Real Advice, Real Connection: A Recap of Level Up Your Career with Tencent Americas
Applying to jobs and not hearing back? Here's a tip from Eugene, a Senior Solutions Architect at Tencent Americas: AI resume screening is getting smarter at spotting generic, AI-written resumes, so focus on specific projects and details tailored to each job, not a one-size-fits-all version.
This is the kind of practical, real-world advice our latest virtual workshop, Level Up Your Career, was built around and strives to deliver. In August, Dress for Success San Francisco & San Jose partnered with Tencent Americas for a free, three-part virtual Career Development Series designed to help women navigate today's job market with greater confidence.
Tencent Americas, includes the U.S. branch of Tencent, a leading global technology company, with key areas of focus in video games and entertainment products.
The series was made possible by 20 individual Tencent Americas volunteers, 8 of whom showed up for both days. Tencent Americas has been a valued partner of Dress for Success San Francisco and San Jose since 2024, playing a key role in expanding our workforce development services across the Bay Area. Through this partnership, more than 50 Tencent Americas volunteers have contributed their time and expertise to support women at critical points in their career journeys.
Here's a look at how it went.
Workshop 1: AI for Job Seekers Panel
The series opened with a candid panel discussion on AI and the job search, featuring Tencent Americas professionals from a range of industries and backgrounds. The tone was set early with a simple, reassuring message.
"If you use a search engine, you should also be able to use AI," said Eugene. "Everybody uses search engines, everyone can use AI." He added an important caveat: garbage in, garbage out. AI is meant to augment your work, not replace it.
Joy, a Product Solutions Architect, echoed that accessibility: "AI is for everyone. Use ChatGPT, use Claude, it's really user-friendly. It's a tool for you to make your life easier." For anyone unsure where to begin, she offered a simple way to think about it: treat it as a tool with a large set of knowledge, one you're allowed to question when something doesn't feel right.
Tianji, a Solutions Architect, added some context on just how fast this space has moved: "AI really came three years ago and it's changed a lot. There is great opportunity to explore."
Attendees came with real, specific questions including: how to make a job search more efficient with AI, whether mentioning AI-assisted work on a resume helps or hurts, and how to balance AI's usefulness with concerns about accuracy and ethics. On the topic of referrals, Joy suggested using AI as a research tool to identify who to reach out to at a target company, then sending a direct message like: "I am looking for some advice about my career."
Rozita, Head of Business Development & Partnerships at Tencent, offered a grounding perspective that stuck with many attendees:
"AI is a tool, it's a supplement, a complement to your job search and interviewing process That human connection is where you have those conversations, and that person could say, 'you know, did you think about it this way?' You are not going to get that from AI."
She also shared a message for anyone navigating a layoff: "It's a numbers game. Even when you’re knocked down, dust yourself off and move on, because the perfect job is out there for you."
Workshop 2: Small Group Career Coaching
The second session moved into smaller, more personal territory, giving participants direct access to Tencent professionals across HR, business development, talent acquisition, marketing, and more for one-on-one guidance.
Workshop 3: Mock Interviews
The series closed with hands-on mock interview practice in small groups of two to three, led by Tencent volunteers with real hiring and interviewing experience. Many sessions centered on the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) as a framework for answering behavioral interview questions.
Rozita shared a reminder about how interviews often work in practice: "I am a different type of interviewer. Typically I'm the last in a chain, and by the time I interview a candidate I know that you have the necessary skills because you've been vetted. I know you have the desire and passion, and now I want to talk to you and see if you're the right person for the team, for the division, for the company. Are we going to vibe?"
She also cautioned against giving the same rehearsed answers throughout a multi-round process: "If you’re giving the same answers and hitting the same talking points throughout the interview process, it's going to start feeling less special."
What Participants Took Away
The feedback from participants said it best.
"I feel more confident and ready for the interviews," said Melissa.
"I can't even describe how grateful I am for this experience. I really appreciate the time the volunteers have taken to give us this opportunity," said Scarlet.
From our post-event survey:
"Dress For Success is my favorite organization. It makes me feel real-person connected with the professional world. DFS has the best organization system and kind people I've ever seen." — Tia
"This program provided invaluable, practical insights into leveraging AI for my job search and gave me the rare opportunity to do a live mock interview with a supportive mentor. Getting direct feedback and connecting with industry professionals boosted my confidence immensely. Programs like this by Dress for Success and Tencent Americas offer incredible tools, guidance, and unwavering community support that truly empower women navigating career transitions and trying to build a new path forward." — Zinaida
"Speaking with high level professionals gave me a real sense of inclusion. When you are unemployed or underemployed, it can feel isolating and discouraging, especially when organizations do not respond. This event reminded me that organizations are real people, and sharing stories helped me resonate so much. I am glad that there are programs in the Bay Area that genuinely support women who are working to rebuild their careers." — Sandy
"This event gave me much more than interview practice. It connected me with an experienced professional who understood my career direction and offered practical, candid advice about navigating the U.S. job market. For someone rebuilding a professional career in a new country, access to this kind of guidance and meaningful professional connection is incredibly valuable." — Yanina
"Thank you so much for hosting this fantastic experience. It was just what I needed to meet other people looking for employment. The advice and insights remain helpful and have caused me to rethink many aspects of my application process. Thank you for being such a tremendous host! Much gratitude for all you do for creating community around this process." — Tandy
Thank You, Tencent Americas
A huge thank you to the Tencent Americas team, including HR, business development, talent acquisition, and legal professionals, who volunteered their time and expertise across both days to make this series possible. Your willingness to show up, share honestly, and coach one on one made a real difference for the women in this program.
And to every woman who attended: thank you for showing up for yourself. That decision alone, to invest in your own next step, is worth celebrating.
Interested in future programming like this? Check out our Upcoming Workshops page for updates!
Dress for Success San Francisco/San Jose empowers women to achieve economic mobility by providing a network of support, workplace attire, and career skills and tools for success.