The Importance of Just Showing Up

Over the course of my 15-year recruiting career, I’ve displayed a consistent weakness for occasionally championing two types of candidates who tend not to enhance my personal bottom line. The first type is senior level candidates who find themselves displaced, often for the first time in their careers. These folks are talented, experienced and have a demonstrated record of success. For a variety of reasons, however, they are often difficult to place.

The first candidate I ever worked with was Bob, a 50-something serial entrepreneur winding down his latest successful venture. Bob had executive experience that touched on sales, marketing, business development and a half dozen other functions. He was a bright, personable guy who never fit neatly into any of the positions I was trying to fill for clients. We became friends and stayed in touch over the next decade and a half, but I was never able to place him.

The second type of candidate for whom I have an irrational soft spot for is on the other end of the career spectrum. I’ve often gone out of my way to help junior-level candidates who have energy and enthusiasm but lack the experience necessary to get a first big break. They offer a completely different set of challenges. Stacy fit into this category.

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