things happen as a result of an eager but uninformed manager or recruiter vs a company policy to take advantage of workers. So I think you should feel perfectly confident speaking up when there's misalignment - most people will appreciate the redirection.

It doesn't matter if the real reason companies are laying off thousands of people at a time is because AI is increasing productivity or because they over hired or because their shareholders need a short-term win even if it means a long-term loss or because they're about to be acquired or because they simply aren't making enough money to pay everyone.

What matters is that thousands more people find themselves unemployed today.

Here's some advice I will share:
1. Take a beat to be angry and scared and bitter and relieved and whatever other emotions you're feeling.
You have no obligation to write a post thanking your former employer today (or ever), and it's also perfectly great if you want to do so because you had a great run and your last day doesn't erase that, or because you want to play the game as you navigate an unexpected job search.
There is no right or wrong way to respond to traumatic experiences.

2. Don't let the negativity on social media get you down.
There are a small number of loud voices that get disproportionate attention with narratives of doom and gloom.
Often, their poor outcomes are often a result applying for jobs they simply aren't competitive for, submitting high numbers of low quality applications, unrealistic expectations for remote work, etc. 
People who apply for jobs they are extremely well-qualified for, leverage their networks effectively, and manage their expectations around things like location and industry are for the most part doing OK out there. 
I promise - lots of great companies are still hiring great talent every day - Zapier is one of them!!

3. Use this time to upskill with AI.
Y'all the bar is rising rapidly and an advantage those who are currently unemployed have the opportunity to invest in building these skills rapidly. 
Challenge yourself to build real solutions - things you could use you in your role, or that accelerate your job search. 
And share these online. I promise, if you're applying to AI-forward companies, this will be a huge competitive advantage. 

4. Build something on the side.
I firmly believe everyone should have a side business in 2026. 
Job searches often take 6+ months these days, so this gives you a source of income, expands your network, and gives you a way to keep your skills current. 
We're increasingly seeing that employers are no longer loyal to their workforce, and you can be cut loose at any time so we need things to fall back on. 
Those who talk about the future of work are increasingly talking about how workplaces will consist of fewer full-time employees with a rotating group of experts that bring in niche skills as needed. That means more of us need to build the skill of jumping in and quickly adding value, and contract work does that. 
And sometimes, those side businesses or short-term contracts can pave the way to a long-term opportunity. 

Hopefully this helps someone out there, and I'll drop some resources in comments!

There are a wide range of people who can do a job, but often we default to the "usual suspects" - people who enter a field and have a natural upward trajectory. 

Last year, we had a conversation with our sales leadership team around broadening our candidate pool beyond "the usual suspects" - those who had grown up in tech sales. One profile that came up was consultants with strong technical backgrounds. 

The issue is that this is a really hard profile to attract since many of these folks aren't necessarily looking for sales roles. 

So we made a post about this profile as one that could be a great match for sales. And within a few minutes Adrian Obleton saw my post and applied (using my referral link which you'll find in comments cause no gatekeeping over here!)

What stood out: Adrian has several years of consulting experience with exposure to GTM across many companies, he's a founder himself which suggested he'd be comfortable with our current stage where we're still in building mode, and he even studied computer science in undergrad which gave us confidence he could talk the talk with technical buyers. It was clear from our first conversation he could easily build the selling skills as he had everything else we'd want in a strong seller.

Adrian is currently doing a series of blog posts on his transition from consulting into sales (gonna drop that below too!) 

One thing Adrian talks about in his post is how consulting trains you to diagnose problems before jumping to solutions which translates well to discovery in sales, and they typically have strong business acumen since they're navigating complex organizations. But check out his post for more of the transferable skills between consulting and sales!

Couple of takeaways I hope y'all will have from this post:
1. If you're currently hiring, think about other experiences that may have built the skills you need on your team to help you expand your profile. 
2. If you're open to those unique profiles, just put it out in the world with a post like I did - you may just get the perfect applicant!
3. And most importantly, if you're someone who sees some of yourself in Adrian's journey, then check it out and apply for an AE role at Zapier!

AllAloha247

Fractional Executive Assistant 

Providing support for HNW, celebrity, C-Suite & startup clients. 
Responsibilities include multiple special projects and large accounts including all confidential matters as well as operations, recruiting and training staff, reviewing the work of junior contractors. Some examples:

•	Improved a 40-year-old company’s efficiency by transitioning from MS Office to Google Suite, resulting in an annual savings of $75,000 per year
•	Reduced travel expenses by 20% annually by increasing efficiency in scheduling and travel planning for an Orange County tech startup

Fractional C-Suite Executive Assistant / CoS - Open to FT

Macrometa

Provided exceptional support to the CEO and Co-Founder, expertly managing complex calendars, meeting planning, projects, and initiatives. Proven ability to respond to shifting priorities and deadlines with efficiency and effectiveness.
•	Improved senior executives' efficiency by transitioning from Google Spaces to Slack, resulting in enhanced communication, better performance and productivity
•	Achieved a 15% cost savings for the company by negotiating with vendors and suppliers to reduce monthly operating expenses
•	Reduced travel expenses by 30% and saved the company $50,000 annually by increasing efficiency in scheduling and travel planning
•	Reduced overall expenses for the executive team by 20% by developing and implementing a new expense tracking system (Concur)
•	Contributed to a 25% increase in revenue by assisting the EVP of Sales in the creation of a new sales strategy that was launched in the second quarter 2021

Executive Assistant to the CEO | Chief of Staff | Director of Recruiting & People Operations

InterDigital, Inc.

