CWE Crane Enterprises 

CWE Crane Enterprises is a privately held Canadian firm focused on acquiring and scaling essential service businesses, where trust, consistency, and operational execution drive long-term value.

We believe in building businesses that serve people, create livelihoods, and operate with integrity. Our mission is to lead with clarity, act with conviction, and steward each business with the long-term sustainability.

Current Portfolio:
1. Scaling Success: industrial sales training
2. Molly Maid: residential cleaning service 
3. Texas Ticket: online education service

President

Scaling Success

At Scaling Success™, we believe success compounds. It starts with education and ends with execution.

Our mission is simple: transform industrial sales reps and leaders into formidable sales professionals and 7-figure closers.

We don’t do generic fluff: We deploy proprietary frameworks — ARC5™, CICSR™, and PTR™ — built from years in the field, designed to help reps and teams close bigger deals with consistency.

Founder & President

MOLLY MAID Canada

At MOLLY MAID, we deliver premium, professional home cleaning services with a personal touch. As a franchise owner, I’m proud to lead a bonded, insured, and detail-oriented team committed to excellence, safety, and consistency.

Our crews arrive in branded vehicles, fully equipped with eco-friendly products as part of our Green Housekeeping Program. We operate Monday to Friday during daylight hours, supporting both family balance and professional service.

Backed by Canada’s most trusted name in residential cleaning since 1979, we combine proven systems with local care. Whether you’re a client or part of our growing team, you’re in good hands with us.

Franchise Owner

XCMG Canada

Led a national sales team and the development of a national dealer network, securing $12M in new revenue while traveling across Canada in 3 months.

Vice President of Sales

Naumann Hobbs Material Handling, Inc.

Led the development of a new forklift division, while overhauling the existing rental and used equipment departments.

Lonestar Forklift, Inc.

Led the growth & development of 4 sales branches, growing the total team size from 6 to 15 & leading revenue growth from $8M to $15M

General Manager

Leavitt Machinery

Led the development of a new sales department after acquisition, and grew the sales team from 0 to 10 and annual revenue from $4M to $12M.

Regional Sales Manager

Crown Lift Trucks

Managed a sales territory, growing market share from 9% to 33% and total revenue from 3M to 9M.

Territory Account Manager

The London Vocal Studio

Founder and Instructor of the #1 rated vocal teaching studio in London Ontario. Sold in 2020 to a large franchise.

Founder & Master Instructor

Ricoh Canada Inc.

Managed a sales territory, growing market share from 7% to 27% and revenue from 2M to 6M.

Territory Sales Representative

I write about sales, leadership & productivity to help you become a top sales performer. RSM at Lonestar Forklift | AIB MBA

Hey,

I’m Chris Crane, and my mission is simple: transforming industrial sales reps into formidable sales professionals.

Over my 15-year sales career, I’ve closed over $100 million in industrial equipment deals, trained more than 150 reps, and led industrial sales teams across Canada and the U.S.

I built the Scaling Success System™ to give industrial sales reps what no one else offers: a sales operating system specifically engineered for industrial sales. This system has taught over 150+ industrial sales reps to make over $250k+ per year consistently, and it can do the same for you. 

This isn’t theory. It’s a proven system designed to cut through the noise and turn conversations into conversions.

DM "sales" to learn more.

Chris Crane

Your quota isn’t just tied to skill. It’s tied to how much you learn. 

Most reps skim headlines.
They never finish the chapter.
They never build the habits that sharpen their advantage.

They celebrate small wins.
They stop improving after quota.
They forget that continuous learning is a must. 

Here’s what I know:
→ Books compound advantage.
→ They sharpen instincts reps overlook.
→ The best closers study strategy when others chase shortcuts.

Consider these takeaways: 
→ Stories create connection.
→ Urgency must be discovered, not forced.
→ Buyers need to feel like the decision is theirs.
→ Most reps pitch too early because they never uncover real pain.
→ Psychological leverage comes from trust built before the solution is ever shown.

