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Tessa Harmon

Senior Technical Sourcer at Microsoft (CoreAI division)

Technical RecruitingFull-Cycle RecruitingEmployer BrandingCandidate ExperienceStartup OperationsSourcing
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About

I'm Tessa Harmon, a Senior Technical Sourcer at Microsoft within the CoreAI division. My career has taken me from the high seas as a Media Manager for Carnival Cruise Line to the fast-paced world of healthcare startups at Care Otter, and now to the frontier of Artificial Intelligence. I specialize in finding the 'best and brightest' for GenAI, Applied AI Science, and AI Infrastructure. I’m passionate about the idea that recruiting is really about helping people find where they belong, and I love living in high-level ambiguity to build teams from the ground up. Whether you are a Senior Researcher or a PhD student looking for a 2026 internship, I’m here to offer transparency and a bridge to high-impact roles. I value integrity, diversity of thought, and being a 'learning sponge' in every environment I'm in.

Networking

What I can offer

  • ›Insights into the Microsoft interview process
  • ›Career guidance for those feeling 'lost'
  • ›Connections to high-impact roles in frontier AI

Looking for

  • ›Senior and Principal technical talent (Scientists, Researchers, Engineers)
  • ›PhD and research interns for 2026
  • ›expanding my professional network
  • ›exploring mutual opportunities in AI

Best fit for

AI ResearchersApplied AI ScientistsSoftware EngineersPhD StudentsTechnical Leaders

Current Interests

Generative AI (GenAI)Responsible AISpeech-to-Speech LLMsAI Infrastructure (GPU/NPU Kernels)Candidate Experience

Background

Career

Started in media management at Carnival Cruise Line, moved into full-cycle recruiting for healthcare startup Care Otter (acquired by Allscripts), and transitioned to Microsoft to lead high-level technical sourcing for AI.

Education

Bachelor of Science (BS) in Marketing/Marketing Management and Accounting from Greenville University.

Achievements

  • ›Built the original engineering and product team for Care Otter leading to acquisition
  • ›Staffing the newly formed CoreAI division at Microsoft
  • ›Sole content creator for Carnival Cruise Line's 'FunTimes' publication

Opinions

  • Recruiters should act as a liaison to help people find where they 'belong'
  • Strong disdain for fraudulent recruitment practices and 'pay-to-play' resume services
  • Values diversity of background and constant evolution of skills over static expertise
  • Recruiting must be built on trust