Athena Mendenhall

Be consistent. Feedback doesn't just apply in situations where you're uncertain about something or having issues. Let it be part of your ongoing learning and development process even when you're doing amazing. It also helps to return the favor. Practicing giving feedback can sometimes open your eyes to best practices you can implement in your own experience. It's funny how we tend to give the best feedback and advice when it doesn't apply to us. Take note and keep the feedback loop going!

Self Care! The worst thing to be as a recruiter is stressed, unmotivated, and depressed. When you're having to talk to anywhere from 20-300 people a week while keeping up energy and putting on a constant smile, it can be exhausting. Take mental and physical health breaks. Don't be so hard on yourself when you've had a rough week. As much as hiring teams want us to be quick and produce magical results with every role, sometimes that's just not realistic. - Take care of yourself because you're appreciated and we see the work you do. Don't let the quality of your work suffer due to self-neglect. -

THIS COULD'VE BEEN AN EMAIL! - We've all heard that before right? It's important to be mindful of the tools used to communicate within remote or virtual teams. Here are a list of tools/ways that could help with effective, relevant, and timely communication. Choose based on the needs, structure, and situation of your team. 1. Video Messages: 2. Voice Notes: 3. Live Chat Sessions: 5. Shared Docs: 6. Email Summaries: 7. Project Management Tools: (Trello, Asana ) 8. Emojis and GIFs: (A quick emoji acknowledgement can be useful when others are waiting to confirm you've received the message.) 9. Anonymous Surveys: 10. Weekly Recap Emails:

Here are a list of roles that can help you gain experience starting out. 1. HR Assistant (This was my first position in professional recruitment.) 2. Recruitment Coordinator 3. Sourcing Specialist 4. Campus Recruiter (I did recruitment for organizations in my Academic Career) 5. Recruitment Agency Recruiter 6. Corporate Recruiter 7. Talent Acquisition Specialist 8. Freelance Recruiter 9. Recruitment Technology Analyst

I think in all of this, it's important to remember that not every second of every minute of every hour has to have something scheduled. Something most workers tend to do, not just recruiters, is create busy work for themselves even when you've rightfully and efficiently completed your daily tasks and assignments. We're in an era where we can use technology to optimize, prioritize, and work smarter, not harder. So why are we still cramming a bunch of random and unnecessary tasks, meetings, and objectives on our calendars? Use that time for something more useful like continuous learning, networking, or mental health breaks. Not every work week will have the same busy work load and not every work day requires 6+ hours to complete.

Whether you're running your own LLC or Corp, or just freelancing on a 1099, this is crucial for all recruiters. 1. Budget! Track every cent that's going out and coming in. Set aside money for taxes to avoid surprises. 2. Emergency Fund: Build a safety net! Start small, saving up to have at least 3-6 months to cover those unpredictable expenses. 3. Invest in Growth: Don't be afraid to pour some of that money back into your individual growth or the growth of your business. 4. Streamline Billing Processes: Don't get behind on payments, especially if you've hired employees. Set reminders, keep up with invoices, and hire help if needed! 5. Keep Learning: Attend financial workshops, webinars, and events for Business Owners.