Podcast | Kadima Careers

Ep 43: Don't be complacent with your career: An Interview With Amazon and Microsoft Tech Veteran Corinna Calhoun

Written by Kadima Careers | Feb 9, 2023 5:00:00 AM
 

Alan and Corinna met back in 2016 after Alan got canned by Google. Corinna was working for Amazon then, and Alan was interviewing for a role on her team. Silly Alan shared way too much information about why exactly he was no longer at Google. Alan thought his transparency blew his chances at Amazon, but in fact he got rejected from that role for other reasons.


Whether you're in the job market for the first time or you're looking to make a career change, Alan Stein and Corinna Calhoun have the advice you need to navigate the current job climate. Corinna is a tech veteran who has worked for Amazon and Microsoft, and she'll be sharing her insights on how to leverage intention and mindset to make the job search process more successful. 

Tune in today and learn how you can increase your success and be more resilient in your job search.

 

In This Episode:

  • [02:29] The three different backdrops in Corinna’s tech career that shaped her perspective and leadership style.
  • [08:45] How Alan’s shared way too much information with Corinna back in 2016.
  • [13:55] Corinna shares how narratives impact people and their careers.
  • [18:23] Double loop learning 
  • [20:53] How job seekers or anyone in general should deal with failures and rejections.
  • [27:46] What you can do to improve even if you don’t get feedback from your interviewer.
  • [41:25] The difference between Amazon and Microsoft interview process.

Key Takeaways:

  • The narrative you believe about yourself impacts how you internalize failure and rejections.
  • Changing the narrative you tell yourself requires you to be aware of your thoughts and behavior that reinforces that narrative. 
  • Having a person, whether it be a coach or a friend, to help you in your job search process and hold you accountable at all times, can significantly increase your chances of success.

Resources:

Bio:

Corinna Calhoun has twenty-seven years of leadership experience in technology companies from start-ups to Fortune 50’s, including Microsoft and Amazon. She is a proven leader of healthy, high-performing teams that solve complex problems at scale, with deep expertise in marketing, customer success, and operations. Currently, she leads an executive coaching and organizational effectiveness consulting business, working with clients from Microsoft, T-Mobile, Amazon, and other technology companies. Corinna graduated cum laude with distinction from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a Bachelor of Arts in European History. She will graduate with a Master of Science in Organization Development (MSOD) from Pepperdine University in the summer of 2023. She is an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation and is currently completing her certification as a Positive Intelligence Coach (CPQC). In her spare time, Corinna is a volunteer crisis counselor for The Trevor Project, an avid exerciser (all kinds!), a lifelong learner (currently learning to speak French), a traveler, a wife, and a mom to an amazing 12-year-old son.
View full post