How Laurence Prepared for Tech Interviews in the USA and Got a Job at Netflix
💖 The purpose of The Allyance is to help both companies and candidates: companies wanting to reach excellence in hiring and candidates wanting to find the perfect companies.
Let’s meet Laurence de Torrenté, a Senior Machine Learning Scientist, who landed a job at Netflix thanks to The Allyance!
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Who are you? Tell us everything!
My name is Laurence de Torrenté, I was born in Lausanne, Switzerland. I lived most of my life there and moved to the United States 10 years ago.
After a Master’s Degree in mathematics and a pHD in statistics, I worked as a bio-informatics postdoctoral researcher in New York. I kept on with bioinformatics for 3 years at the New York Genome Center and decided to switch to machine learning in the broader sense.
In 2019, I moved to Seattle and worked as a Senior Applied Scientist at Zillow. I have now been remotely working as a Senior Machine Learning Scientist at Netflix for 2 years.
In my free time, I mostly spend time with my kids. As a Star Wars fan, you could also count Star Wars Lego® building as a hobby. Before having two kids, my wife and I loved going to concerts, and we did that a lot when in New York! Recently, we finally got a baby-sitter and went to see The Kills live: it was so nice!
How did Caroline help you find your current job?
Zillow was in the middle of a reorganization and I did not know what was going to happen to me, so I contacted Caroline.
In fact, at that time, I already had ongoing processes and interviews, so I needed her to advise me on expressing myself the best way possible. I also needed guidance on how to manage 10 processes at the same time, which believe me, was not always easy!
During our 5 sessions, we mainly had mock interviews and worked on my 5-minute presentation pitch. They helped me navigate through my interview processes and I finally accepted my top choice’s offer: Netflix!
How did you manage the distance between France and the USA as well as the job market differences?
😅 With a 9-hour time difference, our meetings were, depending on who’s talking, either very early or very late (laughs)!
The market was not really an issue as I already had companies in mind. I feel like tech companies have similar processes in Europe and North America.
Regarding negotiations, I did not have to negotiate my salary because the offer I got exceeded my expectations. On the other hand, the main compromises we had to find were about my family life and the hiring date.
What made the coaching sessions with Caroline unique according to you?
Before anything else, Caroline is my friend. This made the coaching quite comfortable because I knew what to expect from her.
She was so kind and took the time to hear my doubts, reassure and advise me. Most of all, she tidied up the mess I had in my head, and that was something!
Message sent when Laurence accepted the offer!
Why do you like working as a Machine Learning Scientist?
I love how diverse my job at Netflix is. I don’t know if it’s the case in other companies, but I get to do a little bit of everything.
The objective being answering questions in the best way possible, I have endless possibilities: data analysis, exploration, presentation to other departments… I spend a lot of time trying to find the best method, how to use it and in the end, how to translate it for creatives and business people.
In the meantime, I also feel like a Software Engineer when I’m scaling my model from 10 to 1 million people, for example. To me, it’s the perfect balance between science and engineering.
Regarding the specific substance of my tasks at Netflix I find the analysis of behaviors in front of a content very interesting.
You’re the first of our interviewees who lives so far away: so how’s life in the United States, in Seattle?
Well, there are pros and cons, obviously. The health system in the United States is often a source of concern: when you lose your job, when you have kids…
🩷 Being married to a woman, the Trump era felt quite dangerous in some states. Fortunately, New York and Washington states are liberal states so we have nothing to fear.
On the bright side, coming from a small city in Switzerland, I love how broad the culinary and cultural offer is here. The professional opportunities are never-ending here, which is not the case in Switzerland or Europe.
We stayed in Seattle because moving would have been too complicated for our family. We love it here, especially in summer, but I have to admit that winter is harsh. That’s why we often think of moving to California, but everything is so expensive there!
How do you know The Allyance?
🥂 I was active in WIMLDS when Caroline traveled to the USA and invited us to have a drink while in New York.
After that, we stayed in touch as members of WIMLDS, then as friends. Today, I am not as active in the organization as before, mainly because I want to spend time with my kids.
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A few words from Caroline, The Allyance’s CEO:
“✨ Laurence is a friend. She went through a period of self-reflection when Zillow decided to part ways with several teams.
Even if it was a sensitive time, I knew all the qualities Laurence has. My obsession was to get her a team where she could grow and be respected. Netflix is the perfect place for her !”
✔️ Want more?
➡️ If you are interested in knowing more about The Allyance Coaching Offer and the prices, feel free to read this complete piece on the matter or read the feedback from our coachees! You can also get in touch with The Allyance team and book a free conversation below.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
✒️ Léa C, The Allyance Contributor: “I joined The Allyance after Caroline and I met at a ionnalee’s concert! I am a freelance translator and content writer (French, English, Spanish and German). I also work as an administrative employee in the health and data science sector. So, I am not far from Caroline’s core topic! I am very active as a volunteer in social and environmental NGOs, where I always try to put intersectionality at the center of actions because I am convinced that every cause is linked to one another. It is readily apparent that Caroline and I share a lot of common interests, which is why we as friends decided to work together!”