Last month we introduced you to our Senior Recruiter, William. This month, we wanted to be able to get behind the scenes again with another one of our team members who spends a great deal of time behind the scenes herself, Cassandra Southworth. Cassandra is our Senior Project Manager and she has experience working all the way around from recruiting, administration, business development, and managing our social media. Today we did a Q&A with her so you can get a better idea of what she does here for Normine Lombard!
Normine Lombard: Hey Cassandra! Thanks for joining us today and taking the time to tell the world about you. Tell us a little about who are you? What do you love doing on your spare time? We just want to see the authentic you!
Cassandra: Thank you so much for having me. It’s a pleasure to be here! When I’m not behind my computer screen working, you will usually find me spending time with one of my four children and my husband. Typically, we spend our weekends finding something to explore by hiking, swimming or fishing, which is not hard to find here in Upstate New York as there is plenty of things to explore! When we aren’t out finding new adventures, we are usually at one of the children’s sports or if the weather isn’t playing nice, you may find us at a friends nerding out to some dungeons and dragons! I love meeting people and socializing. It’s kind of my thing.
Normine Lombard: Thanks for the birds eye view on you! What is your favorite part about this job for you?
Cassandra: That’s a great question. I do a lot in my day to day so it’s really hard to pick my favorite part of this job because I really do enjoy what I do. With that said, I would have to say my favorite part is learning a little bit about everything. Through the conversations I have with people between candidates and clients, I get to learn so much about everything from engineering through to sales and marketing. It’s definitely eye opening!
Normine Lombard: That is great way to look at it. Talk to me about what it’s like working in the consumer goods industry?
Cassandra: Consumer goods is such a fun industry to work in. I love being able to learn about different new products that come out and comparing them between their competitors products. These are things that some people don’t often think about. Like I mentioned earlier, I love learning a little bit of everything about a little bit of everything and that is really a big part of working in the consumer goods industry.
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?
Cassandra: We definitely have built relationships with several of our clients and that has helped us to create lasting relationships with them. Many of those clients do keep coming back as repeat customers. In fact, some of our clients we have worked with and helped them build their team since the beginning. Some of our clients have worked with us for several years!
Normine Lombard: Consumer Goods is such a broad term. Can you explain to me a little bit about what consumer goods is?
Cassandra: I am happy to explain to you what consumer goods is. You and I are considered a consumer and anything that we may buy would be a good. For example, when we go to the store to buy groceries, or clothes, or anything else we would use. Those things we buy are the consumer goods. It could be clothes, food, furniture, drinks, makeup, etc. In laymans terms, it is goods that are bought and used by consumers.
Normine Lombard: If you could give any person a piece of advice for their LinkedIn, what would it be?
Cassandra: As someone who is on LinkedIn quite frequently I would have to say that it is so important to make sure you keep it up to date and with accurate information. One of the first things I do is look at someone’s LinkedIn to see if they are a good fit. If your linkedin is outdated or lacks information that really makes you stand out then it is easy for your LinkedIn to get lost in the shuffle.
Normine Lombard: What does your day to day look like?
Cassandra: That is definitely a tough one. There are no 2 days that look the same for me in a week. One thing that is consistent is that I stroll into my office in the morning with a well-deserved oversized cup of coffee and manage my emails and LinkedIn account. The rest of my day is dependent on what I find in my emails and LinkedIn. On any day, my tasks could include, loading candidate information for a recruiter to call on, scheduling for applicants from ziprecruiter, managing social media, and taking information on an intake call where we bring in new roles. I really do love that no two days are alike because it keeps me on my toes!
Normine Lombard: If you could only give one piece of advice to candidates, what would it be?
Cassandra: My biggest piece of advice would be to make sure that you update your resume regularly. For some people, the thought of updating their resume can be daunting, but if you update it regularly then it is such a quick process. I recommend to set aside 10-15 minutes every 4-6 months to add to your resume when needed. That way you have it ready whenever a recruiter or employer requests it!
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?
Cassandra: Resumes really are so important! One requirement for almost any job is having a resume on file when you fill out an application. Through the years that I have been doing this from administrative through to recruiting and business development, one thing that has been constant is the requirement of a resume. Many companies will skip over applications that don’t have a resume. Furthermore, a resume will paint a picture of you and the work you have accomplished. It’s no secret that companies don’t have the time to interview every applicant that applies. One start is through reading your resume. If we receive a resume that has several spelling and grammar errors or is way too cluttered and disorganized, we will often skip past that resume and never be able to call. If you want to be able to get in front of an employer and be able to shine through, make sure your resume makes them want to talk to you. Like I mentioned, you can do that by updating it regularly to include the key things that make you stand out!
Normine Lombard: We are really thankful that you spoke with us today to give us a sneak peek on your behind-the-scenes. I know I speak for everyone when I say it’s great to be able to see more about you!
Cassandra: Of course! As always, it’s been fun and I’m so glad that I was able to give some insight!