If you’re not reading, you’re already losing ground.


P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach.

If you want to improve your selling ability right now, I created a FREE 5-day course to get you started: 👉 https://lnkd.in/gKGYmHUM

The $100M Closer | I install the Scaling Success System™ in your industrial sales organization. Your team gets a 5x return.

Most companies think they understand why the buyer buys, but they often fail here. 

They let buyers wander through stages.
They hope the prospect “moves forward.”
The the consumer decision-making process like a passive observation.

And that’s why deals drift, stall, and disappear.

If your a sales leader, here is what you need to consider:

Awareness doesn’t happen by luck.
→You establish authority, name the issue, and trigger the need.

Research isn’t random.
→Your questions expose the friction points the buyer didn’t see yet.

Consideration isn’t a comparison game.
→You redirect, clarify cost, and anchor your solution using their logic.

Conversion isn’t an emotional moment.
→It’s the natural result of controlled sequencing.

Re-purchase isn’t about satisfaction.
→It’s about systemized follow-up & expectation management

Here’s what happens when companies operationalize these stages with a unified system, like the Scaling Success System™

→ Objections decrease
→ Deal velocity increases
→ Repeat business multiplies
→ Forecasts become accurate

The buyer’s journey isn’t something you monitor, it’s something you command.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you're ready to improve your sales team's outcomes and you want to install a proven system with proven frameworks, start here: 👉https://lnkd.in/g4t7DKmP

You can’t scale a team on hope.

Most leaders think they have a system.
They think their reps are following the process.
They think deal flow is healthy because the dashboard is green. 

Then quarter-end hits and everything falls apart.

The pipeline shrinks.
The “strong” opportunities melt under basic questions.
And the reps who sounded confident two weeks ago suddenly can’t defend a single number. 

The problem wasn’t effort.
The problem was structure.
And structure is where most companies quietly bleed.

So I installed the Scaling Success System™ inside a team that was missing quota for 6 straight quarters.

We rebuilt from the ground up using Canon Pillars and the integrated frameworks: CICSR™ for discovery, ARC5™ for objection control, and PTR™ for resistance handling. 

Here’s what changed:

→ Reps stopped “winging” discovery and started running CICSR™ with discipline.
→ Leadership stopped guessing and started inspecting using the 5 Core Pillars.
→ Deals stopped stalling because ARC5™ became the default cadence.

Here’s why it worked:

→ When a team has a unified operating system, performance compounds.
→ When reps follow a framework, conversations stop collapsing.
→ When leaders coach the same structure the reps execute, forecasting becomes real.

Teams don’t fail from a lack of effort. They fail from a lack of architecture.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you're ready to improves your sales team's outcomes and you want to install a proven system with proven frameworks, start here: 👉https://lnkd.in/g4t7DKmP

Most sales leaders don’t coach their team.

They manage metrics.
They push for more activity.
They don’t build performance.

I’ve seen it too many times.

The pipeline stalls.
Good reps get stuck.
leadership has no clue why.

Here’s what I know:
→ Good leaders are good coaches
→ Good teams are properly coached
→ Good coaching provides clear guidance 

Consider these 8 tips: 
→ Be direct
→ Design actions
→ Set goals & follow up
→ Hold them accountable
→ Establish solid agreements
→ Create a trusted environment
→ Use powerful direct questioning 
→ Practice focused, active listening

Ask yourself: What could I be doing better than I am doing today as a leader? 

Want my full leadership framework? 

Comment "leadership" and I will send it over.

Stalled teams don’t need motivation. They need a system.

Most organizations...

Blame the rep.
Blame the market.
Blame “seasonality."

Then they wonder why performance keeps flat lining.

I was brought in to evaluate a team that hadn’t closed a meaningful deal in 90 days.

→ Pipeline looked full.
→ Nothing was moving.
→They blame the market.

