I once interviewed for a job with someone who had written a book. The process moved quickly, so I pulled late nights to finish reading it before our interview. That interview ended up getting canceled, which turned out well for me since I landed at Clipboard instead.
If you're considering Clipboard, you've probably researched our founders and co-CEOs or tried connecting with our team on LinkedIn. It's a natural tendency during a job search to focus on the Very Important People—those you need to impress, whose backgrounds seem crucial to know.
But at Clipboard, the truly Important People are our customers.
Everyone here talks to customers. Our founder and CEO routinely calls and texts users from both sides of the marketplace. Our Head of Product—actually, our entire product team—serves as a de facto account manager for several accounts. We regularly visit workplaces that use our platform, and sometimes, if we're qualified, we'll even pick up shifts ourselves.
Talk to some customers if you want to stand out when applying to Clipboard. Find workplaces struggling with staffing. Find nurses, substitute teachers, dental hygienists, or anyone wanting more control over their schedule. Learn how they currently solve their problems. Ask what they'd do with their time or money if they had a better solution.
I didn't gain much from that book I rushed through for an interview I didn't get. But I learned a lot from reading "The Mom Test" and even more from talking to customers as often as possible. At Clipboard, we hope you learn enough about us to opt into our hiring process—but once you do, know that the better way to stand out is to focus on understanding the people who truly matter: our customers.