A Joke that resulted in a $260,000 Job Offer

Being an executive job recruiter, serving the NY Tristate communities for many years, has given me a great deal of exposure. Many people in the employment sector recognize and approach me in the unlikeliest of places. Employers can walk over to me during dinner in a restaurant and say, “Chaim, if you come across a great CFO, I’d be willing to look into hiring one”.  On one occasion an Employee who was considering a job change asked me if I knew of any worthwhile opportunities while we were dancing at a wedding. I will often wish to leave my work behind when I leave my office, but it is the nature of my profession that whoever I encounter is either an Employer or an Employee and I’ve learned that a casual meeting can sometimes strike a spark be the moment when my recruiting services are requested.

This story happened one day when visiting a client whose offices are in a large commercial building along with many other companies. As I got into the elevator, I found myself standing across an acquaintance who owned a small business. “Tell me Chaim”, he half-smiled, “Do you have job opportunities for people like me, too?” I took the question seriously and replied in the affirmative.  He continued after a small hesitation, asking if my firm places people who need salaries above $250K- $300K. “That’s exactly what Poel Group Staffing specializes in”, I explained- and emphasized our discretion in processing information, and how no one will ever know that he approached me for a job. Before leaving I handed him my card and said, “Please feel free to call me anytime.”

I’ve been in this business long enough to know that most people don’t act quickly when they need to make a serious life change. They push it off and procrastinate until matters hit the roof, so I wasn’t counting on getting a call the next day, but I was pleasantly surprised. This guy really had his eye on the ball. We arranged a meeting for the next day, where I learned that this man had jumped into a new business venture because of some friends who claimed they made big money in that filed. In truth, he had no clues about the industry and if he did then he wouldn’t dare touch it. Unfortunately, he lost all of his savings and then some, but luckily, he had great prior work experience under his belt, having worked as a general manager in a prominent company before leaving to explore this new business venture.

In the end we recommended him for a COO position at a client’s company with a starting package of $260K. He helped to grow that company in a very short time and grew along with the business, as well. Today he is a company partner running all the business operations and earning much more than he ever assumed he would make from owning his own business.

I guess there are 3 lessons to take away from this story.

A) Never consider it a “joke” if it is related to your profession. There is a reason why you were approached, so respond with sincerity.

B) If your profession requires mingling with others, always keep a listening ear to the ground- casual talk can be invaluable.

C) Sometimes people can earn much more as Employees than by pushing themselves to be Business Owners.