Blog Post: The Unemployed Recruiter Introduction

When I started on my path to becoming a recruiter I didn't know it would land me here. It started simple. I came in as a part time contracted admin...a job that seemed to be going nowhere. My goal was to make it to where the recruiters would be lost without me. I was never afraid to step out of my role and go above and beyond what was expected of me. It worked, six months later I was promoted to a recruiter. And that same year I was promoted once again to Recruiting Manager.

Let me tell you a little about my world. I started this job like anyone else starts a job, with hopes of something bigger. I was new to the staffing industry and all it offers. As I grew with the company so did the demand placed on me. Deadlines to meet, always changing staffing needs, requirements etc., but my passion grew as well. I began to eat, sleep and breathe recruiting and retention. I learned how important relationships and networking were.

Day in and day out I listened to stories of the unemployed. After awhile I became desensitized to it. It was simply another story from another applicant. One day I woke up unemployed. "This is OK" I thought. "I know the game, I know the rules and I know the people. This will be easy". I am a big believer in the theory that you get everything back you put out there, good or bad. I worked hard, I put a lot of people to work that needed a new start, a new career or another chance. There were times I followed my heart and it paid off. I worked hard for my company and was able to see great results in my time there. So now it was time to see a return.

Two weeks of sending my resume to every job posting I came across. Two weeks with a grand total of two interviews. Two weeks of my confidence slowly being sucked away. I hit a wall of panic. Here I am a single mom wondering where the next check was coming from. I was suddenly an applicant with a sad story. I had no idea it was like this. I remembered all the times I thought more about hitting a goal than really listening to someone's hardship. I always thought I was a compassionate person...maybe I wasn't.

I didn't know the feeling of uselessness. I never felt replaceable. This was the first time I woke up every morning and felt like I didn't have a purpose. And I never knew that something I was so passionate about would so quickly forget everything I did. I started to think about changing my field completely. Obviously I wasn't the recruiter I thought I was.

Everything I thought I knew about staffing was tossed out the window. Come back to see what I learned...