Q: What did you do prior to becoming a recruiter?
A: I worked for
IBM, Tandem, and Sun Oil in Information Systems Management - this is now
the major area of ProSearch's focus.
Q: What year (xx, xx, xxxx) did you become
a recruiter?
A: I became a recruiter
in 1987 and in 1988 started my own company.
Q: Why did you become a recruiter?
A. I originally
became a recruiter because the person who placed me talked me into it, and
I wanted to find a role that would let me set my own hours, stay in a higher
tax bracket, and not have to travel.. I was flying to different cities every
week at that time in a regional product manager role in Information Systems,
and loved the diversity and pace of the work, but not the travel (I had stayed
home for 9 years earlier in my career, when my children were born, and continue
to be involved with our children and our grandbabies). After several months
there, I realized I truly loved the work, and especially loved the rewards
of long hours and in-depth intense work, (in the corporate world, I received
small bonuses every year and small merit increases with promotions every
year but the person I was working for was not very ethical.
Q: If you went out on your own as a recruiter what
prompted that decision?
A: My husband
encouraged me to start my own company, and very quickly my third child, ProSearch
was born in 1988. I did not mind paying for my own mistakes while running
my own business, and loved reaping the rewards of our ongoing growth.
Q: Who were your role models and are
you mentoring others now?
A: Who were your
role models and are you mentoring others now? My mother. She believed in
hard work, never complaining, laughing at your problems, and having a strong
faith in God and the power of prayer. Today, at age 95, she is one of the
most intelligent, well read, and well spoken persons I know.
Danny Cahill, and the various members
of the Pinnacle Society
(pinnaclesociety.org) have served
as mentors and role models for me over the years, pushing and encouraging
me to reach higher levels. I have no formal persons I am mentoring, but as
a means of "giving back", I often talk with women who are starting their
own businesses, in varied fields. Also, I have spoken frequently to various
women who have stayed at home for several years, and then want to re-enter
a professional career.
Q: If you were asked what your job title is,
how would you respond?
A: " ProSearch specializes
in retained search of information technology and finance professionals. I
am a superb Headhunter."
Q: Is your primary job function sales
driven or recruiting driven?
A: I would say
the job is a 50/50 split of getting identifying and marketing the search
with the clients, and then recruiting and screening the
candidates.
Q: Why did you join USRC and what prompts you
to continue to be a member?
A:
At ProSearch we strongly believe in promoting and advancing the standards
of professionalism within the recruitment industry and as such, encourage
our staff to become certified through the NAPS
CPC
Certification Program.
When I changed fields from systems
to search, I sought out various organizations that would help ProSearch have
the knowledge to become a leader in our industry.
We are currently members of
IACPR(www.iacpr.org) and
AESC(www.aesc.org), significant retained
search firm organizations, and do all we can to identify the groups that
will give us more knowledge of our industry and of what is happening in the
marketplace- as in USRC.
Comment: ProSearch specializes in retained search
of Information Technology, Finance and related professionals. Clients include
varied industries, from fortune 100's to entrepreneurial firms, including
financial services, pharmaceutical companies, academia, manufacturing,
transportation, publishing, hospitals/health care systems, e-businesses,
and others.
