On the Chad & Cheese Podcast, hosts Joel Cheesman and Chad Sowash welcomed Julia Levy, a seasoned talent acquisition (TA) leader, job search strategist, HR tech advisor, and author of From Hi to Hired: Your Insider Guide to Internships.
Julia, recently departed from AutoZone, shared her 25+ years of TA experience across diverse industries, including tech consulting, staffing (Robert Half), financial services (MetLife, Fiserv), and manufacturing (Comscope). She discussed navigating the complex HR tech landscape, emphasizing the importance of identifying specific organizational problems before selecting technology, rather than chasing trendy solutions at conferences like RECFEST.
Julia highlighted the challenge of distinguishing genuine AI innovations from rebranded legacy systems and shared her approach to vendor due diligence, leveraging networks and customer references. Transitioning to consulting, she noted a shift from corporate constraints to a more fulfilling role, though still receiving sales pitches as if she were at AutoZone.
Her book targets college students facing a tough job market, offering strategies like being a "connector" on LinkedIn, targeting company problems, and turning rejections into growth opportunities. Julia stressed the value of internships and alternative career paths in trades or growth-oriented companies like AutoZone, noting a 10-20% reduction in internship programs due to economic uncertainty.
Find out more at https://www.hi2hired.com/from-hi-to-hired.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to
02:20 Navigating the Talent Acquisition Landscape
05:21 Preparing for Conferences and Vendor Interactions
08:13 Insights from RecFest and Vendor Evaluation
11:12 Transitioning from Corporate to Consulting
14:09 The Importance of Internships for Students
17:05 Adapting to a Changing Job Market
20:05 Strategies for Students in Job Hunting
23:16 Understanding Rejection and Learning from It
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31:54
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31:54
Zoom & Workday Get Busy
Zoom just bought AI interview intelligence darling BrightHire. Chad and Joel discuss why this is a savvy chess move to stop Microsoft Teams, and if the brand will really survive the deal. Moving on, Meta says your 2026 performance review is an AI report card. We explain why every job is now a tech job and why Big Brother AI is watching.
Verizon is yeeting 15,000 people. We go deep on the real, uncomfortable reasons behind their biggest layoff ever. Workday is playing Hungry Hungry Hippos on a massive M&A spree. And finally, 22% of candidates are finding work by sliding into DMs on Tinder and Bumble!
Acquisitions, AI overlords, mass layoffs, and dating apps posing as job boards. Zero apologies, maximum truth bombs. Hit play!
The Shred is a weekly roundup of what’s making headlines in the world of employment. The Shred is brought to you today by Jobcase.
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5:49
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5:49
Team Intelligence w/ Jon Levy
Forget everything you know about leadership. In the latest episode with Chad and Joel, behavioral scientist Jon Levy tears down the myth of the lone genius and reveals why your "super chickens" might be sabotaging your entire operation.
Levy, author of the new book Team Intelligence, unpacks wild stories from his own life—from shredding for a RevAbs infomercial to using a massive 421-million-match Hinge study to prove that introverts never pair up.
You'll hear about the "Super Chicken Problem," learning what homicidal hens in the 1970s can teach you about corporate success and why rewarding individual superstars can destroy your team.
You'll also learn about the "Too Much Talent Problem," the surprising reason teams overloaded with stars often underperform, and how a "no-stats All-Star" helped his basketball team win.
Finally, get the truth about the "Airport Problem," why remote work can feel so lonely, and what managers—who have accidentally become "camp counselors"—can do to fix it. If you've ever wondered how to build a team that crushes the competition without crushing each other, this episode is a must-listen with a startling truth: Harvard MBAs might not be any different from anyone else when it comes to leadership.
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35:36
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35:36
Indeed Stranglehold Gets Tighter and Tighter
Buckle up, kids, the boys are comin' in hot this week. Personio just chopped headcount and abandonded its U.S. strategy. Chad sees defeat; Joel sees a standing ovation for the competition. The bloodbath is real. 📉
Indeed's dropping its new Connect offering. Chad calls it a "shakedown with jazz hands." Joel warns there's something darker going on. 💸
What's more, Indeed has a new KPI! ARPJ - don't worry, you'll learn what it is - is up 15%, but maybe the magic trick is in the numbers, and the boys have the inside scoop on how Indeed is throttling the system. Wall Street claps, Main Street bleeds. 📈
Teen Vogue's HR chief gets ambushed on camera, and fast food is dying, along with the rest of everyone not in the 10% of the richest among us. It means more than just Joel mourning his Frosty, but maybe 50-year mortgages can save us. Not! Death, taxes, and Indeed screwing you over, same as it ever was. Enjoy!
Everything people and workforce—recruiting, marketing, technology, talent management, and workforce economics—delivered with biting sarcasm and unapologetic snark. Industry misfits Chad Sowash and Joel Cheesman bring their no-holds-barred opinions to dissect news, trends, and the occasional dumpster fire. If you’re a hiring company, staffing firm, or vendor looking for insights (and a thick skin), these two won’t just tell you what’s happening—they’ll tell you why you’re probably doing it wrong. Buckle up, buttercup.
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