You don’t really wake up in the middle of the night and say to yourself, “I want to be a recruiter”. You fall into it! My experience was, however, what I believe now to be completely serendipitous!
When I was younger, I wanted to help people and I wanted to be notorious. But only a certain few are privileged for that kind of fate – I just never really thought I would get both by being a recruiter (To be fair, I am still working on placing my first soon-to-be-famous candidate… Maybe the next Meg Whitman)
My first job was delivering newspapers followed by being a delivery boy for Boston Pizza! Those jobs really did teach me a valuable lesson – that people will always appreciate good service. I used to get $1 tips from the old folks on my street – Unlike everyone else, I always walked to the door to hand deliver the paper and I never ate the free boxed cereals that came once a week or took home the free shampoo samples!
I love recruiting, I’ve been doing it for 3 years now and there are still two highs that I constantly chase after. Firstly, our industry most often places people for a sizable increase in their economic life. My approach is a little bit different… I start by asking, in 3-5 years, what do you want your business card to say? I can not express how good it feels when someone who is ready for that next career move or someone who has been part of a large restructuring calls to thank you for what you have done for them and their family. Second, closing deals! My philosophy is that if you satisfy the first, the second will always follow!
Everyone has dogmas they live by, things that determine one’s character. I think it is mine that has lead me to my success:
KARMA: Do good and good will come to you!
TIME: Relevant to one’s own mind set, and not any other factor!
DOGMA: Hard work will always beat genius!
Finally, be humble.
For the love of sales!
