The Final Round

By AJ Eckstein

Have you ever wondered why only a few people get past the final round interview and land the job offer?

Join us in the ring as our host, AJ Eckstein, speaks with RECRUITERS at top companies in multip... more

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FAQs about The Final Round:

How many episodes does The Final Round have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.

The Final Round episodes:

October 26, 202232. Knockout Stories + Season 1 Recap (Thank YOU)
Today is a bitter sweet episode since it is our final, final episode of Season 1. And we are going to switch things up with a special episode to thank YOU, our audience, for your unwavering support since day 1. We will be sharing some of our season 1 highlights, hearing from our team that helps produce the show, and featuring some highlight knockout stories aka success stories from our audience.
Some season highlights:
We have now published 30 episodes with Recruiters from companies such as Netflix, Boston Consulting Group, Goldman Sachs, Spotify, Google, LinkedIn and more

We have covered industries such as Consulting, Banking and finance, tech, music, venture capital, gaming, and more.

We were named a top 1% show out of 2 million shows globally, according to Listen Score.

We received over 160 5-star Apple Podcast Reviews

And our audience submitted over 110 Knockout Stories
If you want to stay up to date with The Final Round and future seasons, subscribe for free to the Knockout Newsletter at knockoutnewsletter.com and follow us on social media. Until next time, keep fighting and I will see you in the ring for Season 2.
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Links:
Free career resources: www.thefinalround.com
Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com
Check out our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/c/TheFinalRoundPod
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
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12min
October 13, 2022 31. Asking 30 Recruiters for their Best Career Advice (Season 1 Wrap Up)
To celebrate the end of Season 1, I spent 30+ hours interviewing Recruiters and compiled the BEST pieces of career advice from each Recruiter to help you land jobs! Companies include Google, Boston Consulting Group, LinkedIn, Facebook/Meta, Netflix, Microsoft, Snapchat, Spotify, Nike, Goldman Sachs, Amazon, Tesla, and more...
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You can listen to the podcast version here or watch the full video on our YouTube channel with close to 10,000 subscribers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5SMgUjC2f8
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Links:
Free career resources: www.thefinalround.com
Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
14min
August 18, 2022 30. Hirewell: Agency Recruiting Leader, Joel Lalgee
Joel Lalgee has a 6-year background in agency recruiting and currently works at Hirewell. He is a massive content creator that has generated 77 million impressions in the last year and has 140,000 followers on LinkedIn. Joel is not afraid to tell it how it is and provides real and authentic career insight from the lens of a recruiter.
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- Why is it challenging for companies to hire well?
- Difference between Internal vs. Agency Recruiters?
- How do Recruiters get paid and what are their incentives?
- Are Recruiters out to truly help candidates get the best offer?
- Why is recruiting a hard job?
- Is job-searching 90% timing?
- Why are Agency Recruiters in a battle with CEOs?
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Free career resources: www.thefinalround.com
Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com
Connect with Joel: www.linkedin.com/in/joellalgee
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
39min
July 14, 2022 29. Bonus: Dr. Eli Joseph, Author of "The Perfect Rejection Resume" and Columbia University Professor
Our bonus episode today features Dr. Eli Joseph, an author, educator, TEDx speaker, faculty member at Columbia University and Queens College, and a partner and medical examiner at ExamOne. His new book, "The Perfect Rejection Resume: A Reader’s Guide to Building a Career Through Failure", compiles lessons about failure from his own life experiences and those of influential thought leaders. Get ready to have a deep conversation about overcoming rejection and failure.
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- What's a rejection resume?
- How did you use rejection to fuel your professional achievements?
- Are there any ways to bend the rules in your favor?
- What are some reasons why your dream job may be out of reach?
- What's going on with the Great Resignation?
- What are the takeaways from your book, "The Perfect Rejection Resume"
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Follow our TikTok @thefinalround
Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com
Connect with Dr. Eli Joseph on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elijoseph
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com
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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
39min
June 23, 2022 28. Snapchat (ex-Hulu & Ketchum): Lead Business Recruiters, Lauren Turrisi & Alex Bader
Ever heard of Snapchat? We chatted with not 1 but 2 Recruiters from Snap Inc.! Alex Bader and Lauren Turrisi are Lead Business Recruiters at Snap having worked there for a combined 4+ years. Previously, Alex spent 8 years as a Talent Acquisition Manager at Hulu and Lauren spent 3 years as a Talent Acquisition Senior Manager at Ketchum, a PR agency. This episode is one of our favorite (Snapchat) memories, and we bet it will be one of yours as well…
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- What is your experience working at Snap and what has surprised you the most?
- How does Snap approach the social media battle (e.g. Instagram and TikTok) from a recruiting perspective?
- What are your Snapchat scores?
- How has the Snap recruiting team thought about XR (extended reality)?
- What are some best practices with Recruiter phone screens? What should candidates NOT say?
- What is a conventional thought in recruiting that you think should be challenged?
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Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.knockoutnewsletter.com
Connect with Lauren T: www.linkedin.com/in/laurenturrisi
Connect with Alex B: www.linkedin.com/in/abader
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com
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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
39min
