4 Lessons On Finding Your Dream Job From Someone Whose Job Is 50% Recruiter, 50% Consultant

When Brianna graduated with a liberal arts degree, she had a few ideas about what her dream job might be. Working in politics? Covering breaking news as a journalist? After a couple of years in the workforce, she wasn’t sure what her next move should be.

After taking a position in human resources, however, she learned that she liked being an advocate for employees—and that she might be interested in recruiting. That’s when she found an opening at TEKsystems—a national leader in technical recruiting—and read about their unparalleled training and mentorship opportunities.

Now, Brianna works as a Technical Recruiter at TEKsystems. Essentially, she serves as a career partner to a variety of professionals whom she matches with roles at 80% of the Fortune 500 that partner with TEKsystems. Every day she gets to help people advance their careers—while she does the same thing.

She found her dream role—and since her job is basically helping other people do the same thing—she told us a little bit about what it takes to find the perfect post-grad position.

1. Look For A Place That Values You From The Very Beginning

You should be able to tell, Brianna says, that an employer is really interested in you from the start of the process.

“From my first interview, it was just night and day in terms of how TEKsystems interacted with me. I really felt that I was valued as a candidate,” she explains. “They were seeking to not only understand me as one of their thousands of applicants, but as someone who could bring something to the team. I felt very understood and valued early on, and that really differentiated it for me.”

Not only is this great sign of courtesy and respect, it’s also an indicator of how a company plans to treat you as a full-time team member. This is especially important for new grads; if an organization sees value in you during your interview process, then chances are they’re going to want to develop that potential.

2. Find A Job That Challenges You

“You always want to feel challenged,” Brianna says. “If you feel stagnant in your role, then you’re not living up to your full potential.”

Capitalizing on potential is one of TEKsystems’ competitive advantages. For new Technical Recruiters (like Brianna, when she joined the company two years ago), they have both a 13-week intensive training program and a one-on-one mentorship program. And the learning doesn’t stop there.

One of the things Brianna loves most about her job is that she’s constantly presented with new opportunities to expand her skill set and prove herself to her senior leaders. One great example: Brianna is now actually a mentor (like the ones who helped her along when she started). Now, she has a new Technical Recruiter reporting to her—and this assignment will serve as a test of her leadership capabilities.

How’s that for a challenge?

3. Think About The Work You’ll Be Doing And The People You’ll Be Doing It With

“The reality is we spend so much of our time at work,” Brianna says. “And if you’re not enjoying it, then you can lose sight of the point.”

For Brianna, “the point” is both her mission to be an advocate for her network of consultants and professionals and her desire to advance her career. Plus, working hard in a collaborative culture like TEKsystems has made Brianna and her colleagues “a lot more like family than coworkers.”

“You should be working alongside people who are like your best friends, because if you do then you’ll honestly look forward to coming to work and it doesn’t get much better than that,” she says.

4. Look For Opportunities To Do More Than Just Your Job

The best companies, Brianna says, give their employees the opportunity to do more than what’s in their job descriptions. For Brianna, this meant working to make a more diverse, inclusive environment.

“I’ve always been very passionate and vocal about inclusion and diversity. I was born to Latina and Italian parents, and I grew up knowing that the immigrant experience is a part of my family life,” she explains.

And so when she heard about the company’s employee resource groups—which bring people of different backgrounds and affinities together—she knew she had an opportunity to help create the kind of culture she always wanted to work in.

“It helps us have really important conversations here in our office. And I’d love to be on our Inclusion and Diversity team one day, so it’s a great way to move forward in that part of my career,” she says.

Now she’s making a difference with her clients, new recruiters, and for everyone at the company—but, most importantly, she’s found a role that makes her happy while she’s doing all of that.

And isn’t that what everyone’s dreaming about?

Ready to find your dream job? Check out open opportunities from TEKsystems on WayUp!