Looking for your next tech job?

Last week, a tech job seeker reached out to me frustrated that they had secured employee referrals to a half-dozen tech companies yet didn’t receive a single interview. Employee referrals used to be a silver bullet. Not anymore. In today’s competitive job market, employee referrals no longer carry the same weight they once did. I wrote a comprehensive article breaking down how tech firms’ employee referral programs have changed, why they no longer guarantee interviews, what you actually need...

I’m back from The Ritz-Carlton in Marana, Arizona! 🌵 I attended and spoke at the 2026 TroopHR Member Retreat, which brought together ~150 global HR and talent acquisition leaders. It was my first time in the state, and it didn’t disappoint. The views were unreal, the conversations were memorable, and the insights were spot-on. What I love about this special event is that I get to learn what’s happening right now in executive search, not just theory or “best practices.” In addition to...

Hello from The Ritz-Carlton in Marana, Arizona! 😎 Fun fact: It’s my first time in the state! Posing with a Saguaro cactus alongside my friend and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Mita Mallick. I’m at the 2026 TroopHR Member Retreat, an annual gathering of ~150 HR leaders. In a few hours, I’ll be taking the stage and delivering a workshop on how to scale the power of coaching. The official title is From Talk to Transformation: How to Use Coaching to Spark Organizational Change. This is...

I spent the second half of last week in Long Beach, CA. I partnered with The Myers-Briggs Company to facilitate a workshop for nearly a dozen career center professionals. We explored how to use the Strong Interest Inventory to empower clients to uncover career paths that truly align with their interests. As part of the certification faculty, I’m excited to see how these practitioners use tools and strategies like this with their clients and communities. Now, my hot take: The rise of Instagram...

Hiring a career coach can feel like a gamble. You can spend hours researching, comparing options, and second-guessing yourself and still have no clear sense of what you’ll actually get. Now, this becomes even trickier when you’re looking for a tech career coach. The coaching industry is currently unregulated, which means anyone can call themselves a tech coach, regardless of their experience, qualifications, or credentials. In my latest Forbes article, I share four tips for finding the right...

The catastrophic headlines have me fired up and unwilling to stay silent. At the same time, I’m seeing a glimmer of hope. Some organizations aren’t pulling back. They’re doubling down on their commitment to DEI. As a professional public speaker, I’m experiencing a surge of requests from companies that want to build more inclusive, psychologically safe, and human-centered workplaces. Historically, two of the busiest months for this work are Mental Health Awareness Month (May) and LGBTQ+ Pride...

More than a decade ago, I started CaffeinatedKyle.com as a side hustle on Fiverr, charging $5 per gig. In the years since, I have worked hard to figure out my unique niche and talents, or what I call “fabulousness.” Today, I’m a career and executive coach who is trusted by tech leaders to grow their careers, confidence, and total comp. Over the last 13+ years, I’ve noticed a consistent theme in my work: the best-in-class talent I coach—leaders of multibillion-dollar companies impacting...

Have you ever found a four-leaf clover? They’re rare, but if you’re intentional, you can find them. Some people call that luck. Others call it strategy. The difference is intention. If you search for a four-leaf clover in the desert, you probably won’t find one. Coming up empty-handed doesn’t mean you’re unlucky, just that you chose the wrong place to look. At the same time, if you spend an entire afternoon searching in a field full of clovers, chances are you’ll eventually find one, not...

“Surveys suggest roughly 20–30% of employers now use AI to conduct or score interviews, and over 70% use AI tools for things like screening, scheduling, and candidate communication.” 🤯 As I was putting together my new AI interview prep guide, Paula Christensen shared this staggering insight about the evolving job market. With AI taking a front seat in hiring, I wanted to speak with an expert, and Paula is my go-to for all things AI interviews. One of the most eye-opening takeaways from my...

Searching for a new role can test anyone’s patience and confidence. When you live with a disability, the process of job searching often includes layers that are invisible to others, such as decisions about disclosure, conversations about accommodations, and the trauma of navigating bias. March is Disability Awareness Month, so I wanted to resurface an article I wrote for Career Directors International on navigating the job search when you have a disability. In it, I explore nuanced topics...