My name is Emily and I’m a Sales Talent Sourcer on the MuleSoft Talent team. Not to be confused with a sorcerer; unfortunately, no, I’m not a wizard. Sorry, Hogwarts!
Sourcers own building top of funnel pipeline for our Talent team. In my case, I am looking for all-star Sales talent for our Account Executive, Customer Success, Federal, and Channel teams. I find these candidates by utilizing a number of tools as well as the greater MuleSoft network. In addition, I screen all potential candidates and help manage the candidate experience from start to finish. Hiring is MuleSoft’s #1 priority, so it’s exciting to be on the front lines and support our greater business goals!
What is the most interesting problem you’re working on solving right now?
Continuing to create an outstanding candidate experience. We are reaching out to thousands of candidates a week as a team, but we never want this pace to take away from the overall candidate experience. We aim to make sure that from the first connection, all the way to receiving an offer, candidates have an exceptional interview experience––feeling like the process is as much about them learning about us.
To make sure that candidates continue to have a high touch and personalized experience, it’s essential I maintain a closely knit relationship with my hiring managers and recruiters. I also make sure I learn about every candidate’s background so that I’m building real connections with people and giving them a personalized experience.
How did you get to becoming a Sales Sourcer?
I owe a lot of my career journey experience to MuleSoft. When I first applied, it made the most sense for me to come in as a recruiter or to join the sales team. I had previously worked in staffing and I’d been extremely successful at selling and working with candidates.
However, I was very intrigued by our Event Marketing role. I planned weddings in college and enjoyed the opportunity to execute events and make someone’s special day come to life. I thought: “how cool would it be to do this on a larger scale and have a massive impact on MuleSoft’s brand?”
MuleSoft took a chance on me, and my passion, and hired me as their newest Event Marketing Associate. In the role, I managed attendees, speakers, and sponsors for our annual flagship conference CONNECT; I also led a wide number of additional ad-hoc projects.
I absolutely loved my time on the Marketing team, and worked with some of the most humble, inspiring, intelligent, and driven, people I’ve ever met. Our Events Marketing team consisted of 3 team members––it was definitely small but mighty! And my managers made sure I was able to get my hands on everything, and I consistently challenged myself. There wasn’t a day where I didn’t learn a new skill.
During my time in the role, however, I noticed that my passion to work with people each and every day, became increasingly more clear. I also gravitated a lot to what the Talent team at MuleSoft was looking to accomplish. I was in awe of the large hiring goals the team had to hit each year, and that somehow, they were always able to not only hit those numbers, but exceed them. Over time, I knew that I really wanted to be a part of this effort and play a key role in helping make a company I’d come to truly love, grow.
Because my manager and I met every week, I was able to meet with her and express my career goals to join the hiring team. She recognized that my strengths – customer service, helping people with their goals or objectives, and thriving in people-focused roles – aligned very closely with an open role on the Talent team. My manager supported and encouraged the move, to further my career goals.
Not only was I supported by my manager, but also by the entire Marketing team. Together, they made my transition possible.
I’m now loving each and every day as a Sales Talent Sourcer and learning the craft of sourcing and recruiting top new talent. I have an amazing management team, really fun coworkers, and I am challenged each day. I’m extremely lucky that MuleSoft is an organization that cares deeply about its employees’ career growth, and makes sure we continue to thrive both personally and professionally.
Why did you choose to come work for MuleSoft?
I have to admit I was never a very technical person, so MuleSoft’s market opportunity and technology was foreign to me prior to joining. Prior to MuleSoft, I was in staffing, so I had a strong understanding of the market landscape, and which companies were growing.
I recognized that MuleSoft was not only a leader in their industry; but also, from a cultural perspective, it is a top place to work in the Bay Area. I wanted to join a company that I could grow with and make a long-term investment in. During the interview process, it became apparent to me Mulesoft was the perfect place to do just that!
MuleSoft owns its culture. It’s tangible here, you can feel it. Every person that I met in my interview panel truly embodies our core values and I knew, after each round, these were the people I wanted to work alongside each day. So in short, MuleSoft drew me in, but it was the people that really sold me.
Take us through a typical day in the life.
I like to start each morning enjoying homemade avocado toast and a cup of tea (yummm!), while I go through my emails from potential candidates. I typically send over 400 messages to candidates each month; so, as you can expect, my inbox is very full when I start each morning.
It’s important that I get back to these candidates in a timely manner. For those that are interested in an opportunity at MuleSoft and are the right fit for a role I’m working on, I immediately set up an intro call to dig deeper into their background and their fit for the role.
My job is all about relationship building, so even if the timing isn’t right or a candidate isn’t looking to make a move, it’s important I gain a better understanding of what they are looking for. That way, I can schedule a time to follow up at a later date. You never know when someone’s current situation is going to change, and I want to make sure MuleSoft is the first place they think about when they eventually decide to make a career move.
