5 Lessons from Darren Bush on Breaking Into and Thriving in Talent Acquisition
Everything you need to know about Darren Bush
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In the inaugural episode of The Unicorn Whisperer, host Eric Guidice sat down with Darren Bush, one of the global talent acquisition leaders at Ericsson, to discuss his path into recruiting, how to break into leadership roles, and what great recruiters do to stand out in today’s market. Here are the top five takeaways from their conversation—and why they matter to every recruiting professional aiming for the next level.
There’s No One Path Into TA—But Business Understanding Is a Must
Takeaway: Darren’s career started in finance, but he chose to enter recruiting and found early success by applying his deep product knowledge to financial services recruiting.
Why It Matters: Knowing the business you recruit for is just as important as mastering sourcing or interviewing. Deep domain knowledge creates credibility with hiring managers, increases recruiter influence, and sharpens candidate assessments.
Your Network Is Your Job Search Superpower
Takeaway: Darren landed his role at Ericsson through a referral. His last three roles came from people in his network, not cold applications.
Why It Matters: Job seekers—especially in TA—must build their own top-of-funnel. Relying solely on job boards is like posting a role without sourcing. Strategic networking and engaging online communities creates warm leads before roles even open.
Internal Career Paths in TA Are Broader Than You Think
Takeaway: At an enterprise like Ericsson, TA isn’t just about delivery. Darren moved from recruiter to tech innovator to operational leader—roles many don’t realize exist.
Why It Matters: Recruiters often assume their only upward moves are into leadership or rec ops. But in large companies, career paths include workforce planning, TA enablement, and internal mobility. Understanding these options helps you steer your growth strategically.
How to Get Hired at a Unicorn Company
Takeaway: A strong pitch, data-driven results, and the ability to have uncomfortable conversations are what set candidates apart in high-demand roles.
Why It Matters: Darren stressed the need to reduce the work for hiring teams—especially in cold outreach. Bring clear messaging, demonstrate past impact with metrics, and show you can influence and push back when needed. That’s what leaders want on their team.
Frameworks Help You Tell a Better Story
Takeaway: Darren uses a memorable “Name, Same, Fame, Aim, Game” pitch structure to introduce himself—giving context, credibility, and future goals.
Why It Matters: Whether you're interviewing or networking, how you tell your story matters. Frameworks like this keep your intro tight, memorable, and full of hooks that make people want to know more.
Bonus: Why Ericsson? Why Now?
Darren closed with insight into why Ericsson is hiring: they’re restructuring global TA, insourcing work from RPOs, and building a new culture centered on tools, data, and strategic partnership. For job seekers, it’s an opportunity to shape a global transformation while growing their own careers with stretch roles and internal mobility.
Listen to the full episode for more context, frameworks, and Darren’s favorite books to grow your TA career. And if you're looking for job search help, check out the Open to Work Toolkit—a free resource built by Darren and Matthew Parker.