Jalonni Weaver is a senior talent acquisition analyst at Slalom. Weaver is a part of Slalom’s global services team, where she works to meet the hiring needs of business partners, retain quality talent, and educate candidates about the organization. Slalom is a business and technology consulting company that partners with over 400 tech companies, including Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce.
Weaver frequently shares her experience and advice on careers, hiring, and diversity, equity, and inclusion with over 100,000 followers on LinkedIn. As part of Forage’s ongoing “Hiring Diaries” series, we interviewed Weaver to gain insight into the Slalom recruitment process for students and entry-level applicants. In this interview, we explore:
- What do you look for on a resume?
- What can entry-level or internship applicants do in this competitive market to set themselves apart?
- What advice would you give to students and entry-level applicants who have already applied or want to apply for roles with Slalom?
- What is it like to work for Slalom?
What do you look for on a resume?
When I review a candidate’s resume, I’m first looking to see if they are qualified for the role. But I am also looking at their collective work experience and want to see any transferable skills that they may have that relate to the role that they are applying for.
I review things like job titles, companies, and dates of employment, which can give more context to their work experience. I also want to see if there are gaps in employment or job-hopping because that might be relevant to dig into with the candidate for more information. It’s OK if you have gaps in employment, but in an interview, I’d want to understand more about how your breaks in employment have contributed to your growth.
What can entry-level or internship applicants do in this competitive market to set themselves apart?
Read the job description carefully and tailor your current or previous experience to the role(s) that you are applying to. Your experience can be non-traditional or an internship. You can also set yourself apart by doing research about the company you are applying to and networking with employees from the company through social media like LinkedIn.
Think of your resume as an advertisement. Keep it brief and exciting – you want a recruiter to be interested in learning more so that, hopefully, you can get an interview. You never want to include skills, tools, or examples that are not true and that you could not elaborate on or provide examples of in an interview.
>>MORE: Learn how to write a resume with no work experience.
What advice would you give to students and entry-level applicants who have already applied or want to apply for roles with Slalom?
The advice that I would give is to not give up or be discouraged. Timing is everything, so be persistent and continue to apply for roles that you feel qualified for. Ask for feedback from the recruiter you are working with, be proactive about following up for more information, and do your research on the company and the role so that when you interview, you can share unique and intelligent examples of how you’d improve the team and company. There are lots of free learning resources available online that can help you build your technical skills as well if that’s a qualifier for the role you are applying to.
>>MORE: Learn how to ace these 15 entry-level interview questions.
Outside of specific applications, be a student of the industry. Be sure to connect with people in the roles you are interested in, network, and build relationships. Strong communication is key, follow up, stay in contact, and don’t forget to check our careers website frequently for new roles.
What is it like to work for Slalom?
I like that I can show up as my authentic self every day and get to do the work that I love at such an amazing company! I have been able to grow and be challenged, and I feel invested. I love that we support and encourage professional growth and development.
I have had the opportunity to be a part of a high-performing team that I love. I appreciate that I can build and connect with people in all different roles and levels globally across the company. Collaboration is a beautiful thing. I take pride in the work I do. I feel valued. I love that we are living our core values. The impact is endless. I am so grateful that I can help connect hiring leaders with top talent and provide amazing people with life-changing opportunities to do the work they love at a company that will support them the whole way.
Jalonni Weaver is from Fort Worth, Texas and received a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts in Photography from Stephen F. Austin State University. Currently, Weaver is a senior talent acquisition analyst for Slalom’s Global Services team. Weaver works on early career talent roles for Slalom’s internal departments. As a recruiter, Weaver’s goal is to promote inclusion, diversity, and equity and always make sure that Slalom’s hiring team is creating a positive candidate experience. In Weaver’s spare time, she is a photographer, podcast host, and content creator.
This interview was lightly edited for grammar and clarity.
Image credit: Courtesy of Jalonni Weaver