The problem was obvious the moment I listened to three calls.

→ Discovery was shallow.
→ Objections were mishandled.
→ Deals were dying because nobody was controlling the rhythm.

So I installed the Scaling Success System™ 

→ CICSR™ for discovery flow.
→ ARC5™ for call control and objection sequencing.
→ PTR™ for categorizing the real resistance instead of fighting ghosts.

Within 30 days:
→ Conversion on second meetings doubled.
→ Deals stopped slipping into “next quarter.”
→ Reps finally understood why process beats personality.

Within 60 days:
→ Leaders could forecast accurately.
→ Reps stopped wasting time on dead opportunities.
→ High-stakes meetings became predictable instead of chaotic.

Within 90 days:
→ Revenue stabilized.
→ Momentum took over.
→ The team wasn’t guessing anymore

Here’s the truth:
→ Structure removes failure.
→ Systems remove hesitation.
→ Frameworks remove inconsistency.

When you replace hope with architecture, everything changes.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you're ready to improves your sales team's outcomes and you want to install a proven system with proven frameworks, start here: 👉https://lnkd.in/g4t7DKmP

The first 90 days don’t determine your sales career, your first 900 do.

Everyone wants fast results.

But sales rewards those who stay.

Not those who hit early numbers.
Not those who get lucky with leads.
Not those who jump teams when it gets hard.

It rewards the reps who stay disciplined when it’s boring.

It rewards the ones who master the territory.

The ones who build relationships before they need them.

The ones who show up even when it feels like nothing’s working.

Most reps fail not from lack of talent.

They fail because they confuse discomfort with a sign to leave.

Top performers don’t chase momentum.

They create it, protect it, and compound it.

Great careers reward permanence, not panic.

900 days.

Mark it down. 

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you want to improve your selling ability right now, I created a FREE 5-day course to get you started: 👉https://lnkd.in/gF8aRNXf

Most teams don’t lose deals at the close, they lose them because they never lead the close.

Closing isn’t a mystery.
It isn’t “reading the room.”
It isn’t a special personality.

It’s structure.

It removes hesitation by anchoring to the next logical step.
It shifts the buyer from decision-making to decision-confirming.
It reinforces leadership, which is the core of every successful sales interaction.

Assumptive questions only land when the system behind them is solid because control isn’t created in the close, it’s created in the discovery and reinforced through ARC5™.

Here’s how each question maps to elite selling psychology:

→ “What method of payment would you like to use?”
Positions the deal as already aligned and moves the buyer into action mode.

→ “How quickly would you like the product delivered?”
Transitions from evaluation to implementation, a psychological shift buyers follow.

→ “Whose name do I make the invoice out to?”
Anchors administrative certainty and removes ambiguity.

→ “How many of these items do I need to put you down for?”
Frames quantity, not commitment, removing risk from the answer.

→ “What day do you want our technician to do the installation?”
Assumes forward motion and reinforces that the solution is the next step, not the question.

Here’s what organizations see when assumptive closes become standard:

→ Faster decision velocity
→ Stronger buyer confidence
→ Reduced last-minute resistance
→ Higher proposal-to-close conversion

Most reps try to “get the close right." Elite teams get the system right, and the close becomes automatic.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you want to improve your selling ability right now, I created a FREE 5-day course to get you started: 👉https://lnkd.in/gaNEXimq

Most teams don’t realize how fragile their pipeline actually is.

They think more activity will fix it.
They think reps just need to “try harder.”
They think next quarter will magically look better.

It never does.

I worked with a team that looked strong on paper.

They had volume.
They had experience.
They had decent territory coverage.

But they had no system.

Every proposal looked different.
Every rep ran their own version of discovery.
Every close depended on whatever mood the rep was in that day.

You can’t scale chaos.

So we rebuilt everything through the Scaling Success System™.

