Mike Peditto didn’t plan to go full-time as a content creator—at least not yet. But after building a massive audience with his no-BS job search videos, the timing came sooner than expected.
Now with over 100 million views and a growing community across TikTok, LinkedIn, and Instagram, Mike creates content that job seekers love—and some internet trolls love to hate. In this episode, he shares what it really takes to create content that grabs attention, builds trust, and gets results.
We explore the leap from TA to full-time creator, the chaos behind his most viral videos (yes, the foil-in-the-microwave moment), and how he handles hate at scale without compromising the quality of his message.
If you’re creating content to grow your influence, attract the right audience, or just stay sane in the algorithm... this episode is for you.
In this episode, we cover:
Why Mike went full-time creator before he felt ready
The foil in the microwave video and why it really went viral
The psychology of comments: why letting people think you’re wrong drives engagement
Visual hooks and prop-driven content strategy
Shifting your audience: job seekers, recruiters, and hiring managers
The worst internet hate he ever received—and how he bounced back
Staying sharp on recruiting trends after leaving TA
What to know before making the leap to full-time content creation
Plead the 5th: Mike calls out a creator he believes is actively harming job seekers with their "advice"
Mike Peditto is a content creator, speaker, and former Director of Talent Acquisition. He’s built a following of over 330K across platforms by sharing real, relatable, and slightly chaotic career content that challenges how we talk about work. Through his videos, trainings, and soon-to-be-released book, Mike helps job seekers and hiring teams navigate the world of work with honesty, clarity, and a little humor.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
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RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODE→ Why HR Leaders Need to Create Content - with John Baldino
****🌟 CONNECT WITH MIKE 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mpeditto/
🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@realisticrecruiting
🌐 Website: https://mikepeditto.com/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realisticrecruiting
📹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RealisticRecruiting
🎙️ Podcast: https://www.corporatepizzaparty.com/
🌟 CONNECT WITH ME💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rhonabarnettpierce/ 🦋 Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/rhonab.bsky.social 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhonabpierce/ 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rhonabpierce🌐 Website: https://www.rhonapierce.com/
📹 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RhonaBPierce/
Full-time content creator, go viral on LinkedIn, job search content, content creation strategy, viral content creator, quitting TA job, how to create engaging content, creator hate comments, TikTok content advice, content creator burnout, employee to creator journey, personal brand growth, career advice videos, video content strategy, content that gets attention, using props in video
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