Interdigital, Inc. is a $280M technology and research & development company that provides wireless and video technologies for mobile devices, networks, and services worldwide.

Senior Executive Assistant to CTO

Provided both executive and personal support to CTO and his division of over 300 technical and non-technical staff executing AI, ML, Mobility and IoT initiatives in US, Finland, Germany, UK, and France. 
•	Reduced team's travel expenses by 30%, resulting in an overall savings of $357,000 in 2021
•	Successfully launched the company's first-ever Environmental, Social Governance Program, leading the steering committee which saw a Year One savings of $65,000
•	Reduced CTO's workload through the implementation of prioritization and delegation, resulting in increased productivity by 21%
•	Achieved significant YoY cost savings and service enhancements by auditing and negotiating with key vendors. In the first six months, the company recognized a savings of $142,000

Senior Executive Assistant to CTO

Digital Media Management

Digital Media Management is a full-service digital agency, content studio, and incubator.

Executive Assistant to CEO

As employee number four, I supported the boot-strapped CEO and his global, digital start-up and helped grow it 600 people in five years using my people and HR, accounting, operations, organizational and administrative skills. With a seat on the leadership team, I also contributed to company strategies and partnerships.

•	Closely collaborated with CEO to develop what became an ongoing strategic partnership with a social media personality that led and brand partnership that led to a 15% increase in revenue 
•	An early hire, I was tasked with researching, creating and negotiating automation processes for the company. This included the introduction of Brex, Gusto and other appropriate platforms for startups
•	Provided administrative and operational support in years two and three to the CFO and CTO as well as the CEO with calendar management (including a dozen time zones), global travel arrangements (both commercial and charter) and managing three email boxes that averaged 800 emails per day
•	My new processes for all three executives freed their time to focus on revenue-generating activities and strategic initiatives. Following an analysis in Q4, they were able to reclaim 25% more of their time
•	Acted as company accountant and HR Manager for the first two years saving the company at least $250,000

Executive Assistant to CEO

Mary Ann Butcher Contracting

Mary Ann Butcher Contracting provided executive and personal assistance while traveling to various locations.

Executive & Personal Assistant | Operations Manager
Gained a reputation as a world-class administrative professional capturing high-profile clients across the globe. Oversaw initiatives to streamline daily efficiency, coordinated travel arrangements, planned schedules, and managed calendars. Directed communication that included responding to emails and corresponding via social media platforms.
⬥	Captured high profile clients including executives, reality TV cast members, entertainers, athletes, media & legal professionals, and highly successful entrepreneurs across diverse industries
⬥	Won service contracts with top enterprise companies such as Intel, Cisco, and Pepsi
⬥	Traveled across the world to support clients’ media, analyst, pitches, and industry meetings

Executive & Personal Assistant | Operations Manager

The Walt Disney Company

The Walt Disney Company is a multinational entertainment and media conglomerate. ABC Television is an American multinational commercial broadcast television network that serves the flagship property of Walt Disney Television.

Executive Assistant to President of National TV Sales

Managed projects, scheduling, active calendar, and expense report preparation. Prepared confidential communication. Arranged detailed travel plans, itineraries, and agendas. Coordinated meetings, took minutes, and prepared action items
•	Responsible for all administrative duties from multi-time zone and email management as well as personal assistance
•	Streamlined Processes: I evaluated department's workflows and identified areas of improvement, eliminating redundant and inefficient steps. By having fewer and shorter meetings, he was personally able to accompany our senior sales members to client meetings and we saw an increase in his productivity by 25% and increased revenue by 19% because he was able to attend and close the sale
•	Contract & Vendor Review: Leveraged relationships with outside vendors to secure better pricing on supplies and discounts - saving 15% per quarter compared to other divisions as well as departmental travel by 22%
•	Relationship Management: Acted as my executive's delegate in staff meetings for the 250-person department with 11 sales offices and clients like: Coca Cola, McDonalds, Delta, Budweiser, etc. Represented the company at all events including Yankee Stadium and Madison Square Garden VIP boxes
•	Managing Expenses: In addition to preparing the president's expenses, I audited all that came to him for approval to ensure policy compliance
•	Data Analysis: Provided a daily summary of Nielsen prime time overnight ratings and distributed to the department
•	Event Management: Responsible for employee and client events in 11 cities. In my first year, I shaved 20% off venues by negotiating better contracts. Department's lead on the Academy Awards Governor's Ball

Executive Assistant to President of National Television Sales 

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