Many years ago, I sat in the audience of an auditorium while my kids' dad was graduating from the police academy. He was one of the oldest in his class at twenty-seven years. This was not really a career he selected; he kind of just fell into it - much like many recruiters and the search industry. He had started his working/adult life as a machinist. He gradually became better and better at this chosen profession, so much so that he was selected to receive specific training in CNC - Computer Numerical Control.

CNC machining was very specialized at the time; computers were pretty rare in small machine shops in Northwest Indiana. Machining usually involved extremely precise measuring and a lot of metal and dirt and heat. At least, that is how I remember it being almost 30 years ago. Due to his knowledge and experience, he was given an opportunity, basically recruited, to a machine shop in Southern California back in 1990. They relocated us - we picked up and moved 2,500 miles west. But the company that did the hiring soon had to cut their machine shop hours. 1990 proved pretty fateful for aero-space and defense contractors, of which his company was.

With the risk of a possible layoff, he began to look for other opportunities. With no college education, he had really only worked in machining for ten years. A friend convinced him to apply to the police academy and with much fear, on my part, he entered the world of law enforcement. He had never dreamed of becoming a cop, it had never even been a Halloween costume. As a matter of fact, he had never been a fan of cops but his clean lifestyle was exactly the background his hiring department was looking for and at 27, his mid-life career change took place. He is still a cop today and faces retirement in just a few short years, but it has not been an easy career.

I fell into recruiting much like my ex fell into police work. I had a need and a job found me and, sometimes, that is just how it works. Luckily, both careers have been good to us. Career Diving. I often remember these two stories when I share new opportunities or when I have helped a candidate/placement with a decision for relocation or a cross-country move. I personally have only moved once for a job and that was just a couple months ago. It is not easy, it is stressful and it can be less than fun, way less than fun.

When we are able to place ourselves in the shoes of whom we present opportunities, when we have a base experience to draw from, we are able to humanize our job, our pitch. We are able to personalize our approach and potentially do that job better - dare I say, relational recruiting, as opposed to transactional. Of course, we each do this differently, we each find the comfort zone where we thrive. And that is what it is all about, as of late. If you are still here, if you are still working as a recruiter, be it agency, one-man, corporate, retained, executive, than you have survived and have hopefully thrived, as well as, stories to tell and experiences from which to learn.

Survive then thrive, sounds like a reality show I, formerly, would have wanted nothing with which to do. Sort of glad I didn't have a choice.

by rayannethorn