Next, I jump into sourcing. We have a plethora of tools at our fingertips we can use. My personal favorite is good ‘ol LinkedIn Recruiter, but each Sourcer has a preference. When I find a candidate that looks like a fit, I do my best to get their attention. This can sometimes be a challenge. The sales talent market is pretty saturated, especially in my territory – the South and Southeast US – so I have to be creative to stand out.
Some of my favorite cold messages talk about cat cafes and why this potential candidate could be the “purrrrfect” fit for MuleSoft, as well as messages about fantasy football, Game of Thrones, or the latest and most up-to-date stories and fads. I have a pretty quirky and silly sense of humor, as my team knows well, so I want this to really show in my messages. It makes the job more fun for me, and it really goes a long way with candidates.
Finally, there is a lot of collaboration involved in my role. I partner with my hiring manager every day to make sure we are moving candidates through the interview process and no one slips through the cracks. I also partner with my hiring partner in crime and Lead Recruiter for the South, Tim Downs. The sourcer-recruiter relationship is essential when it comes to hiring success, and I like to think we are the closest dynamic duo!
What 3 things are always on your desk and why?
- My Beats headphones. Nothing better than jamming out to my favorite tunes while I source for candidates. Not ashamed to say you’ll often catch me dancing or singing along at my desk!
- My candy jar. I’m a huge foodie and you just can’t beat the amazing snacks and sweets MuleSoft has to offer in our snack kitchen. M&M’s and jelly beans – yum!
- My planner. I need to stay extremely organized in order to ensure I never miss a call, follow up with candidates in a timely manner, and get them through the interview pipeline as quickly as possible. Organization is just one small piece that contributes to an awesome candidate experience.
What teams do you work with most, and how do you collaborate?
Since I’ve worked on two teams – Marketing and, now, Talent – I’ve had the amazing opportunity to work with nearly the entire organization. CONNECT is truly an “all hands on deck” effort. As the event date approached, I collaborated with teams across the organization––from the Finance team, which helped process sponsorship payments and the Field Marketing team, which made sure attendees were set for the event, to regular syncs with the the Executive team to discuss the event and their speaking sessions.
As a Sourcer, I partner very closely with our Sales organization; in particular, our Account Executive team. It’s awesome that anyone up to our SVP of Global Sales, is just a Slack or phone call away. We rely on our Muley network when it comes to our hiring efforts, and our Sales team truly backs my efforts to find top new talent 100%.
What is your favorite activity outside of the office?
I work out at Roark, a CrossFit gym here in San Francisco, and it’s a great way to end the day. The workouts always help me shut off so that I’m ready to go and excited for the next day. We’ve recruited quite a few Muleys to come work out––so that’s also another huge plus. It’s been a great way for me to bond with my coworkers outside of the office and set personal fitness goals together.
I also coach a group of elementary school girls through the nonprofit after-school program: Girls On The Run. I’m a bit of a kid at heart so it’s been a great opportunity to not only mentor these girls, but help them overcome personal, emotional, and social obstacles in their life. More recently, I helped them train for a 5k at the end of the program!
I’ve been fortunate enough that my manager lets me leave on the early side on Tuesdays and Thursdays in order to work the program into my schedule. He knows that volunteering and giving back is a huge personal goal for me, and makes me a happier and more outgoing person overall––so he was more than happy to be flexible to help me reach that goal.
What is your proudest accomplishment in your role here so far?
I’ve been proud of a lot of things here at MuleSoft. From growing on the Events Marketing team to successfully creating internal relationships and gaining the appropriate skill set to transfer to the Talent team.
The proudest moment for me was Day 1 of CONNECT. Like I mentioned, my background isn’t really in running events. The entire role was a brand new experience for me and I truly had no idea what to expect come events day. Managing over 2,000 attendees, 25 sponsors, and over 100 speakers wasn’t an easy task.
But with the preparation of my management team, as well as a lot of adrenaline, excitement, and a whole lot of Peet’s coffee, I jumped right in and made sure my sponsors, speakers, and attendees had an A+ experience.
What is the latest technology you’ve learned to use?
Our team has recently started using Teamable and it’s been a really great resource. Basically, by using this tool, we are able to take advantage of our Muley network, and have a really targeted approach when it comes to sourcing and candidate outreaches.
Muleys have huge networks, and Teamable lets us help them find people who may be a good fit for MuleSoft and reach out to them. A warm and personal approach is key when it comes to connecting with candidates and building relationships, as these people may be my future co-workers!
What is your favorite thing about working on the Talent team at MuleSoft?
I can’t say enough how much I love this team. I truly enjoy coming to work every day because these people aren’t just my teammates, they are my mentors, cheerleaders, and friends. I genuinely feel like everyone on this team pushes me to do my best, and is here to support and help me when I need it.
We have a huge goal to accomplish – growing MuleSoft one Muley at a time – but we make sure we have fun doing it. From weekly Game of Thrones sync sessions and cheesecake runs to our brie obsession, holiday decorating, meme sharing, and dance parties––this is a truly amazing group of people and I love getting to share my weeks inside and out of the office with them.
Our Talent Team is growing! Learn more about the team and where you can make an impact. Interested in other positions? Check out our open roles on the Careers site!
