I am a Sourcer which is like a Recruiter in the software industry. I work on the computer and try to find leads for the recruiters to talk to. I find people who best fit the job descriptions of various job positions for companies, get them interested in the job position, and remain in close contact with them until they get hired.

EDUCATION | I took some courses at DeAnza and Mission College and received my EMT-B License at a vocational school in Los Angeles.

HOW TO GET STARTED | Don't let things overwhelm you or else they will prevent you from doing your job well. Also, make sure that you are in good terms with your recruiter because they can essentially make you or break you. That is the reason why I go to lunch at least twice a week with mine and do happy hour at least once a week in order to keep open the lines of communication. This also brings me to my next piece of advice which will be very beneficial to you; it is all about the networking. Networking is a huge part of the job because you are going to come across a position and need help from someone since you are not sure of where to start. When you go out and network, you are in constant communication with other people via phone or email. In this case, you go out on the web and talk with other people in the industry or other recruiters, where they will hopefully point you in the right direction, or if you're lucky, they'll probably even introduce you to the person who would be the ultimate fit.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | People person, good communication skills, any background of HR or even some understanding of technology.

how I got started | I started off with taking some GE courses and accounting courses at my local community colleges such as DeAnza and Mission College. I went to vocational school and received my Emergency Medical Technician-Basic License in Los Angeles and then was accepted into this one year License Vocational Nursing program. The program only selected 20 people out of 200-300 applicants and I was honored to be chosen from the bunch. During the first week of school, I fell and injured my back, which killed my goal of what I wanted to do. I then moved back home to the Bay Area with literally nothing and had to start all over again from square one. I couldn't find a job anywhere, but decided to work in retail as a temporary job until other opportunities came to me. About a month later while working in retail, I received a call from an agency that hires people for jobs with disabilities. It was an opportunity that I couldn't just let slide, so I took it and worked as a contractor to do data entry. My boss, at the time, showed me this website called LinkedIn, which is a networking website for job seekers and recruiters. Over the course of about one year, I started building up my network and still maintained a good relationship with my boss, which helped me in the long run. I was told by the head boss (my boss' boss) that I should title myself as a Sourcer because that is what I basically am. I have sat through countless numbers of meetings and I slowly began to figure out who I was and what I was supposed to do. I am like a senior person to a lot of the new people there and they are constantly coming to me for questions about tools and processes and I somehow always come up with an answer for them. I believe this makes me look like an asset to the company.

why this job?| This is kind of clich, but this job just fell into my lap. I was at a bad time in my life and the opportunity came to me, I took it, and worked at it to get where I am today. When I first started as a contractor doing data entry, I had no idea what recruiting was even all about. Happy to say, I made it through seven company layoffs because I was so underpaid and that I had the coolest boss that anyone would ever ask for. Two years later, my salary has nearly tripled and I am finally getting the respect that I am entitled to. I am happy with where I am right now and I am good at what I do.

why I love this job!| What I love about my job are the awesome perks that I get and the people that I meet. There are people who invite me to lunch or dinner because they want me to close out a candidate or find the best people to work for them. For example, there was this Director from the South who comes to California every so often; when she does come, there is a group of us who go out to eat dinner or go for drinks with her. This is important because it is a part of networking and getting myself recognized by letting her know that I am successful on recruiting people and sharing my stories of how I closed out a candidate. Not only is it important, but it is also fun because we get to socialize and talk about random things. It keeps me coming back; I haven't missed one dinner yet!

my typical day| Say for example the position is for a Director Level Business Engagement Director in Information Technology. What I would first do is obtain a copy of the job description so I can get an idea of what type of skill set I am looking for. I might have an intake meeting with the recruiter and hiring manager so I can ask questions and get specifics on the type of person that they are looking for. I then begin my research for the best candidate by posting the job description on different job boards such as Monster or Craigslist. There are many similar websites out there, but those are just a couple examples. After I post the job descriptions, I begin using Boolean strings, which is a searching system, to go search through the websites in order to find the perfect “Rockstar.” I then build a list of potential candidates for the recruiters to call. I should be the one doing the calls, but I have recruiters doing that job for me. So, the recruiters would go through the list in our application tracking system or the prospect tracking system and indicate whether the candidate would be considered good, bad, not fit, or fit for another position before going in for an interview. When I build that call list, it means having the candidates ready and interested in the job when the hiring manager is ready to talk or have an interview with them. I stay in close contact with them until I close the deal or when the candidate gets hired for the job. What I do is a big deal because companies are going to be paying someone big bucks to work for them and they don't want to pay that to just anyone. It is my job to find the best of the best.

what they are | There is one main down side about this job. If the economy is not doing well and companies are not hiring, this means that there won't be many opportunities for jobs for recruiters. Also, I am still a contractor so the plug can pulled on my job in a moments notice.

all about growth | I hope to one day become a Full Life Cycle Recruiter. What that means is that I go out to source the candidate, get them interested in the position, schedule them for an interview, and stay in constant contact with them throughout the whole process until they are hired. It is always good to keep in contact with the people once they get hired because you never know who they might know and you may need to fill out the same position that they got hired for. I mean, who is better to recommend someone for the job than the person that just got hired for the last position. There are many people who are in this industry who you will later cross paths with again, especially in Silicon Valley. That is why it is never a good idea to burn bridges.

my website|