May 18, 2022 27. Bonus: Raj Subrameyer, Best Selling Author of "Skyrocket Your Career"
Our bonus episode features Raj Subrameyer, a tech career strategist and author of the book “Skyrocket Your Career” which hit #5 on the best-seller list. Throughout his entire life, Raj was told he was not good enough, and suffered from severe anxiety, fear of rejection, and low self-esteem. After 20 years of false identity, Raj decided to take control of his life, and has helped thousands of people discover their zone of genius, find their dream job, launch their businesses and become successful leaders. Buckle up your seatbelts and be ready to get inspired.
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- Can you walk us through your hardships earlier in your life?
- What was the turning point that led you to take control of your life?
- How do you define "success"?
- How did you stay motivated to keep applying to jobs while receiving tons of rejections?
- How did you define your vision and plan out the steps to get to where you wanted to be?
- How can our audience become rockstars?
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Subscribe for free to our "Knockout Newsletter": www.thefinalround.com/newsletter
Connect with Raj: www.linkedin.com/in/rajsubra
Check our Raj's Website: www.rajsubra.com
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com
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*Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
35min
May 04, 2022 26. Coinbase (ex-Glassdoor & Slack): Principal Recruiter, Linda Schubert
Linda Schubert is a Principal Recruiter at Coinbase, the largest Cryptocurrency exchange in the United States. She previously worked in recruiting and talent acquisition at Glassdoor, Slack, and Thrive Global. In her free time, she is a career mentor for candidates through Career Contessa. Get ready for an electric conversation around the world of recruiting in Crypto, NFTs, Web 3.0, and more.
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- What has the rollercoaster been like working at Coinbase?
- How do you break into Crypto?
- How to avoid burnout in the job search?
- What would you say the companies did with the most positive employee reviews on Glassdoor? How about negative reviews?
- How is talent shifting from tech to Crypto?
- How can you learn more about Crypto and open jobs?
- Do you own any crypto or NFTs?
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Subscribe for free to our Knockout Newsletter: www.thefinalround.com/newsletter
Connect with Linda: www.linkedin.com/in/lindaschubert
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein
Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com
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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
38min
April 14, 2022 25. Deutsche Bank (ex-Goldman Sachs): Head of Americas Graduate Recruitment, Annie Hopkins
Annie Hopkins is the Head of Americas Graduate Recruitment at Deutsche Bank (DB) meaning she manages all of DB’s campus recruiting for internships and jobs for the US. She is also the former Vice President of Diversity Recruiting and Campus Recruiting at Goldman Sachs.
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- What are the essentials of the banking/finance industry?
- What types of entry-level roles exist at an investment bank?
- What might differentiate one investment bank from another?
- Answering the interview question: "Why x bank?"
- How do you break in with a non-traditional background, for example, coming from a non-target school?
- What advice would you give candidates who are prepping for finance/ banking interviews?
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Connect with Annie: www.linkedin.com/in/annie-hopkins-9a134925/
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/
Check out The Final Round: www.thefinalround.com
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* Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
35min
March 10, 2022 24. Netflix (ex-Ubisoft, Lucasfilm, Dolby Labs): Talent Recruiter, Marie Ablaza
Marie Ablaza (AKA "Fairy Job Mother") is a Talent Recruiter at Netflix Games Studio. She was previously a recruiter at Ubisoft, Lucasfilm, and Dolby Laboratories, and has worked in industries such as tech, entertainment, media, and video games. She was also recognized for the 2021 San Francisco Top Recruiter of the Year Award. Trust me, “You are going to BINGE this episode like you binge Netflix shows.”
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- Deep dive into Netflix Games Studio?
- New Netflix Series on biggest candidate mistakes?
- Favorite Netflix shows?
- What do people NOT know about working in tech, media, entertainment, and video gaming?
- Should you document your life/career?
- Best practices for transferring from a community college?
- Is success a group effort?
- Why is staying involved important if your "cup" is already full?
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*Download Hirect App for Free: https://bit.ly/HirectApp
Connect with Marie: www.linkedin.com/in/mariebenigno/
Marie's Personal Website: www.marieablaza.me/
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/
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Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
39min
February 17, 2022 23. Spotify: Senior Campus Recruiter & Global Pipeline Program Manager, Hannah Wolf
Hannah Wolf is a Senior Campus Recruiter and Global Early Career Pipeline Program Manager at Spotify, the very platform you might be listening on. Prior to Spotify, Hannah worked in Recruiting and HR at Yahoo, Bloomberg, Tiffany & Co., and more. We also brought a special co-host to this episode (Sam Kao). Let's dive into the ring...
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Here are some questions we will be answering:
- How to answer the question, "Why Spotify?"
- Do employees at Spotify play/love music?
- What are some ways candidates can put themselves in a position to be connected to career opportunities?
- What are the various programs at Spotify?
- How is an HR role different than a Recruiter role?
- Should your resume have unique design/format/color?
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*Download Hirect App for Free: https://bit.ly/HirectApp
Connect with Hannah: www.linkedin.com/in/hannahwolf1/
Follow our Host on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/aaron-aj-eckstein/
Podcast episode website: www.thefinalround.com/episode23/
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Disclaimer: The opinions and views expressed in this podcast are of the host and guest and not of their employers.
...more
37min

FAQs about The Final Round:

How many episodes does The Final Round have?

The podcast currently has 36 episodes available.