(Working Women) - Jenn, a Leadership Recruiter for a Leading Tech Company

A perfect example of why I'm lucky to live where I do, Jenn is a neighbor. I met her last Spring while I was pushing Francie in a stroller on our walk home from the park. Jenn and her adorable twin boys were outside playing in the sunshine, enjoying their new front yard. Being friendly, I said hi and asked if they were new to the neighborhood. She complimented my tattoo and invited Francie and me in for some wine and a pouch. And a friendship was born. Although I can't claim to know Jenn well, I do know that she's a doer. She's always involved in something, and it makes me envious to know that she does all this WHILE working fulltime. She's just that kind of gal. Mother, check. Wife, check. Volunteer, check. Singer in a band, check. Working on a YA novel, check. Barre3 devotee, check. Cookbook author, check. Master GF baker, check. Cancer survivor, check. Read on about her path to her current position as a leadership recruiter with a leading tech company.



Bio info - who are you, how old are you, where are you from, where do you live, what's your living/family situation, what are your hobbies, etc. Essentially, what's your story? AND, What is your current job/profession? What path did you take to get there? Any required schooling or training?

I’m Jenn. 34 years old. Born in a teeny little town in the SF area called Woodland, CA. My parents were hippy musicians in the 70s. It’s a miracle that my name isn’t Raincloud Pegasus or something. I grew up with an instrument in my hand and a love for music and people. Those traits were just a part of my nurture experience as a product of Robyn and Randy, my whimsical parents. When I started to come into my own as a woman, the nature part kicked in and I found myself to be a “Type A”, career-driven, ambitious gal with a ferocious appetite for knowledge. I had gotten a part-time job at Starbucks when I turned 16 and had been clambering up the ladder there. Meanwhile, I was trying to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up. I thought, how can I use this part of me that loves to create while still driving for results in my career? I was in Chicago visiting a friend when I found an article about Music Therapy. I was enthralled at the idea of helping others while doing something I loved AND making a great living. After researching schools, I enrolled in the BMT program at Marylhurst. By this point, I was 22 and a Store Manager for Starbucks. They’d given me some extra responsibility as a Community Lead and a trainer for incoming Store Manager and District Manager talent. I was opening new markets, diving into market research, joining Chambers of Commerce, and seeing wild success in new store openings. With a more than full-time job that I was loving and a full-time intensive undergrad program… well, to say it was a lot to handle was an understatement. I was also the front-person for a jazz/funk-sort-of-post-ska band in Portland called Grooveyard. We had amassed quite a following and were playing shows every weekend. (Grooveyard is on iTunes if you want to peek at my ghosts of music past). I was busy every minute but I loved it. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. 

That summer, I was diagnosed with aggressive cervical cancer. I was in for the fight of (and for) my life and I had some tough decisions to make. Starbucks had offered me another promotion that I had worked my ass of for and really wanted, and the band was in the studio making a new record. Very suddenly realizing my own mortality, I decided to defer school. Out of my three big commitments, it was the only thing I felt like could wait. Happily, I won the battle with cancer (IN YOUR FACE, cancer! SUCK IT). By the time my health was back in check, I was approaching my 10 year anniversary with Starbucks. I had started to realize that I had contributed all I wanted to there and found myself with a wandering eye. Of course, my degree being the only thing quite literally that I’d ever started and not finished in my life, I decided to go back. I called admissions and set a date to resume. 

That same week, I got a voicemail from a recruiter at a cutting edge technology company. They’d been given my name through a networking contact and had caught my interest. 

Long story short, curiosity… and the sort of magical timing of it all, brought me to my current company. They had just started opening retail stores and were looking for leaders to really drive the bus in terms of growth and strategy. I could not refuse the chance to lead with such a high level of autonomy after leaving a company that seemed to have built a process for everything. I advanced very quickly. I had an extremely high level of job satisfaction and was thriving. Sort of organically, I had become known for recruiting. As my husband put it, I had become one of those annoying people that would never shut up about my job. I wanted to bring everyone here. So, by 2007, I’d been here 2 years in Store Leadership when a position opened up on the recruitment team. My name came up and my employer called to offer me the chance to interview. I was flattered, but sort of terrified. Though I loved recruiting, I was in no way qualified to be a part of the HR team. Part of my role is benefits administration and you can’t just dabble in that because you like it. We’d all be sued!

