In this episode of The Offer Letter – Candidate Spotlight, Brian sits down with Terrence Regan, a software engineer whose career path is anything but linear.
Terrence shares how an unexpected injury ended his pursuit of professional wrestling and ultimately led him into software engineering, teaching, and a series of real-world business experiences that shaped how he approaches technology today. From teaching English abroad to working in real estate and manufacturing environments, Terrence brings a grounded, people-first perspective to software development.
Throughout the conversation, Terrence reflects on the importance of mentorship, teamwork, and communication — especially in complex, high-impact engineering environments. He discusses how his background outside of tech has influenced his ability to collaborate, problem-solve, and translate technical work into meaningful business outcomes.
The conversation also explores the evolving state of the software industry, including the rise of AI, the challenges facing junior developers, and what “good engineering” really looks like beyond lines of code. Terrence shares insights into his current projects, his decision to pursue a master’s degree in data analytics, and the types of teams and problems he’s hoping to work on next.
This episode is a great listen for hiring managers, engineers, and anyone navigating a non-traditional path into software.
Feel free to reach out to Terrence here:
In this episode of The Offer Letter – Candidate Spotlight, I sit down with David Wheeler, a finance leader whose career spans public accounting at Ernst & Young and nearly a decade at Eli Lilly, where he progressed from global tax into senior FP&A roles supporting research, clinical development, and large-scale operations.
David walks through the early foundation he built at EY, what drew him into corporate finance, and the cultural shift from public accounting into a global biopharma organization. We unpack how his tax background became a strategic advantage in FP&A, particularly in scenario planning, forecasting, and influencing decisions in highly complex, matrixed environments.
We also dive deep into David’s time at Eli Lilly, including his experience partnering with senior leaders, implementing new financial tools, navigating vendor relationships, and building trust across teams. Throughout the conversation, David shares candid insights on mentorship, leadership, and what it takes to influence without formal authority.
Finally, David reflects on his decision to take a planned sabbatical, what that time away helped him clarify about his professional identity, and how he’s thinking about the next chapter of his finance career.
This episode is especially relevant for professionals considering a transition from tax or accounting into FP&A and for leaders interested in how strategic finance partners create impact beyond the numbers.
If you want to connect with David reach out to him on LinkedIn
In this episode of The Offer Letter – Candidate Spotlight, Brian sits down with Yesenia De La Rosa, a quality-focused professional who has successfully navigated multiple career pivots across IT, HR, learning & development, and compliance.
Yesenia started her career in the insurance industry on the IT side, working in software testing and software quality assurance, before moving into learning & development and change management. After a layoff, she transitioned into the pharmaceutical world as a Senior Executive Assistant, supporting senior leaders with complex calendars, travel, expenses, and projects—eventually moving back into L&D as a Learning & Development Specialist, creating training materials, job aids, and even animated videos for performance management.
When another layoff hit, Yesenia made a bold move to Tampa and joined Citi. There, she worked first in operations support and then as a Compliance / Quality Assurance Analyst, testing controls across multiple business lines. In her most recent role, she performed quality assurance testing of controls as part of the Manager’s Control Assessment (MCA) program—reviewing evidence, validating thresholds, identifying failures, and partnering with business leaders to understand root causes and improve processes. She also helped maintain 95–100% timeliness on case resolutions, leveraging tools like ServiceNow and working closely with HR and legal teams on sensitive work authorization and visa-related cases.
Throughout the conversation, Yesenia shares how she has repeatedly been “thrown into the fire” in roles with little or outdated documentation—and how that pushed her to become the person who builds structure where none exists. She talks about creating her own job aids and SOPs, spotting process gaps, suggesting improvements, and eventually becoming a subject matter expert and go-to trainer for peers and junior team members across global teams in the U.S., Mexico, Poland, and Ireland.
Now back in Illinois, Yesenia is actively looking for her next opportunity in quality assurance, quality auditing, or controls-focused roles. She’s open to different industries—financial services, pharma, insurance, or beyond—and is especially energized by roles that involve defect detection, process improvement, SOP creation/updating, and cross-functional collaboration.
If you’re a hiring manager, HR leader, or recruiter looking for someone who can step into messy, undocumented processes, bring order, improve quality, and become the team’s go-to resource, Yesenia is someone you should meet.
