I head a department that recruits and places healthcare professionals for contracted clients such as hospitals, governments, and schools. I also do a lot of training, education, and full-cycle career counseling for crossover into healthcare from another field, or one aspect of healthcare into another.

EDUCATION | B.A. in Political Science

HOW TO GET STARTED | If you're going to go into recruitment/staffing, get to know the industry you plan to work within (for me it's healthcare, but all fields use these professionals). You'll make a lot of cold calls in this line of work, so be comfortable with that. You can get into the field through research positions, internships, or junior recruiter positions. Your education isn't as important as having the right skills and traits.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | Being a people person. Caring about and knowing the industry in which you're working. Empathy for the needs and concerns of others. Good listening skills. Self-confidence. Excellent memory.

how I got started | Out of college I went to work as a pharmaceutical representative. My family is in healthcare but I wanted a field within the industry that would be rewarding for me personally. I also have a knack for networking and sales, so it wasn't hard to make the connection.

why this job?| My dad headed up a hospital laboratory, but just about everybody in my family was in the medical field. Even then, my inspiration was my own natural talent for networking and helping people to advance in their careers. Plus, it's all the fun of human resources without all the paperwork.

why I love this job!| In this field I get to work with people in healthcare and education, and they're passionate about what they do, so this makes me passionate about what I do. I love helping people find positions in organizations that fit them, while at the same time helping my clients find the right people for their organizations. I love teaching and training, sharing my knowledge and experience.

my typical day| My morning is basically spent taking and making calls to handle last-minute staffing assignments. Then I always have a morning meeting with my team of recruiters and account managers to discuss hot candidates and positions. The rest of my day usually rolls along with e-mails, calls and meetings with clients and high-level candidates. By the end of the day I'm again meeting with my team to review their work. I also spend a lot of time out in the field, as well as writing contracts and reviewing bids.

what they are | You're shifting gears all day long. There's a lot of multi-tasking and juggling while staying incredibly organized. It's a big challenge to sift through so many candidates to really come up with the best talent.

all about growth | There's a tremendous amount of growth potential in healthcare-specific recruiting and staffing, as the healthcare industry is constantly expanding and changing. Once you have the skills of recruiting down though, you can work in whatever industry interests you. You can work in staffing for technology, government, advertising, whatever you like, and economic fluctuations don't necessarily affect jobs because you can simply change industries to meet market demands.

my website| http://www.greenkeyllc.com/contact-green-key/