A VP of talent at Google's Wiz shares tips for getting hired at a late-stage startup

A blockbuster acquisition, IPO, or funding round can turn a startup into a hiring magnet.

It can also change what it takes to land a job there.

Earlier this year, Google completed its $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity startup Wiz, marking the search giant’s largest deal to date.

Erin Gard, vice president of talent at Wiz, told Business Insider that the company has seen a significant jump in job applications since the deal was announced a little over a year ago.

She also said Wiz, which has maintained its brand since the acquisition, is hiring for more than 100 open roles across sales, engineering, and field operations. “Startups are places that a lot of people want to be in, particularly right now, so our applications are quite high,” said Gard.

Early-stage startups can offer big upside before a major liquidity event or financing milestone, as Business Insider recently reported.

Later-stage ventures have their own draw: more resources, greater job security, and additional room for advancement.

Stiff competition isn’t the only hurdle to getting a foot in the door, though.

Gard said candidates need to show they’re equipped to support the company’s current and next stage of growth — not the scrappy startup it used to be.

For job seekers hoping to join a mature venture like Wiz, she shared the following advice: The skills most prized at a startup can change as quickly as the company grows.

Candidates should be ready to show how their experience aligns with the business at its current stage.

When Gard started at Wiz in 2022, she said she kept tabs on candidates in a spreadsheet.

Today, her job requires fluency with applicant-tracking systems that can bring order to a much larger hiring operation. “Being able to demonstrate an understanding of the specific chapter that an organization is in is really, really helpful,” Gard said. “That shows you’re ready for that stage of growth, and you’re going to be able to plug in and help support us where we’re at.” At a mature startup, candidates should be careful not to frame their interest around the company’s newfound status.

A stronger pitch focuses on how they can help sustain its momentum and drive its next stage of growth, said Gard.

They should also show they understand the specific challenges it’s trying to solve and explain how their experience would help address them, she added.

Gard cited a solutions engineer candidate who, when asked “Why Wiz?,” described how customers at his previous employer struggled to prioritize millions of security findings.

He explained how Wiz could help solve that problem and how he would support customers in the role. “He immediately knew the value proposition,” Gard said, adding that the candidate’s explanation of how customers would use Wiz in the real world “was spot on.” The candidate was hired and has since been promoted to a management role, she added.

Job seekers should thoughtfully engage with a startup’s leaders and hiring managers on social media, such as by commenting on posts about product launches or asking insightful questions.

Gard said that kind of engagement can signal genuine interest and help establish credibility before an application is submitted.

That can be true no matter what stage company you’re looking to join.

Jesse Dwyer, Perplexity’s chief communications officer and a hiring manager, previously told Business Insider that participating on a startup’s social media channels can be especially effective, since these companies often have more flexibility in how they identify and engage with applicants.

Many candidates avoid discussing failures, said Gard, but she argued that hiring managers often favor those who can talk about setbacks, pivots, and lessons learned.

Because startups inevitably make mistakes and adapt quickly, she said that candidates who demonstrate resilience and self-awareness tend to come across as more credible. “Being able to show that you too have gone through your own journey, similar to how a startup has, resonates really, really well,” said Gard. “It’s something that I think a lot of people are really scared to do.”