From Amazon to Custom Ink: Real Talk on Recruiting, AI & Career Pivots- LIVE from RecFest 2025

Chapters / Timestamps

00:00 – Intro / RecFest Kick-off
00:30 – Guest #1 – Tijal Rives (Amazon)
00:40 The power of speaking your truth & dealing with trolls
01:45 Career path – from recruiting → product at Amazon
02:45 Curiosity as a superpower (“the red-button” story)
03:40 Inside Amazon’s hiring process & the Bar Raiser
05:50 Making the move from recruiting to product
07:10 Curiosity & motivation in candidate conversations
08:55 “How AI Can Change Recruiters’ Lives” – conference preview
10:30 Good / Bad / Ugly of AI tools for recruiters
12:45 Candidates using AI – benefits vs pitfalls
14:30 High-touch recruiting & AI limits
15:30 Hot takes: AI in recruiting | Hot dog = not a sandwich 
17:10 Advice for job seekers – burnout plans & mindset
18:20 Open-to-Work banner debate (Helpful!)
19:25 Motherhood & work-life harmony 

20:05 – Head of TA @ Aubrey Cirillo (Custom Ink)
20:10 From banking → sales → TA leadership
21:40 Sales skills = recruiting superpower
22:25 Mentorship & self-storytelling
23:00 Aligning hiring with business goals (role clarity)
24:05 Small team challenges & cross-functional recruiting
25:10 Shadowing employees to improve storytelling
26:10 Sourcing stack – LinkedIn, Gem & AI tips
27:30 Balancing open jobs vs intentional hiring
28:40 Using AI without losing the human touch
29:30 Scaling hiring through ambassador programs
30:50 Building trust with hiring managers (proactive 1:1s)
31:45 Equity & accountability in hiring
33:00 Protecting time & energy as a recruiter
34:20 Hot takes: Open-to-Work, Sourcing vs Closing, AI Interviews, and Hot Dogs 

35:10 – Guest #3 –Sr. Technical Recruiter @ Heather Colvin (Smart Data)
35:15 Full-circle moment & intro
36:05 Recruiting as a career of creativity (no ceiling )
37:20 Bridging the trust gap with hiring managers
38:10 Using ChatGPT to close knowledge gaps (trust then verify)
39:00 Lean tech stack & HireEZ vs LinkedIn bias
39:40 Algorithm bias and why you need multiple tools
40:10 The 72-hour pipeline rule 
41:00 Transparency with multi-firm searches
41:45 Favorite tools & learning from candidates
42:10 AI interviews = “No” without feedback loop
42:30 Hot takes lightning round  & passion project “The Other 99 Athletes”

43:20 – Guest #4 – Mike Piditto (Author, Content Creator)
43:25 Career pivot from TA leader → creator & author
44:10 Balancing authenticity vs relevance
45:20 Handling trolls & mental health boundaries
46:30 “Yes, You’re Being Judged” – book story & purpose
47:15 Behind the book: real emails, rejections & reflection
48:10 Why candidate experience starts at the top
49:15 Favorite tech & why “built-by-recruiters” matters
50:00 Advice for creators – authenticity over algorithm
50:40 Find Mike online & wrap-up