Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse recruiting team.
We had a chat this week with Sam Jaberi, Account Executive on the Information Technology team. With previous experience in tech recruiting and sales, Sam was able to combine both sets skills and take on a client-facing role at Green Key. He elaborated on the new trends he’s seeing in IT, as well as the challenges that keep him coming back every day.
How did you first get your start in recruiting?
I was in market sales for almost three years prior to recruiting. I wanted to look at other avenues within the field of sales, so I had some conversations about recruiting with an old mentor of mine. From there, I jumped right into tech recruiting and picked it up quickly. I loved the pace and process of the job. I’ve been recruiting for two years now and joined Green Key in February of this year.
How does your previous experience in sales influence your role now?
I learned to have transparent conversations and build strong rapports, whether it’s with a candidate or client. A lot of those foundational sales skills crossed right over into recruiting.
Are there any hot trends in the IT industry right now?
I’ve noticed a lot of data science and cyber security roles are trendy right now. Networking Engineering, UI/UX Designers and Power BI roles have become more common lately. We’re moving away from just DevOps and high level SA’s being such a hot commodity. Really anything is trendy in Tech right now..
What are the biggest challenges in recruiting for IT?
There are always new technical terms and software that can be overwhelming. So, one of the biggest challenges, amidst all these terms and qualifications, is finding what’s most important to the client. It can take a lot of communication to determine what type of candidate they’re looking for.
What brings you back to recruiting every day?
It’s fun to get after the challenge. Recruiting does not have a black and white schedule. There can always be a surprise factor that keeps you motivated. And making perfect placement makes it even more satisfying.
What do you think makes your team successful?
We’re a tight-knit team and have open communication. For us, it’s all about staying on the same page within the whole process.
What are your professional goals for the new year?
I’d really like to get into a leadership position, where I’m leading by example and I’m able to help out other recruiters on our team.