→ We rebuilt discovery using CICSR so reps finally exposed real cost.
→ We rebuilt objection handling using PTR so stalls got categorized instead of feared.
→ And we rebuilt deal flow with ARC5 so reps controlled rhythm instead of losing momentum.

Three weeks later the shift was obvious.

→ Deals moved faster.
→ Customer confidence spiked.
→ And reps who were “average” suddenly looked elite.

Here’s the truth: systems outperform talent because systems don’t collapse under pressure.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you're ready to improves your sales team's outcomes and you want to install a proven system with proven frameworks, start here: 👉https://lnkd.in/g4t7DKmP

You don’t fix a rep’s confidence by giving them more motivation.

They think their issue is mindset.
They think they just need “to believe.”
They think confidence shows up before competence.

But every stalled rep I’ve coached followed the same pattern.

They avoided real discovery.
They softened their questions.
They hid behind “relationship building” instead of leading the call.

Here’s where deals died:

They never took the buyer deep enough.
They never quantified the cost.
They never created the urgency the deal required.

So I taught them CICSR the way it’s meant to be used — with pressure, sequence, and control.
→ Context to ground the conversation in reality.
→ Issue to expose the friction they kept glossing over.
→ Cost to make the buyer say their own pain out loud.
→ Solution to co-create the future instead of pitching features.
→ Resistance to surface the objections early so nothing blindsided them later. 

→  The shift was immediate.
→ Their questions sharpened.
→ Their confidence finally came from evidence, not hope.

Your confidence doesn’t grow before the work. It grows because of the work.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you want to improve your selling ability right now, I created a FREE 5-day course to get you started: 👉https://lnkd.in/gaNEXimq

The deal almost died because I broke my own rule: never accept the first answer.

The timeline sounded “set.”
The buyer sounded confident.
The numbers sounded reasonable.

But something was off.

The answers were too clean.
The logic didn’t match the pain.
The urgency didn’t match the cost.

I stopped the drift and shifted into ARC5.

→ First, I aligned — calm, steady, zero resistance.
→ Then I redirected — “Walk me through what’s actually causing the slowdown.”
→ Then I clarified — and that’s where everything cracked open.

→ The “minor delay” was costing them six figures a quarter.
→ The “non-urgent project” was stalling three other initiatives.
→ The “we’ll revisit next month” was actually fear of making the wrong call.

So I reframed using their own admissions.

“You said the delays hit revenue, correct? And because they hit revenue, the cost stacks every week, correct?”

I tied the issue to the consequence, the consequence to the math, and the math to the solution.

Once the logic was undeniable, closing was a formality.

→ The hesitation vanished.
→ The timeline moved forward.
→ The deal locked in that afternoon.

Control isn’t force. Control is sequence.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach

If you want to improve your selling ability right now, I created a FREE 5-day course to get you started: 👉https://lnkd.in/gaNEXimq

Most reps don’t follow a sales process, they follow their emotions. 

They panic during objections.
They forget what they already uncovered.
They rush to close without setting the stage.

Here’s what I know:

→ They use structure to create control.
→ Great reps don’t “wing it” in critical conversations.
→ They follow a sequence that leads the buyer, not chases them.

Most sales reps skip the steps that build trust.

They push too early.
They misread the buyer’s resistance.
They never anchor their solution to the real pain.

Here’s how elite reps use the ARC5™ sequence to run a world-class sales process:

→ Align: Start by agreeing with the buyer’s concern to lower resistance.
→ Redirect: Guide the conversation back to what really matters, their pain.
→ Clarify: Dig into the issue, quantify the cost, and confirm what’s at stake.
→ Reframe: Position your solution as the logical fix, backed by ROI.
→ Close: Affirm the outcome, set the timeline, and secure the next step.

It’s not just a framework.
It’s a cheat code for closing high-value deals.
It’s how top 1% reps stay in control of every conversation.

Sales isn’t just personality, it’s about process.

P.S. This is just a sample of what I teach.

DM "sales" if you want to learn more.

