I do recruiting and business development for my own Finance and Accounting recruiting firm. My goal is to match qualified candidates to open Finance and Accounting positions in my clients' organizations. I consult with both parties throughout the recruiting process - including identifying the job, finding candidates, preparing candidates for interviews and negotiating offers. I also market my recruiting services to companies and build relationships with mid and senior level managers to attract new business.

EDUCATION | Bachelors of Science Degree in Finance from the University of Southern California.

HOW TO GET STARTED | My advice is to go above and beyond what most mainstream recruiters do. If you want to be in the top 10% you have to spend more time getting to know your clients' businesses and understand who you're recruiting for. Learn everything you can about the culture and the type of people who work there. And you have to spend more time getting to know the candidates - go beyond the pre-screening and meet with them face to face. Find out what their personality is and what motivates them. It goes a long way toward building relationships and trust, which goes hand in hand with building your business.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | You must be even-keeled for the times when a placement falls through, and self-motivated to get back on the phone to find a new candidate. Must also enjoy working with people, have a high-level of integrity for dealing with confidential information, be able to take rejection, have good negotiating skills, be positive and objective, not be afraid of cold calling or talking to strangers, and show a lot of initiative. Because every day it's up to you to pick up the phone or not.

how I got started | After 8 years in Accounting and Finance roles for companies like Disney and Blue Cross, I started getting restless and determined I was in the wrong field. Moving into a Finance and Accounting recruiting role seemed like it could be a good fit. I spent a couple years researching, praying and talking to people in the industry. One day a recruiter called me about a job and I told her I was actually more interested in doing what she does. The economy was doing well back then and recruiting firms were openly hiring - so within four days of her call I had interviews with the Branch Manager and Regional VP and eventually made the leap to a new career in recruiting.

why this job?| I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit and been a risk taker to some degree. Recruiting is definitely a career where what you put in is what you get out. Since I also truly enjoy working with people, recruiting is the best of all worlds for me...I get to build my own company and interface with all different types of candidates and clients in a field where I used to work.

why I love this job!| I love calling candidates with an offer I know exceeds their expectations - especially after they've gone through several rounds of interviews. Usually they'll say yes on the spot. Then I get to call the client to tell them their top candidate accepted their offer. Everyone is happy. It feels great knowing I did the due diligence to make a good match. Many candidates and clients have become friends of mine because I take the time to get to know them and build a relationship. I also love the flexibility of having my own company.

my typical day| First things first...I need my coffee. Then I take a look at what clients and candidates I need to contact that day. I'd say about 70-80% of my day is spent on the phone, with the remaining 20-30% spent visiting clients or meeting candidates for coffee or lunch. I also split my time between recruiting for open positions and doing new business development - which involves catching up with existing clients and calling companies I researched online to introduce myself.

what they are | Adapting and changing to swings in the economy is a challenge. When the economy isn't doing well you have to find a way to show more value to your clients and still make a living when everyone wants a reduced fee. The upside is that when the economy is down, poor recruiters tend to exit the industry. There are mental challenges, too...it can be hard to get back on the saddle when you lose a big deal. And the faster you can shake off rejection the better off you'll be. My schedule is usually pretty family-friendly, but I do have to make calls in the evening to talk to candidates and prepare them for interviews.

all about growth | Within a recruiting agency, if you decide you like the field you can always move into management positions in the agency. Or, if you're an internal recruiter, you can move into higher level Human Resource positions within the company. And once you have enough experience you can start your own recruiting firm if that's the direction you want to go.

my website| http://www.bskymg.com