Have you heard? Talent42 is back! It’s the ONLY conference for tech recruiters AND it’s happening right here in Seattle. I knew a few people who attended last year and raved about it. Some of my Microsoft colleagues are attending this year and I was a little jealous. So you can imagine how excited I was when the good folks here at RecruitingBlogs asked ME to attend and blog about it. Think kid, Christmas, new bike with a bell and pink streamers under the tree. Whoa. Not a position I ever thought I’d find myself in. Why? Well… because…

I’m not a “tech” recruiter. Or am I? Hell I’m not even sure anymore. I recruit somewhat technical type candidates. I have filled technical positions. I just never really held that title… Technical Recruiter. That’s always been reserved for those really smart recruiters who can talk about coding and infrastructure and software development and database administration like it was second nature. And that ain’t me, friends. Then again, I was never an Accounting and Finance Recruiter, though I learned to throw around terms like “SOX” and “Cost Accounting”. And I could explain why you absolutely NEVER call on a public accounting firm during busy season. I can barely balance my checkbook yet still managed to snag a CFO search. Before that, Construction Recruiter wasn’t on my business cards but I placed Superintendents and Project Managers all over the southwest. The fact that I (much to my husband’s dismay) still use stilettos as hammers didn’t stop me from placing really smart guys with Construction Management degrees in the homebuilding industry. Ok, fine. Maybe I AM a tech recruiter. If not, I’m hoping after I attend Mark Tortorici’s session, to know enough that I’ll start referring to myself as one. Maybe order some new business cards.

I’m not really a conference girl. Here’s the big confession. I have always been suspicious of people who attend conferences. Almost as suspicious as I am of people who speak at conferences. How do they have TIME? I can barely run to the bathroom without coming back to a stack of emails and voicemails from managers needing an update. I’m BUSY. The thing with Talent42 though, is that these people are real live recruiting professionals doing the work. I can dig it. Keynote by Glen Cathey?? Who doesn’t have Boolean BlackBelt bookmarked? And my girl Amybeth Hale, the Research Goddess herself as a panelist? SIGN ME UP. I’ve seen her work firsthand. She knows her sourcing stuff.

I’ve done my homework. I’ve read up on the people that will be at this conference, and I’m excited, y’all! Not just to be able to write about it and bring it back to my beloved RBC community, but to learn. These guys are walking the walk and talking the talk day in and day out. Recruiting is a constantly evolving profession – if you’re not a lifelong student of this crazy business, you won’t last. I am so stoked about this conference. It is, after all, the answer to the Zombie Apocalypse.