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Ross, Director at Schweichler, Price, Mullarkey, and Barry (SPMB): Advize Career Interview
Ross, a Director at SPMB, embarked on an unconventional path, from community college and a year abroad to UC Berkeley, ultimately finding a fulfilling career in executive search rather than pursuing law school.
A typical day involves a dynamic mix of outreach, engagement, and research, constantly learning about cutting-edge technology from fast-growing, venture-backed clients.
Success at SPMB requires immense curiosity, strong work ethic, and an understanding of human dynamics, with a focus on candidate development akin to sales.
While balancing short-term execution with long-term career growth presents a challenge, interacting with driven executives at the forefront of innovation is rewarding.
The career emphasizes that sales and recruiting can be developed as skills. Entry-level positions often begin with a research focus, building credibility crucial for later executive interactions.
A proactive approach, continuous skill development, and early engagement in the job search are vital for success, especially for social science majors navigating less defined career paths.
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Ross Kim
Director
Schweichler, Price, Mullarkey, and Barry (SPMB)
UC Berkeley
Political Science, American Studies
Recruitment
Consulting
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Career Path of a Director at SPMB
Ross's career path began with dropping out of high school to attend community college, including a year abroad in Jordan, before transferring to UC Berkeley to study political science. Although the initial plan was to attend law school after gaining work experience, Ross "landed at SPMV" (Schweichler, Price, Mullarkey, and Barry), where they discovered a fulfilling career and ultimately abandoned their law school aspirations.
Main Responsibilities of a Director at SPMB
Ross, as a Director at SPMB, focuses on candidate development, which is akin to sales, pitching client opportunities to potential candidates sourced by analysts and moving them through the recruitment process. The work builds upon experience in the analyst role, which is "largely around driving and executing research strategies for our clients", and the next career stage would involve managing entire projects.
A Day In The Life Of A Director At SPMB
A director at SPMB, like Ross, experiences a varied daily routine centered around a weekly cadence of outreach, engagement, and candidate processing for multiple clients, noting "every day is different". Even in a director role, being "very hands-on from a research standpoint" is maintained to support this process.
Most Important Skills for a Director at SPMB
Ross at SPMB finds it "almost impossible" to definitively pinpoint the most crucial skills for a role like Director, noting success comes in many forms; however, Ross emphasizes "being insanely curious" about clients, technology, the venture capital ecosystem, and asking great questions as a vital trait, while also acknowledging that hard work and intelligence are helpful but not definitive indicators of success.
Favorite Parts of Being a Director at SPMB
Ross enjoys being in a role that allows for constant learning in the fast-paced technology industry, particularly through working with high-growth, venture-backed clients who are on the "cutting edge of technology." What Ross' firm does well is provides the opportunity to build an individual practice with a base salary, creating a balance between entrepreneurial growth and job security.
Biggest Challenges Faced By A Director At SPMB
Ross's biggest challenge as a Director at SPMB is balancing the "short term execution" required for daily success with the "long term skill development and career development" necessary for advancement, all while feeling constrained by limited time. Finding the right balance between these competing demands is "tricky" amidst the everyday challenges.
Favorite Parts of Working in the Executive Search Industry As a Director at SPMB
Despite considering themself introverted, Ross enjoys speaking with interesting people, especially the "very well spoken, very smart, very driven" executives at the "fastest growing companies" SPMB works with, from whom they can learn a great deal. While sometimes exhausting, these daily interactions are genuinely enjoyable because of the exciting and engaging nature of the individuals Ross gets to interact with.
What Type Of Person Thrives In The Recruiting Industry According To A Director At SPMB
To thrive at SPMB, one must find people interesting because they are "at the core of what we do," requiring an understanding of human dynamics and the ability to see things from different perspectives. The best recruiters possess a "sixth sense" for understanding the motivations of candidates, clients, and investors, navigating the complexities of aligning their differing needs within the industry.
What A Director At SPMB Wishes They Had Known Before Entering The Sales And Recruiting Industry
Ross wishes someone had told them that success in the field doesn't require extroversion, as "getting onto the phones, actually talking to people" can be terrifying, yet these skills, including sales and recruiting, are "100% skills that can be learned and that can be developed." Ultimately, one can "thrive in this industry" without being a natural extrovert.
Entry-Level Positions For Aspiring Recruiting Analysts At SPMB
Entry-level positions in the field vary; while some firms immediately place new hires in recruiting roles akin to "SDR roles," SPMB starts individuals as analysts in research-oriented positions, believing this builds credibility critical for interacting with executives who quickly detect "phoniness." Ross advises prospective candidates to carefully consider the specific role offered and the quality of the firm's clients to gauge the firm's overall quality and fit.
Significant Career Lesson From A Director At SPMB
Ross from SPMB believes the most significant career lesson is to "own it" because "it's your career," so one should be proactive instead of passively waiting for opportunities; additionally, Ross suggests developing skills and knowledge, drawing an analogy to basketball, because becoming "a better overall basketball player" is similar to becoming a better employee by consistently improving.
College Experiences That Helped A Director At SPMB Succeed
Ross's relentless pursuit of excellence, setting the bar "insanely high" at UC Berkeley with the goal of becoming a top law school applicant, instilled crucial skills like hard work, goal setting, and time management, even though specific knowledge from college proved irrelevant. These broadly applicable skills ultimately facilitated career opportunities at SPMB and reinforced the value of aiming high, even if the initial goal shifts.
Career Advice from a Director at SPMB
Ross, a Director at SPMB, advises social science students to "start early" in their job search, treating it "like a full-time job" beginning in the first semester of their senior year given the less defined career paths compared to fields like computer science; therefore, students should be open-minded, explore diverse industries, and accept the job application process as a job in itself, especially in a tough market, to "be ahead of the curve."
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