In need of a lifeline!!!!!

This is a tough post to write, but one I will do regardless because I am at the end of my rope. I am a 10+ year veteran of the recruiting wars. I spent all my time in the agencies of New York City recruiting technologists. 7 of those years were with a consulting firm where I was top dog with 50+ people on billing. I never thought about the future, or changes because I was content making a lot of money. In 2009, that all changed. The market as we know started going south, and I started losing all my people and not putting them back on. Mind you, all that time, I was just finding people and was not dealing with clients.

So i jumped ship. A few friends went to a new firm, they offered me a good chunk of money to go and I went. And that started the downward spiral of my career. I stayed 7-8 months, then based on my solid background, left and found something I thought better. And then I did it again and again.

Until now! Now, I have no job and haven't now since June. I cannot even get an agency to talk to me. I am wasted goods at this point. So I am not trying anymore. My back is against the wall, in fact on the other side of the wall. I have a family, 3 kids, big house and all and no money coming in, and all the money that was there previously, is now gone.

I have to put out that shingle and reinvent myself and start fresh. But, and again this is the difficult parts, the stress, the anguish, the embarrassment, my head is a jumbled mess. My technology connections are dead and gone and stale, so I cannot leverage those relationships. I am motivated and demotivated at the same time. I have former colleagues sending me over reqs to work on and I just don't even touch them. I used to be able to see a path of where to go to find candidates. I was always a headhunter more than anything else. Now, I cannot see it.

But, I need to get to work ASAP and make some money for my family as well as for myself.

I know there is a blessing in disguise in here somewhere, but I am not able to see it. I need to get moving and just don't feel like I know how. I need some willing voices to talk to and provide some guidance. A new niche, a new space, one not so overloaded that I feel like it is senseless to event try.

Someone to help put me on the path. A conversation on the phone would do wonders and would be greatly appreciated.

You would be helping a fellow recruiter as well as a family in need.

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Comment by Jerry Albright on October 10, 2012 at 12:15pm: Greg - I feel like we've spoken before. If we haven't - perhaps it's just that your story is not at all uncommon given where our industry has been the past 3 or 4 years.

We all have periods of questioning - wondering - hoping and praying. I've found that each and every single time this thinking has landed on my desk - the only way out is ONE SENDOUT AT A TIME. There is no other way. You can't go make a placement. It's not within any of us. Only sendouts. One after the next - and then the next.

It's hard to see the forest for the trees at times - but block out the big picture.

Get a job order - any job order. There are millions of them. Pick one. Just one. Make it your life's mission. Let it consume you. Every minute - every day.

It's the only way out.

Call me - 260-347-1715

Comment by Amber on October 10, 2012 at 12:20pm: Jerry, how freaking wonderful you are!! (That is sincere, no sarcasm!)

Greg, I am here if there is something I can help you with. Send me an email, or call me at 225-751-8283.

Comment by Sandra McCartt on October 11, 2012 at 2:28am: http://www.recruitingblogs.com/forum/topics/stuck-in-the-recruiter-...

Comment by Jerry Albright on October 11, 2012 at 9:10am: Good point Sandra. :)

Comment by Jerry Albright on October 17, 2012 at 8:41am: Looks like Sandra was right - we've heard this same story before. I just don't get it. Why would someone go through the trouble of putting out a heart-wrenching story "In need of a lifeline" - and then just bail? How can someone be taken seriously when they do this? Perhaps we now all have a better idea of why this guy is in such a bind - no follow through.....

Comment by Amber on October 17, 2012 at 11:10am: Hopefully things like this don't dissuade people from trying to help those that really need it. Thanks for posting the past blog, Sandra. I remembered it after I looked at it again, but wouldn't have if you hadn't pointed it out.