I empower millennial & gen X job seekers in tech to interview with confidence

Do you feel frustrated with the current job market?
Do you struggle to communicate in interviews?
Do you get rejected often? 
Do you get ghosted?

It usually takes a handful of interviews to warm up. 
But those handful of interviews are jobs. 
Jobs you might really want. 

For the last 20 years, I’ve been studying interviews. 
First as a candidate, then as a hiring manager. 
I’ve been in hundreds of interviews. 

I interviewed countless candidates and interviewers. 
I worked with interviewers to make hiring decisions. 
I learned what worked and didn’t work. 

And I learned that interviews aren’t about trivia. 
They’re about human connection. 
They’re about story telling. 

Interviewers want to experience working with you. 
Interviewers want to see if you’re like them. 
People want to work with people they like. 

I know what rejection feels like. I’ve been there. 
And I know what it’s like to crave feedback.
I know what it feels like to be ghosted. 

And I know what it feels like to get the offer. 
What it feels like to crush an interview. 

Today, I help people make a lasting impression. 
I help them show, not tell, how they work. 
I coach them on how to tell their story. 

I give them the feedback they crave. 
So they don’t have to warm on when it counts. 

Dozens have worked with me so far. 
And they’ve seen results in as little as 7-8 weeks. 

So what are you waiting for? I’m here to help you.

Jonathan Corrales

"I got laid off and don't know if I will find a job again. I can't land an interview. Non stop rejections."

Getting laid off is bad enough. But landing zero interviews and getting only rejections is salt meeting a freshly opened wound. 

It's important to know what to do, but also 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘥𝘰. You have limited time and energy. For many, job seeking will take six months on average.

In a recent poll with over 2,302 respondents, 37% (852) reported being on the job search for 9 months or more. That's consistent with my conversations with 1,188 job seekers in the last two years. Source in comments. 👇

Here are seven things I've noticed that 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 someone's job search:

1️⃣ Applying for everything:
If it's remotely related to your experience, you apply. Your audience will be confused because it's not obvious how you're a fit, especially if you use the same resume for everything.

2️⃣ Applying because it was posted an hour ago:
I know it's a common piece of advice to apply within an hour. But if you're not qualified for the role, you'll just get rejected faster. Take the time to figure out if you're qualified. Focus on min qualifications.

3️⃣ Not reading the job description:
There are many reasons to read the job description. But one of them is to make sure there aren't special application instructions buried in it. Sometimes you need to send an email. Sometimes you need to record a 1-2 minute video. Read the fine print.

4️⃣ Arbitrarily messaging random people at a company:
Another common piece of advice. Message everyone at a company in the hopes that they'll give you a referral or backdoor into an interview. Your message usually gets ignored. Especially if you're asking for value first.

5️⃣ Sending "what do you have for me" messages:
If there's one way to annoying recruiters or hiring managers, it's sending them a message like, "what do you have for me?" with your resume attached. Especially if that recruiter doesn't recruit for your position/seniority.

6️⃣ Not tracking applications:
If you apply somewhere, they might call you randomly. If you don't remember applying, you're either applying to too many places or you're not using a job tracker. You need to note why you applied and why you're a good fit.

7️⃣ Not applying to jobs consistently:
Once you have a target role and seniority, you should start building a pipeline of opportunities. The best way to do that is to apply to your target roles every day. If it's your target and you're qualified, apply. Expect a response in 2-3 weeks. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

I empower millennial & gen X job seekers in tech to land and pass interviews with confidence

I spoke to a job seeker that hasn't interviewed in 14 years. That's staying power.

When I was a kid, I remember hearing about people having long careers at one company. 

In college, I learned that didn't necessarily apply to tech, especially if I wanted my salary to go up. A lot of people in industry suggested I hop around every couple of years.

(There were some exceptions. Microsoft was supposedly a place to retire from.)

The average tenure for a person in tech is roughly 3 years, based on my experience. 

