SESSION DESCRIPTION - Behind the Algorithm: A Talent Acquisition Leader and a Career Coach on Getting Hired in the AI Era

AI has changed how companies find, screen, and hire talent, and many experienced finance executives are feeling the impact without knowing what's happening behind the scenes. In this session, talent acquisition leader Ellen Hong and career coach Christine Chang, CPA, share both sides of today's hiring process and what it means for your search.

1. How Recruiters Are Using AI Today (Ellen Hong)

An insider's look at how recruiters use AI to source candidates, screen and rank applicants, and manage outreach and scheduling, and where human judgment still makes the final call.

      2.  What AI Looks for in Your Executive Résumé

How applicant tracking systems read résumés, why keywords, titles, and quantified results matter more than ever, and the formatting choices that help or hurt your chances of getting through.

      3.  How a Career Coach Can Expedite Your Search (Christine Chang)

How working with a coach helps you get clear on your target role, reposition your experience into a compelling career story, focus your networking where it counts, and stay accountable so your search moves forward with strategy instead of guesswork.

You'll leave with a clearer picture of how hiring works today and practical steps to make your next career move faster and more strategically.

SPEAKER BIOS

Christine Chang, CPA https://www.linkedin.com/in/christineychang/ 

Christine Chang, CPA, is the founder of Your New Chapter Coach, where she helps finance and accounting professionals make strategic career moves with clarity, confidence, and direction. Her clients include those growing into leadership within the profession, shifting to a better company or role, and pivoting into a new chapter entirely.

Christine has worked on every side of the hiring table. She built and ran her own CPA firm, then moved into recruiting and later into HR and talent acquisition, where she saw firsthand how hiring decisions get made. Today she combines that insider recruiting knowledge with her finance background to help professionals reposition their experience and land the roles they're capable of.

Christine serves on the membership committee of FEI San Diego and is a leader with San Diego Women in Finance. She believes your experience isn't a box. It's the foundation for your next move.

Ellen Hong  https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenhong/ 

Ellen Hong is a talent acquisition professional with extensive experience in corporate recruiting, talent strategy, and full-cycle recruitment. Most recently, she served as Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist at BioMed Realty, a Blackstone portfolio company, where she led recruiting initiatives and partnered with hiring managers to attract and secure top talent.

With expertise in strategic sourcing, candidate engagement, stakeholder partnership, and recruiting process improvement, Ellen combines a consultative approach with hands-on execution to deliver effective hiring solutions. She understands that successful recruitment goes beyond filling positions. It requires understanding business needs, building meaningful relationships, and creating a positive candidate experience.

As Principal Consultant at Strategic Talent Attraction, Ellen provides personalized recruiting services to organizations seeking an experienced, flexible talent acquisition partner. She works closely with clients to understand their hiring objectives, identify qualified candidates, and streamline the recruitment process. Her mission is to help businesses make strategic hiring decisions and build strong teams through thoughtful, efficient, and relationship-driven recruiting.