This is my first post on this wonderful site. I’ve read so many great posts, that it’s a little intimidating…..but for an iPad, I can give it a shot! That, and after reading a post last week by someone who trashed our industry, it has given me some motivation to share.

Why do I love recruiting? That’s an interesting question for me to consider. I don’t ever recall saying “I’m going to be a recruiter when I grow up” as a little boy. (Of course, my wife is quick to say that I still haven’t grown up).

I also don’t recall ever saying that I wanted to be a social worker, sales person, fundraiser, small business owner, contractor, or firefighter either. However, I’ve held all of those positions (mostly one at a time!). The running joke for the past 12 years was that everyone waited for my Christmas letter in order to find out what my latest career was. I believe it’s this experience that causes me to love recruiting.

I love the fact that my job is to find those “gems” that my client can’t find. Someone who’s resume may look a little screwy like mine does, but has the skills AND the experience to get the job done. I’m not talking about making someone into something that they are not, but giving someone assistance to get in front of the hiring manager, even though their resume probably wouldn’t have made it through someone’s silly ATS system. I love interviewing someone and saying more than once in the interview “I understand you, I used to do that” and then figuring out how that will fit into the roles that I am filling.  

Being told by someone’s significant other that I “changed their life” is awesome. Helping put someone back to work or into a better position in a state that has been suffering is awesome. Solving a client’s major problem with the perfect candidate is awesome. Looking at a resume and thinking, “huh, different background but let’s give this candidate some time” and finding out they are the perfect fit when no one else would talk to them is awesome. (That now sets my personal record for the use of “awesome” in one paragraph….sorry.)

Of course, the money is great too. I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy those great fees on the executive level positions. However, I will say that my best two positions I have filled so far were no where near that level. Managing to place a junior engineer with the imperfect resume into his “first big break” was phenomenal. The fee was minimal but the client now understands that I “get” them and they have a fantastic employee they would have never interviewed without me. That is a close second behind placing the single mother who is about to lose her home into a new sales role.

That is why I love recruiting.