The fifth edition of Calgary BR Tech took place on October 17th at the Platform Innovation Centre, wrapping up our series on how to compete in the Canadian job market. The October 2024 meetup brought two speakers who look at hiring from different angles: Priscila Prado, on how candidates can prepare and stand out, and Mônica Maciel, on what actually happens on the recruiter’s side. The session was also streamed live, with questions coming in from people watching online.
Preparing to Stand Out
Priscila, a psychologist by training with about 20 years in recruitment and people development, was approaching her first year in Calgary. She picked up the conversation from her earlier session with the community. She started by explaining how a hiring process works behind the scenes: the hiring manager, HR, and sometimes a headhunter, plus the shortlists that narrow hundreds of applicants down to a handful.
From there she focused on the interview itself, covering what to do before, during, and after it. That meant understanding the role and the company beyond a quick look at the website, preparing a pitch built around competencies and concrete results, and following up with a simple thank-you note. One number from a friend’s recruitment firm got the room’s attention: in 2023, only 3% of its roles were filled through job boards, while 97% came through networking and referrals.
She finished with a “fact or fake” quiz with the audience. The last statement was about whether LinkedIn’s Open to Work badge can hurt you, and it split the room. Priscila said that, in her personal view, she wouldn’t use it.
The View From the Recruiter’s Screen
Mônica opened with a disclaimer. She is a tech recruiter in Canada with about two and a half years in the field, after a long career coaching artistic gymnastics. Recruitment is done by humans, she said, so take every tip, including hers, with a grain of salt. She proved the point right away by disagreeing with Priscila on the badge. As a headhunter, she prefers candidates who are Open to Work, because they actually reply.
She called the demand for “Canadian experience” discriminatory and shared ways to get around it. Her suggestions included linking past employers on your résumé, having references ready, and being open to technical tests. She also walked the audience through a live LinkedIn Recruiter search, showing what recruiters see first and why keywords and accomplishment-focused bullet points matter so much. For junior candidates, she shared stories of personal projects that landed interviews. One of them was a site that predicted League of Legends match results.
Questions, AI, and Networking
The Q&A covered résumé length, how technical bullet points should be, LeetCode-style tests, and a question from Anderson to both speakers about using AI in hiring. Mônica’s answer was blunt: AI-written LinkedIn messages all look the same, and she doesn’t answer them. Priscila said she would rather let candidates use AI and evaluate how they use it.
Anderson closed by reminding everyone that the group belongs to the community. He invited people to propose talks, help with the organization, and give fellow Brazilians priority when they hear about job openings. Then the snacks came out and networking started.
You can watch the full recording below.
▶ Watch the recording
Individual talks
- Processo seletivo pelo lado do RH: pitch e método STAR · Priscila Prado