But I've met plenty of job seekers that changed my view on how long someone can stay at one company.

One of my clients worked at a company for over 20 years, he out lived two acquisitions. When we met, he said this would be the first time he's made a resume or interviewed. Ever. 

I met another job seeker in ed tech that hadn't interviewed in 14 years. She expected a layoff at the beginning of next year. She saw the writing on the wall and decided to plan her exit. 

It's hard to imagine updating a resume after a decade or two, but I see it more often than I thought I would. 

Lesson
If you're employed, you don't have to update your resume every week. But you should record your accomplishments regularly. You don't want to forget important details.

Application
- Create a doc on a cloud drive. 
- Name it "my awesome doc."
- Block 30 minutes every Friday. 
- Name the event "deep work."
- Add the problems, actions, and results (PAR). 
- Use this doc for resume updates, perf evals, etc. when you need it. 


--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

One shot: if your resume's summary is 12 lines, it's too long. That's a cover letter, not a summary. 

Another: if your bullets are four lines, they're too long. That's a paragraph, not a bullet. 

Your resume is a sample of your communication skills. You're demonstrating your ability to discern what's important or relevant information to share. 

I understand the idea is to show how much you know or can do, but putting everything you can think of into that document doesn't work as well as you think. 

Less is more when it comes to a resume.

A great test is to give the job description and your resume to someone. Ask them if they see an obvious match with your resume as written. If they can't do it, recruiters and hiring managers will struggle too. 

Remember that you're resume is skimmed, not read word for word. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips #techresume

A year after you got your job, you feel like you should get a pay increase. Now what?

If you're a year into your new job and you want to prepare to have a conversation with your manager about increasing your pay. This is for you.

Having that conversation is easy. Preparing for it is hard. 

Well, not really hard. Tedious is more like it. But with a little planning you can do it easily.

Save your job description 
Your job description has all sorts of useful information for performance evaluations. It's got responsibilities, goals, etc.  It's your scope of work. If you're doing more than what's expected, we'll use that. 

Build an awesome doc 
Write down all your wins. If you make mistakes, write down how you overcame it and what you learned. If you're doing stuff that wasn't in your job description, write it down. This is your reference doc. 

Record achievements and accolades
Anytime you get rewarded or recognized for your achievements, write it down. Help close a sale? Led delivery of a project? Helped someone get promoted? Record what you did and how you helped.

Time, money, and scope 
Here's where you demonstrate the value you delivered. Companies care about making money, saving money, going faster, and improving quality. If you can demonstrate that in terms of money (increased revenue or decreased cost), time (delivered sooner), or scope (closed 300 tickets or led 12 engineers), you're golden. 

Research
Here's where you tie everything together. Do some research on what someone with your qualifications, skills, and experience is making. Figure out what the average and 75th percentile are. Get a sense of what's reasonable. 

Given everything you've accomplished and based on your research, what's a number you would be comfortable asking for?

--

👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews. 
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

Going for a technical project or program manager role? Don't call people resources. They're people.

There are some words you just don't say at work. But I didn't think resources would be one of them...

A few years ago, I had to fill a technical program manager role. I got a referral from a coworker. 

When I opened that person's resume, he had decades of relevant experience. He seemed like a shoe-in. 

I gave him a phone screen. We spoke for an hour. I was excited about working with him. 

I booked him for an on-site interview with all the team leads in my org.

When he showed up, I escorted him to the interview room. I introduced him to the leads and left. 

He had his interview. I was hopeful. 

I got feedback from all the leads. No one was thrilled with his performance. 

"He called people resources," one team lead said. "He's not going to fit in here."

That's when I realized the candidate inadvertently talked himself out of a job. He said a bad word: resources. No one wanted to be called a resource. 

In the candidate's defense, project management books called people resources for decades. It's part of the vernacular. Human resources, for example. 

But times changes they do change. 

