If you've ever wondered what actually gets discussed behind closed doors when companies are hiring, promoting, or handing out pink slips, this episode is like a backstage pass.

Amanda Goetz sits down with Deepali Vyas, a veteran executive recruiter and career coach who’s spent 25 years in the boardrooms on Wall Street. She’s also one of the most followed career experts on the internet. She's advised Fortune 500 CEOs, hedge funds, and private equity firms on their most senior hires—and she's here to spill everything they never told you.

The timing couldn't be better. Between mass layoffs, rapid AI expansion, and an unpredictable job market, navigating your career right now feels harder than ever. Deepali breaks down exactly what's changed, what still works, and what you need to stop doing right now—from the resume mistakes that get you filtered out in six seconds (!!!), to why loyalty to a company is not the flex you think it is, to the 5-5-3 networking rule that actually moves the needle when you're on the market.

We're also getting into the closed-door conversations that decide who gets laid off, the one move that makes hiring managers want you more, and the corporate truth that might sting a little: your manager is not your mentor.

If you've been playing checkers with your career, this is your invitation to start playing chess. Tune into the episode to find out how.

Key Takeaways

Talent alone won't get you promoted—visibility will.
Your manager is not your mentor.
Everyone has skills. What separates people is proximity.
BLUF: Bottom line up front.
Build your external brand while you're still employed.
Why you should leave your job when you’re winning.
When you're job searching, use the 5-5-3 rule: five texts to people in your network, five days a week, and aim for three meetings.

00:00 Intro

03:12 Deepali's career origin story

05:41 Being underestimated as a superpower

06:13 Talent alone isn't enough: visibility & access matter most

08:14 Managing up & the power memo

13:58 Checkers vs. chess: playing the long game

15:57 Leave when you're winning

17:30 Behind closed doors: what hiring really looks like

20:06 Resumes, layoffs & career resilience

22:54 The 5-5-3 rule

26:46 Becoming indispensable vs. high impact

32:21 Rapid fire: resumes, LinkedIn & interview tips

GUEST LINKS

IG: https://www.instagram.com/the_elite_recruiter/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@elite.recruiter

Subscribe to Deepali's newsletter: https://eliterecruiter-newsletter.beehiiv.com/

FOLLOW THE PODCAST

IG: https://www.instagram.com/girlboss/ | TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@girlboss

Amanda Goetz: https://www.instagram.com/theamandagoetz/

https://girlboss.com/pages/ambition-2-0-podcast

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ABOUT AMBITION 2.0

Powered by Girlboss, Ambition 2.0 is a podcast where we'll be exploring what it really means to "have it all" in work, family, identity, and self… and if it's actually worth it. Each week, you'll hear from hardworking women who've walked the tightrope of ambition. They'll share their costly mistakes, lessons learned, and practical tips for how to have it all and actually love what you have.

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What Hiring Managers Actually Think (But Will Never Tell You) with Deepali Vyas