RECRUITMENT IS LIKE GRAFFITI - YOU HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

I am a recruitment consultant at Walters People and am looking for new colleagues! In the interview below, I talk about the challenges and rewards that a career in recruitment brings, and what traits make you fit for the job.

This interview has also been published on https://www.walterspeople.nl/pushfurther.html

'RECRUITMENT IS LIKE GRAFFITI - YOU HAVE TO DO IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME'

For Mariana, the motto ‘push further’ has a really good connotation because she comes from a different background. She left her home country Brazil at an early age, to seek better education in the United States. Mariana talks about how to stay strong when life knocks you down, and how she uses this experience in her work as recruitment consultant.

Mariana, what is your story?

Growing up in Brazil I used to go to an international school. When I was sixteen my mother was diagnosed with cancer and my parents were struggling to afford my private school. I moved to the United States to live with my brother and finish high school. We lived in a very conservative small town in Michigan. Teachers and the other students asked me if in Brazil we lived in tribes, and if I had used the internet before... imagine! Long story short, I was a complete outcast. There I learnt, if you don't push for things – in the sense of working really hard for them - you won’t get them. I focused a hundred per cent on getting good grades and managed to get a full scholarship for the university of my choice. Things got a lot better from there!

What happened next?

I made sure I kept my grades up to keep the scholarship. Before I graduated I had secured a job at Kellogg’s. I worked really hard towards getting a fixed contract, but the job was given to someone else. This pushed me down for a few days, but then I decided to just finish things in a good way, and show the company what I am worth by working really hard before moving back to Brazil. And then, the unexpected happened. The Vice President of Kellogg’s made an exception and gave me a work visa, which normally they don’t do at that level, and a very nice job. A year later they did a large reorganisation, and my position was eliminated. I decided to move to Europe to get a Master’s degree.

Was it difficult for you to move to the Netherlands?

Finding a job that was in line with my education and aspirations was a bit of a challenge. When I applied at Walters People, they told me that for a non-Dutch speaker it is extra difficult to succeed in recruitment, and that I would have to work harder to get the same results as a Dutch recruitment consultant because of the language barrier. So I prepared a presentation that really stood out in creativity and prepared into the tiniest detail. I got the job!

Can you also use your international background to your advantage?

Latino’s are known for being passionate and easy to approach. People tell me the same goes for me. Making a connection with candidates goes naturally for me as I really enjoy talking to people. I recruit for roles in supply chain. A lot of these candidates are internationals, which means we have something in common. When it comes to client relationships it is a bit tougher. Then, I have to let go of my laid back Latino side and impress them with outstanding preparation. I am working on my Dutch personality, as my colleagues call it, because assertiveness and directness are important traits for a recruiter.

Who inspires you?

My family members, each in their own way. My dad is a war refugee from Lebanon who had to built his life from scratch when he moved to Brazil. He made it his mission to provide my brother and I with the best possible education. We always lived very modestly so he could afford the international school. I admire how supportive and generous he is. Even though he has lived terrible things in the war, he has never passed any of that burden on to us.

My mom is another push further. She had cancer several times, one of the very aggressive kinds. She’s like a little butterfly - never gave up her positive energy and always pushed through the treatments without complaining.

My brother and my partner each went through rather tough times. But they never lost it and always treated the people around them with kindness and respect. When I think of my family members overcoming their struggles, my challenges seem quite manageable. I aspire to be like them.

When do you stop pushing for something?

Recruitment is a target driven job, so for me that means going above and beyond to meet my targets. It’s all about keeping the right balance. When I finish all the urgent tasks from my to do list I know I can go home and really leave work aside. For me, the criteria is that you can get a good night sleep and wake up fresh and motivated to do it again the next day. When you just start out this is not always possible, and you wake up at two in the morning because you dreamt about a candidate interview. Even now, there’s always that one crazy day that kicks you down, but if the balance is right and you’re not too harsh on yourself, you can handle it.

What is success for you?

In this job, I can define success in two ways. Because I build a personal connection with my candidates and I really want to help them find the perfect job, a placement is huge and it makes me really happy when a candidate hugs me after they sign the contract. Of course, it is also about numbers and reaching your targets. But the harder I work, the more placements I make, which means helping more people find a job that they like. The two things go hand in hand.

In the video we see you creating graffiti art. What role does art play in your life?

My mother used to do a lot of art, so I grew up surrounded by art, and it’s still important to me. Lately, I really enjoy water colouring. The way the colours flow with the water is very relaxing. With graffiti it’s different. It’s direct and to the point. Graffiti is a lot like recruitment: you have to be straight forward – in your preparation, your calls, your process, and you have to do it right the first time. In my free time, I’m the water colour painter. At work, I’m the graffiti artist!

More information?

Do you want to work at a fast-paced sales organization where team work is key? Read more at www.walterspeople.nl/pushfurther.