Get Uncomfortable: The Winning Candidate’s Strategy

In this week’s Landed Not Handed edition, we’re talking with Tim Steffensmeier, VP of Sales and Marketing at Pure Bioscience. His career has featured teenage construction jobs, sanitation management, consulting, and now sales and marketing leadership for an antimicrobial solutions company.

In this conversation, we dig into:
- How a “temporary” job turned into a career in consulting and sanitation
- Why the best career moves often start with being uncomfortable
- The three traits he looks for in every ideal team player
- AND MORE

What are some key takeaways from your career?

Get comfortable being uncomfortable. Say yes before you feel fully ready. If you’re comfortable in your role, you stop learning.

At 25, I was thrown into consulting, and saying yes changed my career. The same was true when I was asked to take over sales. My first reaction was no, but I could see the value I could bring, so I said yes.

Another takeaway: manage people the way you’d want to be managed. I’ve had good and bad leaders, and it shapes who you decide to be.

And finally, your network matters. My biggest career advancements came from the relationships I built, the value I brought to others, and lifting people up so we all win together.

What makes someone an ideal team player?

Ownership. Think like an owner. Don’t wait to be babysat, take accountability, and learn equally from wins and failures.

Curiosity. Curiosity doesn’t kill careers; it launches them. Seek to understand before you plow ahead, and don’t assume you know everything.

Humble confidence. It sounds like an oxymoron, but leaders need both. Be confident enough to lead, and humble enough to ask for perspectives, admit you don’t have all the answers, and adjust as needed.

What mistakes do you see from candidates or team members?

Ego. Not being willing to act as a team. I’ve had to check my own ego at the door, too. The best outcomes come when you listen to the team, to customers, and work together, not from assuming decades of experience automatically gives you the right answer.

As a leader, how do you help people move away from ego and toward team-first thinking?

It starts with hiring people who have the right mindset. After that, it’s the culture you model as a leader. I ask my team for input constantly, what they think, and how we can get better.

Top-down and bottom-up humility becomes contagious. People want to be part of a real team.

What challenges come with leading a team?

Doing what you preach, checking my ego, prioritizing what’s best for the customer, and helping the team understand why decisions are made.

The team looks at the tactical. My role requires looking strategically, and those two perspectives don’t always look the same. Communicating that difference is crucial.

If you could give job seekers one piece of advice, what would it be?

Focus on your personal brand. Identify who you are as a person and as a leader.

Understand the value you bring as a human being, and why someone should hire you internally or externally. It’s not just what’s on paper; it’s who you are and the impact you make. And then learn to communicate that clearly.

I’ve worked on this for myself by understanding what makes me tick and what I’m passionate about. Not every part of your job will be exciting, but you need to know the work that energizes you and where you bring the most value.

I’ve seen companies take amazing people who were simply in the wrong role and put them somewhere new. They excelled and elevated the whole company.

What future skill or trait will matter most in the workforce?

Continually learning, adapting, and moving forward. The world is changing faster than ever, and it will keep accelerating. Be willing to adjust your strategy and pivot as the market changes.

And for me, it’s all about balance, using technology without losing the human side. Some people ChatGPT everything. Use your brain. But for important emails, I’ll draft, run it through ChatGPT, and refine. Tools should make you sharper, not replace the human element.

Thanks so much for sharing, Tim.

If you’re interested in learning more about Tim or Pure Bioscience, check out his LinkedIn here.