Over the past four years, I’ve had the privilege of writing nearly 200 newsletters, diving deep into the world of early-career recruiting and hiring. Along the way, I’ve learned quite a bit, not just from the research and stories I’ve shared, but from my own winding career path.

“I didn’t walk into Parker Dewey as an employer marketing expert. I read NACE articles, dove into HubSpot resources, and interviewed hiring managers to build my skill set. I had the runway to grow because someone saw my potential.” Lindsey Aronson

I came to Parker Dewey with a background that zigzagged through different fields and experiences. I earned my degree in English Literature, guided cycling tours, got my first full-time role at a brand agency, ultimately finding my way to Parker Dewey’s marketing team in 2021. While each step taught me something new and shaped who I am, it didn’t exactly follow a straight line.

Luckily, when I had the opportunity to work on a Micro-Internship, my trajectory again changed. Thanks to this incredible team and everything I’ve learned, I get to walk into my future with bounding steps. As a parting gift, here are some insights from my time at Parker Dewey.

When you expand the schools where you look, you expand who you find.

As a liberal arts college student, I’d been taught how to think deeply, ask sharp questions, and engage in healthy debate. On top of that, I’d spent my college summers leading backcountry trips for youth. These experiences were an incredible training ground for developing my core skills.

But when I graduated from college in 2018, I had no clear sense of my professional direction. I was also a winter graduate, which meant my final semester was focused on tying up loose ends—cranking out my Jane Austen thesis and enjoying time with friends—and not paying much attention to career fairs or recruiting emails. (Looking back, that was a missed opportunity on my part.) And because my smaller school wasn’t a traditional target for many major employers anyways, I graduated without having built relationships with recruiters. In short, I didn’t really know what was out there.

This experience is part of why I’m such a strong believer in looking beyond your typical target schools. After all, liberal arts students bring valuable skills like critical thinking and creative problem-solving, even if their resumes don’t fit the traditional mold. And if you’re not tapping into this talent, you might be missing out. The same goes for winter grads, who are often overlooked simply because their timelines don’t line up with standard recruiting cycles.

Takeaway for Employers: Don’t miss out on this talent. Parker Dewey can give you access to high-potential candidates who might not find you otherwise. They offer a chance to broaden your talent pipeline and uncover emerging leaders who bring fresh perspectives.

You have the power to shape an authentic employer brand.

When I first came across Parker Dewey in 2021, I was working in a role that didn’t align with my values—and candidly, with my interests. Like many Millennial and Gen Z professionals, I craved a different kind of meaning in my work, especially during that first mind-bending year of the pandemic. 

From the start, Parker Dewey made a strong impression on me. First, the fact that all opportunities on the platform are PAID signaled to me that Parker Dewey genuinely valued its people. Second, I received real feedback at the end of my project, which showed that the team cared about me as a person and about my growth—even if I didn’t end up at Parker Dewey long-term. That kind of support was fully unnecessary, but spoke volumes about how I’d be coached as a full-time employee. And finally, the more I learned about Parker Dewey, the more excited I became about joining a company genuinely invested in mending a system that actively put folks without the “right” GPA, pedigree, or social capital at a disadvantage. These elements all pointed to a super positive employer brand, and they’re still among the reasons that I remained at Parker Dewey for four years. 

Your next great hire might be out there riding her bicycle up and down the California coast just like I was, completely unaware of your existence! It’s up to you to get in front of them and show them who you are. 

Takeaway for Employers: Your employer brand isn’t just built through flashy marketing or perfectly polished LinkedIn posts. It’s built in the way you treat candidates at every stage of their journey. Parker Dewey offers a unique opportunity to create these positive, lasting impressions, even if a student doesn’t end up joining your team full-time.

Every small opportunity is a test drive for potential.

Did our Founder and VP of Marketing know for certain that I’d end up being a pretty darn good hire? No, they did not—but they saw my work ethic and core skills in action through my Micro-Internship, and they took a chance on me. That gave them enough confidence to make a well-informed hiring decision, even without a traditional interview process.

Let’s double-click on “potential” here. I am not saying that I had everything figured out right when I joined Parker Dewey. I still had a lot to learn about our subject area and B2B marketing. I read one NACE article after another, bolstered my marketing tool kit through HubSpot’s amazing resources, and interviewed hiring managers who’d used Parker Dewey to build their teams. I grew into an Associate Director of Marketing here because I was given the runway and I already had a strong set of core skills.

My message is this: one small project can reveal a lot about someone’s potential and fit for your team. It’s a chance to gauge their curiosity and adaptability, and make a confident, well-informed hiring decision, without wasting your time or theirs. It is simply (in my humble opinion as a now-former Parker Dewey employee) the best and smartest way to hire. Also, you might change the trajectory of someone’s entire career for the better. And that’s pretty cool.

Takeaway for Employers: Micro-Internships aren’t just a stopgap or a way to fill immediate needs. They’re a smart, scalable way to assess the potential of emerging talent without the risk of a full-time commitment. You get a firsthand look at their skills, curiosity, and cultural fit—qualities that are often hard to gauge through resumes or interviews alone.

So, in conclusion…

Whether you read one or 100 editions of Hire Learnings over the last few years, thank you. Hearing from you has been a highlight of my time at Parker Dewey. Please stay in touch.

With appreciation,
Lindsey