Connect with Yesenia on LinkedIn
In this episode, we sit down with Alex, a Stress Engineer who has contributed to next-generation aircraft systems, composite structures, UAV platforms, and real-world flight testing environments.
We explore what it actually takes to design structures that are safe, lightweight, reliable, and ready for the moment they leave the ground. From classical hand calculations to FEA modeling, composite layups, automation, and working hands-on during test events. Alex breaks down the engineering decisions happening behind the scenes of advanced flight.
We also talk about teamwork, problem-solving under pressure, and the mindset required when your work is directly tied to flight readiness, safety, and mission success.
To connect with Alex here reach out to him on LinkedIn.
In this episode, Brian Piotrowski sits down with Dorothy Schneider, a storyteller whose career bridges the worlds of journalism and corporate communications. From her early days in local newsrooms to leading communications in the nuclear energy sector, Dorothy shares how storytelling has remained the common thread throughout her journey.
She opens up about what it takes to communicate complex technical information in a way that builds trust and understanding, how the shift from print to digital media reshaped her approach, and how she navigated career transitions with resilience and creativity.
Whether you’re in media, engineering, or corporate comms, this conversation offers an inside look at how clear, authentic communication drives engagement inside companies and out in the community.
In this episode of Candidate Spotlight, I sit down with Jose Perez, a mechanical engineer whose hands-on curiosity evolved into a career focused on automation, robotics, and manufacturing innovation.
Jose shares how early inspiration from his father led him into mechanical engineering, how his internships shaped his technical foundation, and how working at Tesla taught him the importance of adaptability, resilience, and troubleshooting under pressure.
He also discusses the growing role of automation and controls engineering in modern manufacturing and how ergonomics, maintainability, and learning from failure are key to creating efficient, human-centered systems.
If you are interested in connecting with Jose, feel free to reach out to him on LinkedIn.
In this episode of Candidate Spotlight, Shweta Seth shares her journey in software engineering, detailing her experiences at Rivian and Apple. She discusses the challenges and learning opportunities in startup culture, the importance of teamwork and adaptability, and her aspirations to integrate AI into her work. Shweta emphasizes the need for engineers to value their contributions and adapt to changing project requirements while maintaining a focus on the common goals of their teams.
To connect with Shweta, connect with her on LinkedIn:
In this episode of Candidate Spotlight, I sit down with Apollo Jones Jr., a recent manufacturing and mechanical engineering graduate making his way in the industry. He talks about how his love for math and problem-solving shaped his career path and why he sees engineering as both a challenge and a passport to opportunity.
Apollo reflects on standout experiences, from designing safer nuclear reactor systems at Idaho National Lab to working on AI image recognition projects, exploring headphone design with Beats, and contributing to innovations at Oshkosh like the USPS’s next-generation delivery vehicle.
Now four months into his first full-time role, Apollo shares how starting in assembly and quality assurance taught him the value of detail, discipline, and persistence. With aspirations to grow into project management and new certifications, he carries a clear message: never stop learning.
Connect with Apollo Jones Jr. on LinkedIn to follow his journey.
This week on The Offer Letter – Candidate Spotlight, we sit down with Brian Hannigan, a mechanical engineer whose career has roots in the Oil and Gas industry.
Brian takes us inside his journey from starting out as a design engineer to stepping into senior level roles where client interaction and leadership became just as critical as technical expertise.
If you want to connect with Brian reach out to him on his LinkedIn
Michael Ostbye shares his extensive experience in customer service across the outdoor and automotive industries. He discusses the evolution of customer loyalty, the impact of Google reviews, and the importance of going the extra mile for customers. Michael emphasizes the need for empathy in customer interactions and the significance of building relationships. He also highlights the role of data in decision-making while maintaining a human touch in service. The conversation concludes with Michael's aspirations for the future of customer experience and advice for business leaders. If you want to reach out to Michael connect with https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelostbye/
The Offer Letter – Candidate Spotlight flips the script on recruiting podcasts by putting job seekers at the center. With unemployment rising and layoffs from companies like Oracle and ConocoPhillips making headlines, this series gives real candidates a platform to share their stories , the wins, the setbacks, and everything in between.