They offered to train me. I moved down to the Bay Area where we are based and went through 90 days of HR bootcamp and recruitment training. From there, I moved to SoCal and was the Recruitment Manager overseeing 8 states in the US. I’ve now been in HR/Recruiting for 7 years and still love what I do and where I do it. It was a convoluted journey to be sure, but I’ve enjoyed the ride every single step of the way.

So, my current role is Sr. Leadership Recruiter.

Nothing has changed as far as my "Type A" tendencies. I’m mom to twin 3 year old boys. I married my high school sweetheart, albeit 13 years later. I sing in a band called The Heritage. I’m the committee chair for Marketing & Communications in the Junior League of Portland. I just finished the first draft of my first novel. Before you judge my crazy, remember that there was a time in my formative years when I thought I would not live this long. I don’t waste a single second nor do I put off to tomorrow what I could do today. I am keenly aware of the gift of each day we have in this life.



What are the pros and cons of your current position?

Pros: I meet some of the most amazing people and I get to help them find their dream job. I work from home when I’m not traveling which gives me the flexibly to follow my passions. I love career counseling and resume coaching. It’s deeply rewarding to help people articulate how they want to feel about their work life and then turn it into something tangible.

Cons: I travel more than I’d like to. Having to turn great people down in a competitive job market. Knowing people’s livelihood is in my hands. It’s a lot. I take it very seriously.



Walk us through a typical day, week, or month …

In a month, I may fill 10 Leadership jobs, teach training workshops to our existing leadership teams on talent assessment, travel to support a new store opening, travel for a panel interview or seminar, phone interview about a million people, conference calls… etc. 

At night it’s JLP meetings or volunteer opportunities, Barre3 classes, baking gluten-free goodies with my kiddos, dance parties in our jammies, band practice, writing …

What is something about your job that other people might not know or expect?

Just that it changes every minute! We move at such a fast pace, I had to stop and think about what my actual title is! Ambiguity is in our DNA.



What other jobs could you work with your education/training/experience?

Recruitment manager, HR manager, retail district manager, field trainer, instructional designer, career counselor, non-profit board member … backup dancer for JLO. 

Ok, maybe not the last one. 

How much do you make? (Too forward?!? Probably. But let's be real, a large part of the reason we work is to make money - give us some deets about your income, as much as you feel comfortable sharing, whether specific to your personal salary, or generally speaking, as in, What Would Google Say).

Right around 100k… though my CPA tells me I take home as much as someone who earns 70k. So, yeah. We’re in an exaggerated tax bracket.



Do you anticipate making any career changes in the next 5 to 10 years? 

I’m ready for the next thing at work, but I don’t plan to leave this company. Had my 9 year anniversary last week and look forward to the next 9.



If you could have any other job in the world, what would it be?

If I wasn’t doing this… which I love so much… I would want to just be a novelist. Write when inspiration hits and volunteer the rest of the time… and travel. A lot.



If someone else was interested in your job, what piece of advice would you give them?

Follow your heart. This work is so incredibly emotional. You have to be in it 100%. Authentically a connector, a lover of people, have an instinct for talent and talent matching, and be vulnerable. Confidence without ego. Pliable. Learning agile. Curious.


How do you balance work life and home/personal life?

Well, I work hard and play hard. I am very proud to show my kids that life doesn’t stop because you become a parent. I want them to know who I am as a woman, a professional, a musician, a civic leader, a creator…not just hear stories of things Mommy used to be. To me, that is the epitome of balance. Living a full and happy life and bringing them along for the ride.