Influential Woman · Recruitment
Sally Mikhail
Principal, Lead Recruiter at Petersen Search Group, Petersen Search Group, LLC
New York, NY
Her Story
About Sally
I own Peterson Search Group, where I serve as principal and lead recruiter. This is a boutique firm focused on mission-driven organizations. I started it because I saw a gap after more than a decade in recruiting. I saw how many nonprofits struggle to attract and retain top talent, even though they do important work. So I launched PSG to bridge that gap, helping organizations build strong, values-aligned teams while giving candidates meaningful, purpose-driven careers. For me, it's not just filling a position. The client is looking for help to move in alignment strategically, and so is the candidate. They're looking for a purposeful, meaningful role. It looks like helping organizations do work better because they have the right people in place. And on the candidate side, it's seeing someone step into a role where they feel fulfilled and aligned with their values.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Sally
01What do you attribute your success to?
I would definitely say my parents who were immigrants, they instilled a work ethic in me that's unparalleled. I'm an early riser. I'm always an overachiever, and I try to achieve all the goals I set for myself year after year, month after month. That's what my parents taught me.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
You're closer than you think and just keep going.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don't wait until you're ready, just go for it, and then once you go for it, you'll figure out everything along the way. You have to really love this job, because this job comes with a lot of ups and downs. Recruitment in general is a lot of ups and downs, so you have to be really in love with it and passionate about it to be able to ride the continuous wave.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There is so much movement with hiring within the nonprofit space. If you're also in recruiting, the big opportunity is to narrow your focus and position yourself correctly in the market to capture the need for purpose driven professionals.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Impact, ownership, and authenticity.
Keep Exploring
More Influential Women · New York
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.