About Dave and the Site

I built this because most people only see the outside of hiring.

I have spent 25 years inside the hiring machine. Recruiting, screening, search work, candidate conversations, manager intake calls, missed fits, strong hires, bad signals, strange timing, and all the messy human pieces that never fit cleanly inside a job description.

This site is my attempt to make more of that judgment useful to more people. Not as a magic answer. Not as fake polish. As a clearer map through a process that affects careers, teams, income, confidence, and families.

David Burleson

Background

David Burleson

Technology executive search leader, recruiting advisor, and student career guide.

I have spent more than 25 years in IT recruiting and executive search, working with Fortune 500 companies, high-growth firms, technical leaders, hiring managers, students, and candidates trying to make better career decisions.

My work has lived mostly in technology: emerging tech, technical leadership, software, data, cloud, security, business systems, and the hard-to-find people companies usually describe as purple squirrels.

I am also trained as a Scrum Master, IT Business Analyst, and SHRM professional. That matters because technology hiring is not just keyword matching. You have to understand the work, the market, the team, the manager, and the person.

IT Recruiting Executive Search Technical Talent Student Career Support AI + Sourcing

Career Snapshot

The credibility is not the title. It is the range of problems I have had to solve.

My work has crossed boutique search, national firms, retained and contingency models, full-desk recruiting, client advisory, recruiter training, market intelligence, engagement strategy, and AI-enabled search.

01

Technology Search

More than 25 years focused on IT recruiting, executive search, and senior through C-suite technical talent.

02

Search Leadership

Experience across StevenDouglas, Lucas Group/Korn Ferry, SNI Technology, boutique search, and national search environments.

03

Measured Performance

President's Club recognition, national rankings, top IT billings, and 400%+ division growth during prior search work.

04

Modern Search

LinkedIn strategy, social engagement, sourcing playbooks, AI adoption, prompt strategy, and recruiter training.

05

Technical Fluency

Scrum, business analysis, BI, SHRM training, generative AI, and ongoing agentic AI engineering study.

06

Student Support

Career guidance, resume strategy, interview preparation, AI tools, LinkedIn, and practical job-search coaching.

What I Believe

These are the filters underneath the work.

Not slogans. Filters. They shape the resources, the advice, the search work, and the way I think about people trying to make high-stakes decisions.

01

Fit Beats Match

Skills matter, but the real question is whether the person, manager, team, work, timing, and direction actually line up.

02

Advice Has Consequences

Bad advice is not harmless when someone's job, money, family, confidence, team, or company is attached to it.

03

Authenticity Is Strategy

The goal is not to fake your way through. It is to present the best accurate version of what matters to the decision maker.

04

Process Beats Panic

If the search is breaking, audit the step. Do not attack your value first.

What People Trust Me With

The best proof is whether the work helped someone see the situation more clearly.

This section is reserved for short testimonials from candidates, students, hiring managers, clients, and peers. The goal is not a wall of praise. The goal is proof that the work helped someone make a better decision.

Candidate testimonial placeholder. Best fit: clarity, positioning, interview preparation, confidence, or a better next move.

Candidate / Professional

Client or hiring manager testimonial placeholder. Best fit: search process, talent judgment, fit, market insight, or hard-to-find talent.

Client / Hiring Manager

Student or peer testimonial placeholder. Best fit: teaching, practical guidance, LinkedIn, AI tools, or understanding the hidden rules of hiring.

Student / Peer

Who This Is For

People trying to find and win the right fit.

This is for people with the right intentions who are not always sure what the right decisions, steps, or signals look like.

Candidates, students, hiring managers, and companies willing to look past surface-level answers and do the work of understanding fit.

Who This Is Not For

Shortcuts, tricks, and fake polish are not the point.

This is not built to help someone talk their way into the wrong room. That does not work. It might work for a minute, but the lesson usually catches up.

The goal is not pretending. The goal is accurate value, better aim, stronger process, and a clearer read of the terrain.

Next Step

If you need the map, start with resources. If you need a conversation, reach out.

Explore Resources Contact Dave Company Side