In this exclusive interview with Manning Global Co-founder of FasterSkills Fabio Mattiussi talks about the importance of establishing a company culture, the joys of networking and the latest developments in tech…
From Italy to California, computer engineer to serial entrepreneur – via working at a Fortune 100 company – that’s quite a journey! Please could you tell our readers how you started on the career ladder and what have been your career highlights so far…
My everlasting drive when choosing a position has always been how challenging it would be. If I felt I already knew how to do 100% of the requested tasks I would not even apply for it. Another important consideration that guided my choices of joining a team was how much I thought I could learn from my direct manager. In fact, I was lucky enough that several times my manager became my mentor and helped me in the process of making tough decisions about my career.
Finally, the companies where I have been more successful were the ones where I best fitted in to the company culture; these tended to be mid-size startups with their characteristic ‘small community feeling’ environment, but that were part of an established holding that kept them well structured and organised. The culture of the company can be the key factor that makes you stay with them for years or start sending resumes to find a new job after a few months.
Engineer, career coach, professional hacker, blogger… that’s a lot of roles and skills, which are your favourites?
Hacker is probably the one that underlies all the others because I see it as a mindset rather than a skill. If I think about the majority of things that I am passionate about they all show the same patterns: there is a problem to be solved, there are no clear rules on how to solve it, so you have to understand how the system works and be able to bend its rules enough to make it do what you need it to.
Let’s talk about your company FasterSkills. What’s the key to its success?
I measure the success of FasterSkills by how many good reviews and thank you notes we receive from candidates who we help prepare for interviews. I think the key factor is we have a mix of two things: vast experience of recruiting at all levels – from startups to Fortune 100 companies – plus we’re able to quickly get in tune with our clients to give them the right tips and tricks in a way that are accepted and remembered.
What’s your one piece of advice to a job seeker who is having trouble securing an interview, let alone a new job?
Many times I hear people complaining that they have sent 10 resumes and nobody is calling them. Firstly, you need to make this number at least 10 times bigger, but also develop relationships through non-standard channels of communication, like Meetups. After a few meaningful interactions it will be much easier to get an interview. It takes longer and requires more effort, but that’s exactly the point: ‘go the extra mile, it’s never crowded’.
Finally, is there anything else you’d like to mention?
The most innovative project I would like to share with you is a new mock interview coaching service that has been very well received. We designed it to be an online experience that does not require the candidate and the coach to be online at the same time. The candidate receives a set of questions specific to their resume and the position they are applying for. The answers are then analysed and we send them a detailed (but easy to read) 30 page report that highlights any red flags, and most importantly, how to fix them. Several candidates have achieved job offers because of this service.
Fabio Mattiussi is the founder of FasterSkills – the career coaching service that helps you quickly prepare for the job interview and land your dream job. Computer engineer and serial entrepreneur, he started his career in Milan, Italy as a professional hacker in a leading European consulting multinational. His passion for communication, innovation and leadership pushed him to leave his comfort zone, leave Italy and join an International MBA in Madrid, Spain. Pursuing his dream he then moved to California where he worked as Sr. Manager in firms ranging from startups to Fortune 100. He is now following his passion by helping competitive professionals to achieve success through the FasterSkills method leveraging his 18+ years of experience. You can find FasterSkills on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram or contact Fabio direct: fabio <at> fasterskills.com.