Her Story
About Meredith
I work for a talent solutions firm where I've been for almost 5 years. My team and I help people find jobs through clients who hire us to assist with human resources, accounting, and anything operational. After being laid off during the COVID times in 2021, I was ready for a change and wanted something different and exciting. I had hired people in my last position and decided to try something new, and I completely fell in love with recruiting. I love to help people, helping them get out of a job that's not serving them anymore or a culture that's not helpful for them. My typical day involves planning ahead, conducting multiple interviews to get to know candidates' stories, their personal and professional backgrounds, and then meeting with my team to see what jobs align with certain prospective candidates' skill sets. We're a very team-oriented workplace, so being collaborative is part of every single day. One of my most notable achievements has been the impact we've had with a certain company here where I live, helping them completely turn their company around by placing 7 different people as the company was growing so fast, helping them achieve their goal of having the right people at the right time.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Meredith
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to a lot of the women that I've watched growing up. Being raised by a working mom was always super impactful to me. I think that's why I chose to become a working mom, too, and why I'm passionate about it. I've also had mentors in my life that have been women, and I definitely have looked up to them and attribute my success to them. Specifically, Sarah McCall Russell has been an important mentor, and of course my mom, Mary Jo Large, who has been a huge influence on my life and career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
Within recruiting, we always talk about grit and grind. Someone once told me that the grind only works when it's tied to impact. That's a big piece that I think about every day. It's about putting in the effort while also helping someone and impacting someone's life. That advice has really shaped how I approach my work and reminds me to focus not just on the hard work itself, but on the meaningful difference it makes for the people I'm helping.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say learning to balance firmness with empathy, and confidence with curiosity. It's important to find that equilibrium between being strong and decisive while also being compassionate and understanding. At the same time, you need to have confidence in yourself and your abilities, but remain curious and open to learning. These balances are essential for success in this industry.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I feel like opportunities happen every day when talking with candidates and clients who are looking for the right match. It's almost like we're matchmaking, so opportunities are present every single day. The challenges are really about the market and people being on the market. One of the biggest challenges is finding such a great candidate and then not having anything for them right at that moment. But I focus on building the relationship to let them know that I'm going to try to find them something. Just because you don't have anything at this moment doesn't mean that you won't have something in 24 hours or 2 weeks from then.
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