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Marsh, Recruiter at Walden Recruiting: Advize Career Interview
From bank teller to tech entrepreneur to leading Walden Recruiting, Marsh's career path is a testament to resilience and adaptability.
A typical day involves proactive sourcing, candidate screening, and fostering connections, with an emphasis on the social aspect of helping others find fulfilling careers.
Success in recruiting hinges on organization, charm, and an obsession with results, while understanding the innovation of software and working with smart people makes the industry rewarding.
Challenges include balancing work with personal responsibilities, and a major lesson learned involves the importance of generosity and building relationships.
Educational background in law and business management also provided skills and knowledge that contribute to effectiveness and the ability to provide innovative solutions.
Entry-level opportunities for students include business development, marketing, and software engineering, but excelling requires proactive steps such as certifications and hackathons.
With a focus on innovation, relationship building, and a rollercoaster ride of financial opportunity, this career path offers a dynamic and rewarding experience.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Marsh Sutherland
Recruiter
Walden Recruiting
Pacific Lutheran University
Arizona State University (ASU) - W. P. Carey MBA, Arizona State University JD
Legal & Policy
Recruitment
Human Resources (HR)
None Applicable
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Career Path Of A Recruiter At Walden Recruiting
Marsh started as a bank teller before earning a JD and MBA, and initially worked in insurance claims; realizing that "everybody just assumed [they] would quit their company and go be a lawyer", Marsh eventually transitioned into tech, experiencing layoffs and entrepreneurship before finding success in recruiting and ultimately starting Walden Recruiting, while also navigating various internal roles, including a stint at Scient where they "filled 84 FTE full-time FTE roles... in only nine months". This person's career path showcases resilience, adaptability, and a knack for recruiting, despite facing toxic work environments and company layoffs.
Main Responsibilities Of A Recruiter At Walden Recruiting
As a recruiter, Marsh's primary responsibility is "to source candidates" with five or more years of experience, primarily for software roles in Boston, where a preliminary screen is conducted to gather information, gauge interest, and "pre-close the person at a certain salary." Further responsibilities include submitting qualified candidates to hiring managers, scheduling interviews, delivering rejection notices, and extending offers, which resulted in an 85-86% offer acceptance rate when previously at OC.
A Day In The Life Of A Recruiter At Walden Recruiting
Marsh, a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting, describes a day that starts early with TV before diving into applicant review, noting a significant amount of time is spent filtering through unqualified candidates from LinkedIn despite screening questions: "I'd say about 95% of the applicants... are not very good, to be honest with you." To combat this, Marsh prioritizes proactive sourcing of qualified candidates to ensure the most suitable individuals reach the hiring manager, and then spends the remainder of the day interviewing and submitting resumes, concluding with wine around 4 PM.
Most Important Skills for a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting
For a recruiter, Marsh emphasizes the importance of organization, time management, and multitasking, but equally important is the "charming personality" needed to build relationships and "get them excited" about opportunities, which Marsh exemplifies by creating an "emotional bond" and sharing personal excitement for the company. Marsh does this by using tactics like a high five exercise ending with "goes to dynamite!".
Favorite Parts Of Being An Independent Recruiter
Marsh enjoys the autonomy of working independently, noting "I like working for myself," and the lucrative nature of the recruiting role, but finds the most satisfaction in the social aspect of connecting with people and the rewarding feeling of helping candidates secure exciting jobs and contributing to clients' success, with many experiencing "very successful financial exits."
Biggest Challenges Faced by a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting
Marsh's biggest challenge as a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting is "finding time" for focused work due to the need to balance "family stuff" and personal responsibilities like home maintenance and chauffeuring children. The difficulty lies in minimizing distractions and carving out dedicated time for "a deep dive" into recruiting tasks.
Favorite Parts Of Working In The Software Industry As A Recruiter
Marsh, a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting, enjoys the "innovation of software" and working alongside "really, really crazy smart people" in the technology industry; this appreciation is underscored by actually understanding technology and even holding a software patent from a past startup. The intelligence of the people in the industry is what Marsh enjoys most.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Recruiting Industry According To A Recruiter At Walden Recruiting
Marsh from Walden Recruiting says that successful recruiters are "obsessed with results" and speed, viewing recruiting as a constant race against other agencies, direct applicants, and even their own candidates who might be considering other offers. For Marsh, the key to success is being first to fill the client's "interview account" to gain a competitive edge.
What A Recruiter At Walden Recruiting Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Recruiting Industry
Marsh wishes someone had warned them about the financial instability of agency recruiting, noting that it's a "rollercoaster ride of money" where one can "make 30,000 one month and be broke for the next 2, 3, 4 months" due to the highly competitive nature of the industry and the possibility of going months "without making any placements."
Entry-Level Positions for Aspiring Professionals
Marsh, a recruiter at Walden Recruiting, suggests undergraduates and graduate students consider entry-level roles like business development rep in the software industry with the potential to become a high-earning "account executive," or marketing positions, or software engineer roles, but to differentiate themselves in a competitive field, Marsh advises job seekers to "go the extra mile" by obtaining certifications such as Google or HubSpot, participate in hackathons, or gain experience at startups.
Significant Career Lesson From a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting
Marsh from Walden Recruiting emphasizes the importance of being friendly to everyone and practicing the "giver's game" or "paying it forward". By positively impacting others' lives with unique skills and experience, Marsh has built strong connections and is remembered for providing helpful guidance, ultimately contributing to career success.
College Experiences That Helped a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting Succeed
Marsh's legal studies background, with a focus on code law, provided them with exceptional reading comprehension skills, enabling them to "read it, understand, you know, the loopholes and all that," even to the point of correcting CTOs on API documentation. Additionally, an MBA in operations management with a specialization in business process engineering allowed Marsh to "take the old fashioned ways of doing stuff and massively collapse the amount of time that it takes" through innovative solutions like streamlining the interview process by scheduling multiple interviews simultaneously.
Recruiter at Walden Recruiting
Marsh found the teamwork aspect of WP Carey most impactful, especially in light of the Colby Conative Index assessment which identified their leadership strengths, and reminisces about starting the first campus-wide recycling program, highlighting the ability to push people toward the finish line and the pride felt from that accomplishment. This drive and leadership, evidenced early on, likely contribute to Marsh's success as a Recruiter at Walden Recruiting.
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