Breaking into the New York tech scene as a new recruiter is an enormous challenge. Not impossible, but certainly not for the faint of heart. You’re going to have to put in the hustle, build a network of diverse people, and hopefully be part of a team (like Betts) that helps push you in the right direction.
I’ve been tenacious enough over the past 18 months to help 81 people get hired in sales at some of the most innovative companies in New York. I’m sharing some of the work ethic that got me there and lessons I learned along the way. If you’re a recruiter, please share with me some of your best practices, and if you’re a job seeker I would love to help you find your dream job.
Prioritize
Whether you’re a recruiter or not, we all have a lot going on at work. And honestly, it’s best to keep it that way. If you have an open block in your schedule, give it a purpose beginning of day and hold yourself accountable for that purpose. If you ever find yourself feeling like you have nothing to do for an hour, you’re giving yourself too much slack. There’s always another person to call.
But in order to keep as busy as possible, while still maintaining sanity, I’m careful that I have all of my preps and calls set up in the most efficient order every day. I’m also present at work – no Facebook daydreaming and I don’t live in my email – I make finding my clients the best careers, and coaching them along the way, my highest priority.
Hustle
There are countless quotes about the importance of hustle, but there’s truly no replacement for it. I’ve found that even though I may not (yet) have the largest network or greatest number of years of experience, if I hustle, I’ll beat out those other advantages every day of the week.
As I mentioned before, there is always someone to call, email, or text. If you’re not putting in the consistent effort, someone else will beat you to the punch every single time.
Be Genuine
It’s important that even when you’re hustling, you’re genuine and have the best interest of your clients in mind 100% of the time. One of our values at Betts is that “We tell it like it is.” Whether that’s critical feedback on a prep call, telling a client that one of our opportunities isn’t the right one based on their needs, or even telling a client that an opportunity outside of Betts is the better choice, the genuine relationship built from that honesty lasts longer than any one role will. This is what I believe is the difference between a good transitional recruiter that will get you a job, and a great recruiter that will find you your dream career.
Take it from Mike, whom I have worked with to find two different roles throughout my time here at Betts. He provided me with a wonderful recommendation, in part complimenting that I am “patient, really listens to what type of role/opportunity you are looking for (believe it or not, sales is a very diverse terrain), and doesn’t push or pressure you like a lot of other recruiters will — she doesn’t have to because she is so good at matching you with a batch of companies that fit what you’re looking for.”
Overall, I’ve been able to find my confidence as a recruiter, which has earned respect internally and externally. On top of that, I always value and distribute my time wisely to help me achieve my goals.
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