Daena Spencer

My journey in talent management began over 30 years ago in an unexpected way. While working as a sales coach at First Union, I attended a Bank of America job fair where a recruiter saw potential in me beyond the roles I was applying for and connected me to a telephone banking manager position. After succeeding in that role for a year and a half, a powerful female director asked me what I wanted to do with my career, and when I mentioned HR or training and development, she encouraged me to become a recruiter. I spent four and a half years successfully recruiting talent for Bank of America before making the bold decision to quit without a job because I wanted to help candidates who weren't ready for interviews. This led me into career coaching and academia, where I've held pioneering roles at organizations like New Horizons Computer Learning Center, where I became their first-ever career coach, and MARTA, where I was their first talent management specialist and designed 13 workshops that became incredibly popular among employees. Throughout my career, I've discovered that I'm really great at helping others see their true potential, which gives me an intrinsic reward. Many of my recent roles came through LinkedIn recruitment rather than traditional applications, demonstrating the power of online visibility. Currently, as a senior manager of talent development at Perscolas, I teach career development to underserved populations pivoting into tech careers, helping everyone from funeral directors to individuals in their 70s successfully transition into technology roles through resume writing, behavioral interviewing skills, and LinkedIn profile enhancement.