This year, we have been pushing heavily to wrap up September, but we didn’t want to head out of the month without introducing you all to our recruiter, Jaelyn. We spent some time doing a behind-the-scenes Q&A with Jaelyn to get a better idea of her and what she does for our Normine Lombard team!
Normine Lombard: Hey Jaelyn! Thanks for joining us today and taking the time to tell the world about you. Tell us a little about who you are. What do you love doing in your spare time? We just want to see the authentic you!
Jaelyn: I love being outdoors and spending time adventuring with my husband, two teenagers, and our pups. If I am not diving into my work schedule head first, I am spending my time supporting my kids in their busy sports schedules. Our daughter plays volleyball and track and my son plays football, wrestling, and spring and summer baseball. If there is any free time left you will find my husband and I at any one of the many local disc golf courses. I have been actively competing for a year now and in one month we both will be competing in Austin, Texas at the NADGT National Championships with other amateurs from all over. We have both perfected the “Work Hard and Play Harder” lifestyle. Our family is always busy, cheering each other on along the way!
Normine Lombard: Thanks for the information on you! What is your favorite part about this job and being a recruiter?
Jaelyn: That is one of my favorite questions people ask me! When I left my last employer after 10 years to take the position at Normine Lombard, everyone was concerned I would struggle due to the fact that I am such a social person. I LOVE meeting new people, finding out who they are, and building a relationship with them. It is the same here for me, I enjoy talking with all of my candidates. Learning about their life and supporting their successes. Hearing them talk about themselves and finding a connection with them is the highlight of my day.
Normine Lombard: Have you built any relationships with any of your clients? Do they keep coming back as repeat customers? If so, what do you think the reason is?
Jaelyn: At Normine Lombard, we see repeat clients, and I see that as a success story. When clients reach out to us to find them another placement, it’s a pat on the back for our entire team. We may not work closely on the individual searches together, but we support each other through the entire process. It shows we are really good at what we do and the relationship that we have with them is memorable and successful.
Normine Lombard: If you could give any person a piece of advice for their LinkedIn, what would it be?
Jaelyn: My number one piece of advice is to treat your LinkedIn like your resume. Definitely update it when needed, be sure that you link the companies correctly, and don’t forget to check your messages at least once a week. Having started on the Admin side of things here at Normine Lombard, I learned very quickly how much easier it is to narrow down a skilled candidate with an up-to-date LinkedIn page than one that hasn’t been touched in 10 years. If the page is not updated with current information, I never know if they are still in the industry or if they lived 5 states away and are holding the title of a CEO!
Normine Lombard: Talk to me about what it’s like working in the consumer goods industry?
Jaelyn: Being immersed in the consumer goods industry is a great experience. I chat with a variety of skilled individuals and in many different areas of expertise. I learn so much about different products and am continuously learning new things about the industry every day.
Normine Lombard: Consumer Goods is such a broad term. Can you explain to me a little bit about what consumer goods is?
Jaelyn: When I first started at NLI, consumer goods was described to me and anything that I can hold in my hand that I, as the consumer, buys. It covers everything from a spool of thread to the furniture in our homes and EVERYTHING in between! We, as the consumer, rely on the consumer good industry to buy everything we need!
Normine Lombard: What does your day-to-day look like?
Jaelyn: Coffee first! Always! Then I like to start with a quick chat with my team to catch up, get a few laughs in, and then dive right into my emails. We do a LOT of email correspondence and it is very important to keep up with them throughout the day. I do hit the calls hard throughout the day along with working in scheduled calls with candidates that are interested in hearing more about the opportunities I am working on. The day goes by so quickly, sometimes I blink and it’s lunchtime!
Normine Lombard: If you could only give one piece of advice to candidates, what would it be?
Jaelyn: My advice to all candidates is to be confident in their work and successes! Also, be sure to keep your resume current! It only takes a few minutes once or twice a year to keep it current.
Normine Lombard: I know that some people say a resume isn’t necessary, while others say it’s vital. How important is a resume really? Also, how can I make mine stand out?
Jaelyn: Talking with someone you can gain a lot of knowledge about them both personally and professionally, looking at their LinkedIn is also beneficial in gaining professional knowledge, but seeing their resume brings everything together. It is that person’s chance to outline their skills, successes, and certifications for all the positions they have helped. A well-written resume is a roadmap through their professional career. I pour over resumes to gain as much knowledge of them as I can. Having a detailed and well-written resume is incredibly important in an interview process as it is the first thing an employer sees and you want it to lead with a good impression!
Normine Lombard: Thank you so much for talking with us today about you and the things you do for our team here at Normine Lombard.
Jaelyn: As always, it’s been fun and I’m thankful as well!
