Careerspan

Vrijen Attawar and Logan Currie made a lot of progress in a rapid fire 1-day cofounder offsite yesterday - excited about some new developments! But the real victory? Winning over Vrijen's notoriously selective cat. Photo proof.* Gotta celebrate the small wins as we work towards the big ones. *Pic snapped to send to Logan's cat-obsessed daughters, repurposed for LinkedIn content (efficient!)

? Careerspan Team Highlight ? ?? Meet Ilse Funkhouser our rockstar CPO and resident genius. "I’m a Data Scientist and CPO who rarely relied on a traditional resume. Most jobs came from showcasing my potential, not my past. My first tech gig involved building financial software—without any formal design or engineering background. I broke things constantly until a mentor helped me see the importance of understanding real problems before rushing to “solutions.” I’ve been lucky. Privilege (being a nerdy white guy in my 20s in tech) opened doors that might stay closed for others without extensive experience. But I believe the best hires aren’t defined by what they’ve done, but by what they can learn. Too many brilliant people get overlooked because they don’t know how to sell themselves based on their potential and can’t “prove” their abilities on paper. Establishing that proof is a skill, not a talent or something intrinsic to you as an individual. Now more than ever, ChatGPT is allowing people to learn on the job and bridge experience gaps. If you can learn quickly, you can do anything. That’s why I joined Careerspan. We help people focus on their potential—selling yourself based on what you can do, not just what you’ve done. Let’s make hiring about possibility, not just credentials."

Switching from government to private sector? Feels like starting Duolingo Corporate, doesn't it? You already have the skills. It's just about translating them into a new language—one companies speak fluently. We made a quick reference guide below to demonstrate a few examples. Same abilities, entirely new vocabulary. (No owl reminders required.) P.S. there are plenty of these "jargon barriers" - which one should we tackle next? Academia to industry?

Today, we're standing with federal workers facing unexpected career transitions. We're offering anyone affected by layoffs 3 months of free access to Careerspan's pro plan (normally $49). No verification needed. We trust you. Your public service built valuable skills. Let us help you translate them for your next chapter. Being laid off doesn't define your story. How you tell it does. Link in comments. Share with someone who needs it! Vrijen & Logan Founders, Careerspan

Shoutout to Kamina S. and her tireless work with HumanUPtions to bring these fantastic events together! Amazing afternoon at Civic Hall talking all things AI, skills, and career growth - featuring Careerspan CEO Vrijen Attawar on the panel sharing his insights from the front lines of careers + AI.

?? Big News: Careerspan's Resume Tailoring is LIVE! Tired of resumes that sound like everyone else's ChatGPT output? Everyone is (recruiters in particular.) That's why we built something different. Careerspan's Resume Tailoring doesn't just swap out words or rephrase bullet points. It starts with understanding YOU: ? We have actual conversations about your experiences ? We uncover the stories you might have forgotten ? We translate your unique value in language that resonates with BOTH the ATS and the hiring manager "I tried so many AI tools but they spit out the same content everyone else was using. This is different." - W.P., Customer Success Manager The result? ? Application materials that sound authentically you, but strategically positioned for your target roles. And yes, we handle the frustrating "quantify everything" game so you don't have to. Try it today! It's free to get started. Link in comments.

Hey Vrijen Attawar, what was your hardest job search? "When I came back to the US and starting job hunting I felt like I knew what I was doing. And then I started actually doing the job hunt and learned - the hard way - that I didn't know as much as I thought! What was wild was the amount of little things that added up to SO MUCH ambiguity for me. The hardest and most disheartening part of the process was that learning curve. I'd submit 5-10 applications, then realize that maybe there was a mistake ... or something was missing... or I could have been more effective in how I was communicating something. And that wasn’t feedback I was receiving (how easy that would be!) It was always me going back and “studying” what I had submitted and figuring out where I could optimize further. It never felt easy. I rarely felt totally confident. And it took so much time. The takeaway for me? Job hunting is an iterative process filled with mistakes. If you're reflective, attentive and diligent about improving with each application it can really help you level up. But another big lesson is to be nice to yourself! I was really hard on myself because I thought that would help me succeed. In retrospect, it just clouded my thinking and prevented me from making obvious improvements because I was so stressed."

Careerspan on the big stage! Cofounder Logan Currie pitched Careerspan at the HBS Women's Association 34th Annual Women in Business Conference this past weekend - and got 2nd place. Most common topic of conversation after the pitch: stressful career transitions! We're all on the same page here - and Careerspan is building solutions to alleviate that stress.

Check out the latest Pioneers of AI podcast featuring Careerspan cofounder Logan Currie with Rana el Kaliouby, Ph.D. !

Seeing lots of new faces around here! Here's a throwback to 2017: Careerspan cofounders Vrijen Attawar and Logan Currie running the Angkor Wat half marathon in Cambodia. Not exactly runners, but always up for a challenge. Just like starting Careerspan (our second company together) - it's a marathon we're actually excited about running. ??♂? Here's to a fantastic 2025 ahead of us. We're picking up the pace! P.S. Can we all agree that Vrij should remain beardless?