Eventually, we interviewed another candidate for the position. He nailed the vibe check. He called people people, not resources. He got the offer. 

And that's why it's important to practice how you respond to questions in an interview. Remember your interviewers are paying attention to the words you choose. 

--

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

We all start new jobs with potential. Sometimes those hopes are dimmed by unexpected challenges.

A few years ago, I'm sitting in my office looking out of my window. It oversaw a little air strip where small planes and helicopters landed. 

One of my devs leads, M, knocks on the door. He wants to talk about a recent hire, J. 

J passed his interviews without any issues. But he wasn't performing as expected.  

M starts to tell me about J's performance issues. He asks me for guidance. J is a few months in. I worry M is about to recommend J goes somewhere else.

"J isn't doing well," M says. "Maybe there's another team he's better suited for."

"Actually," I say. "I have an idea. Our support team could use a resident dev to help with support requests. I've got buy-in from leadership to fill that role."

"That sounds like a plan," M says. 

I meet with J and review the plan with him. I ask if he's interested in making the switch. 

"Let's do it," J says. "Sounds like fun."

Fast forward to J's performance evaluation a year later: his new lead gives him a glowing review. "J is one of the best hires we've ever had."

J still works there six years later. 

And that's why it's important to understand expectations before beginning a new job. Ask as many questions as you can throughout your interviews. 

Make sure you understand those expectations clearly. 

--
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

I was about to fail my job interview, and I knew it. 

It's 2005. I'm standing in a room with three interviewers staring at me. It's not a big room. I'm not sure why I'm standing. 

I feel like they're waiting for me to say something impressive. 

They're about to be very disappointed. 

I'm holding a dry erase marker that smells like strawberries. They want me to solve a problem that reminds me of a physics problem I couldn't solve in class. 

"That's it. You're screwed," I think to myself.
"Can you repeat the question?" I ask. 

I start writing whatever they say. I underline things like distance, speed, and draw a circle. I'm hoping I magically remember how to calculate the circumference of a circle. 

"I know pi is part of it," I think to myself. "I should have paid attention in math class. Fu..."

"Jonathan," one interviewer says. "Can you say what you're thinking out loud? We want to understand how you're doing thinking about the problem."

I look at him. I probably made a face that showed I was irritated or nervous. Both would have been correct. I can feel a bead of sweat forming on top of my head.

"Sure," I say. "No, problem."

But there was a problem. I couldn't solve this problem in silence. How was I supposed to solve this problem thinking out loud? Awkward.

That's when I realized I was going to fail that interview. There was no way to save it. 

Ever since that experience I practiced solving problems out loud. I would practice with others, my friends, my family, my wife. Anyone that'll humor me for a few minutes. 

And that's why today I help my clients practice solving problems out loud. I help them organize their thoughts and deliver responses clearly and concisely 

That's what turns interviews in to offers, especially in the tech industry. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"Interview process is moving very fast. I'm suspicious."

It's easy to feel like something is wrong now that we're conditioned for hiring to be slower than molasses. 

But lesser-known companies still need to fill roles urgently. And they don't want good talent to go anywhere. 

Still, if you feel like it's going too fast, don't be shy about understanding the rush. Get curious and ask questions. 

Sometimes, job descriptions will say something like urgent or immediate. Ask about that. Why is it urgent? What's the expectation for the next couple of months?

Learn about what you're getting yourself into. It might be a great opportunity. Not a scary one. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips #oneshot

He was exhausted from working holidays and weekends, but terrified of what it meant to chase his dream in tech. 

A year ago, one of my clients was working in retail as a manager. He worked 60 hours a week for more than 10 years. 

He was tired of it. He wasn't a fan of working holidays and weekends. He wanted to spend more time with his wife. He wanted to break into the tech industry. But he was terrified it was too late for him.

He went to school while working retail and got a bachelor's in computer science. He went to school at night. Still, he was worried he couldn't break into tech because he lacked experience in the field.

