Vanessa
Former McKinsey & ZEISS Senior Recruiter | Insights from the other side of the table | Direction, CV, PEI & Offer
Personal Experience Interview
CV
personal fit
English, German
Spain (UTC +1)
USD 189 / h
Former McKinsey & ZEISS Senior Recruiter | Insights from the other side of the table | Direction, CV, PEI & Offer
Personal Experience Interview
CV
personal fit
USD 189 / h
Statistics
3 Coachings
629 Q&A Upvotes
2 Awards

I spent 7 years inside McKinsey & Company. I started my career working directly alongside (Senior) Partners and learned how top-tier decision-makers evaluate talent and performance. During this time, I consistently ranked in the top 3% to 7% within Germany.

I then moved into my core expertise: Recruiting. As a Senior Recruiter at McKinsey, I managed target university pipelines, ran interview days and led the Capstone retention program. After McKinsey, I joined ZEISS Group as a Senior Recruiter and worked directly with ex-MBB hiring managers to build teams in Corporate Strategy, Business Innovation and Ventures.

From more than 2,500 interviews and candidate conversations, I know how HR screening really works, what the benchmarks are, and why candidates fail the Personal Interview or PEI. 

Many candidates prepare hard for one firm without asking if it is the right place for them. I have seen thousands of CVs and careers, so I know where people with your profile perform well, what hiring managers look for and which entry routes exist.

Today, I am the founder of Curate Futures and use that experience on both sides of the table. For professionals and for hiring managers filling a role that sets their company apart.

 

Interested? Learn more about how I work:

I have seen thousands of CVs and careers, so I know where people with your profile perform well, what hiring managers look for and which entry routes exist. 

I hand you the efficiencies and systems to turn your profile into something that holds. I have interviewed thousands of candidates and I know exactly how to ask tough questions, find weak spots, and identify where a story lacks focus. You will walk out of this preparation with confidence and an answer to almost every question that might follow. You will be able to give the interview direction, so you can actually talk about what matters.

Interested? Learn more about how I work:
5.0
2 Reviews
Anonymous
Oct 21, 2026
Verified Coaching
Interview Coaching
The second session confirmed what I already thought after the first: Vanessa is a great sparring partner. She gives honest, direct feedback without sugarcoating and actively brings in her own ideas. One concrete takeaway for me was to get to the point faster in my answers instead of over-explaining. I left the session much more motivated and can now approach the rest of the process with a calmer mind, without overthinking every step. If you value honest feedback and want to genuinely improve, she’s the right coach for you.
Anonymous
Oct 19, 2026
Verified Coaching
Interview Coaching
Vanessa is incredibly empathetic and immediately creates a comfortable, open atmosphere. She quickly put herself in my position as a candidate and looked at my background holistically rather than just ticking off individual points. What helped me most was learning how to read certain signals in the process, for example from HR, in a realistic and neutral way instead of reading too much into them. She also remembers details and picks them up again later. On top of that, she was very flexible with scheduling. Highly recommended!
Work Experience
Founder
Curate Futures
2026 - now

I use my experience on both sides of the table.

For professionals who feel stuck or know it is time for more: together we design your Career Architecture Plan, your next moves mapped out. Then I prepare you for the rounds that decide and for the negotiation, so you land the top-tier offer you actually want.

For founders and hiring managers filling a role that sets their company apart: I help you see who is really good and make sure your preferred candidate signs. Either as your sparring partner behind the scenes, or hands-on in the final interviews and the closing.

Senior Recruiter
ZEISS
2023 - 2026

As Senior Recruiter I advised hiring managers, many of them former strategy consultants, on filling strategic key positions and evaluating top talent.

Senior Recruiter / Teamlead
McKinsey & Company
2016 - 2023

As a Senior Recruiter I focused on target university sourcing, master's graduate hiring, interview execution and candidate retention.

Education
Master student
Universität Koblenz-Landau
2014 - 2016
Media and communication sciences
Last Month
Community Star
Top 10 | 22 Answers
Vanessa wrote 22 answers in the Q&A last month.
Q&A Expert
Top 10 | 233 Upvotes
Vanessa's answers from last month have received 233 upvotes.
Past Awards
Community Star
Vanessa received an award for the most Q&A answers once in 2026.
Q&A Expert
Vanessa's answers were among the best answers once in 2026.
Coaching Offers
Interview Coaching
60 Minutes
5.0
2 Reviews
USD 189
Book time slot
CV Review
30 Minutes
USD 139
Book time slot
Interview Coaching + CV Review
90 Minutes
USD 319
Book time slot
Availability
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8:00 AM
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Community Contributions
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