Prior to joining The Headhunter’s team, I had the opportunity to work with at-risk youth, families, dedicated volunteers, and coworkers who have evolved into lifelong friends. After graduating from Michigan State University, with my bachelor’s degree in Psychology, I knew I wanted a career where I could make a positive impact on people. Post graduation, my passion for making a difference and building lasting relationships ultimately led me to accept a Match Coordinator Case Manager position at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Michigan. In this role, I gained valuable exposure conducting interviews and enrollments for volunteers, children, and parents/guardians. This experience inspired my love for meeting new people, understanding their stories, and discovering their passions.
It is very rewarding to be able to match children with a much-needed role model while simultaneously supporting and watching the pair thrive together. Although rewarding, I became eager for new challenges. I decided I wanted to make a career change to impact lives for the better and form lasting connections in a new way.
Growing up, my dad was an incredible salesman and role model. My dad was a shining example of how to talk to people and I have always admired how professional, yet personable he was with each customer he spoke to. Like my dad, I felt I had the drive for sales. Although, I was fearful that my lack of experience in sales and recruiting would put a roadblock on my hopeful path to becoming a recruiter. I was confident I wanted to be a recruiter, as well as I was aware that many recruiter positions were not actively searching for a candidate with a nonprofit background. I recognized I would have to rely on my self-motivation, strong curiosity to learn, and ability to be a sponge.
Along with searching for an opportunity to recruit, I also craved a change geographically. I was eager to live outside my hometown again and get comfortable in a new city. This posed an additional challenge, as I assumed many companies prefer to hire local candidates. Regardless, I was confident in my curiosity to learn the ins and outs of recruiting. I discovered The Headhunters and was immediately impressed with its reputable reviews and compelling blog posts.
After applying, I connected over video with Bill Wednieski. After speaking with him, I was confident that if given the opportunity, he was an expert professional who could teach me a lot about this industry. He was very candid and genuine with me on our call and allowed me to also speak with Sam Starrett, the Senior Recruiter at The Headhunters. Sam connected with me and shared his journey in recruiting and his experience joining The Headhunters. It was clear that The Headhunters team was authentic and could teach me a lot. After speaking with both Sam and Bill, I wanted to become a part of The Headhunters team for many reasons, but especially because I sensed they’re real with their candidates throughout the entire process and are simply great at what they do.
Bill took a chance on me as a new young woman in the profession and made me an offer. I took some time to consider it and later accepted. Since becoming part of this fantastic team, I know I’ve made the right decision. Bill has given me amazing support throughout my transition to a new city. From providing suggestions of areas to live to checking in on how I’m adjusting, all the way to giving me a coffee table he was going to donate. Support is so crucial during new transitions and I am so excited to be a part of this team and have the opportunity to grow each day as a Headhunter.
Anna Wierda is a recruiter for The Headhunters. Learn more here.