When I met him, he wasn't getting a lot of interviews. The ones he got ended in rejection. 

He was working on a side project to build experience and keep his skills sharp. He was helping a bootstrapped startup build a cloud-based platform by building its infrastructure. 

He had something to talk about in his interviews. If only he could get someone to look at his application and see potential. If only someone gave him a shot to prove himself. 

After I heard his story, I was emotionally invested. 

I helped him get organized and stay consistent throughout his search. He started getting interviews. It helped him get traction.

Then I made sure his resume showed his qualifications for a systems engineer role.

One day he got an interview at local university in one of their engineering departments. He passed his interviews. A few weeks later, they gave him an offer. 

On the way to his retail job, he got a phone call. It was an offer for his first position as a systems engineer. He broke in to tech. He called his wife and cried with her the phone. 

He was finally able to take nights and weekends off. 

And that's why I'm a firm believer in showing employers what you can do, especially in tech. I help my clients put together portfolios, pitch desks, and complete take home assignments to secure offers. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"I don't need to tell you about how dehumanizing the application process has become."

To make sure I stay empathetic and compassionate for the job seeker experience, I like to help clients apply to jobs. 

I'll join call with them. Then invite them to open a position they're interested in and we go to work. I show them how to parse job descriptions, tailor resumes, and so on. 

Occasionally, we come across applications that require so much information, it's kinda like a body cavity search. 

Some applications want a video recording. And some want to see demos of side projects. Some ask for sexuality. One asked for a spirit animal. (I wish I made that up). 

I'm talking applications for all sorts of companies from large to small, and everything in between. 

I'm old enough to remember when applying to a job meant filling out a single double-sided piece of paper on a clipboard with a pen that barely worked. 

Today, the expectation for job seekers is exhausting. Frustrating. Intrusive. Exhausting.

So when a job seeker says, "I don't need to tell you about how dehumanizing the application process has become," my response is "Nope. I'm well aware."

If you're a job seeker in this market. I see you. I feel what you're going through. This mess isn't your fault. Employers need to focus on improving the candidate experience. 

Everyone has been a job seeker at one point. Everyone can be a job seeker again. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.

#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

"I just graduated college and don't have any professional experience."

When I graduated college, most of my classmates and I had zero professional work experience. We worked retail jobs and did some gig work. Employers didn't count that.

Some of my classmates were savvy enough understand the value of internships (and how to get them). Many, like me, thought a degree alone was enough to land a job.

In some ways, the field has changed drastically. It's remained the same in others.

Entry level positions still require three years of professional work experience. After 20 years, it's still a requirement today. That part hasn't changed. 

Some job posts today even explicitly mention the internship experience doesn't count. 

If you're a recent graduate and need to add experience to your resume, here a few things you can do.

Open source
Open source contributions is basically a simulation of working a job out there. You have users, version control, and an issue tracker. It'll help you build out your Github profile. Checkout goodfirstissue[dot]dev for entry-level issues to tackle. 

Volunteer 
You can contribute your skills to organizations that need them but can't necessarily afford to pay for those services. Volunteering can lead to job offers, just like internships can lead to offers. Checkout 48in48[dot]org. Add that work to your portfolio. 

Side project
If you see a problem you can solve, go for it. The great thing about a side project is that you can pick your tech stack, design your own solution, and so on. The downside is you'll like be working on it alone. If you need inspiration, check out theforage[dot]com. 

Post grad internships 
Some companies offer internships for recent grads. They have  restrictions on how recent your graduation date should be, typically about a year. But it's a great opportunity to build experience and your network. Search for "recent grad internships."


As you work on those things, keep a notebook of your experience. Note the problems you solve, how you solve them, and what impact your work has. 

That'll give you stories to tell and a body of work to demonstrate what you're capable of. 

--
👋 Hi, I'm Jonathan.
I empower people in tech ace their job interviews.
#techjobs #jobseekers #interviewprep #protips

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