Happy New Year! Kicking off our Employee Spotlights for the New Year is our Senior Search Consultant, Lucy Flannery. Lucy works in our New York office and specializes in all roles within the retail industry. She brings extensive experience and knowledge of the retail industry to TMAA and has greatly expanded this side of the business since joining the agency. Lucy has settled nicely into the NYC lifestyle and has given the New York office a little bit of West Coast flavor. Want to get to know Lucy a little better? See how she answered the questions we asked her about herself and working at The Melanie Andersen Agency.
How did you get your job at TMAA?
I was actually a candidate of Melanie’s and she reached out to me for a role. I met with her when she was in LA and then again in New York. We got to talking and it seemed like it was a perfect match. What really drew me to Melanie and the agency as opposed to other recruitment firms are her business practices and the approach she takes to recruiting. I have so much respect for the way she does business and then relationships she forms with her clients and candidates and I just really wanted to be a part of that.
Where were you working before you came to TMAA?
I was living in Los Angeles working as a Regional Manager for lululemon.
Why did you decide to make the transition from the retail industry into recruiting?
I felt like I had mastered what I was doing in the retail industry and I had kind of maxed myself out when it came to that career path. I really wanted to make a change and be able to take all of the skills I had amassed and reallocate them into a career that helps other people find the perfect match. I learned so much from being in retail and acquired so many skills, I wanted to be able to turn it around and share those with people who are looking for their dream jobs and carving their own career paths.
What is the most important skill you brought from your retail experience to recruiting?
I really think my knowledge of the industry has been the most important thing. Having the experience and the knowledge I do really streamlines the process for clients and candidates. When it comes to the search process it is very efficient because I know what to look for and I am really able to understand what the client wants for any given role. I also think my assessment skills and ability to interview have really made the transition in recruiting easier because I have done it for so many years and I have really learned how to ask the right questions and assess when someone is right for a particular role.
What is the biggest surprise about the job since joining TMAA?
Having been on the other end and working with recruiters I never realized the amount of true dedication and work it takes to actually place a candidate in a role. There is a lot of work that goes into each job we work on and before I got into recruiting I honestly thought it was a much easier process.
What is the best part of your job?
I really feel like I have the opportunity to change people’s lives. When candidates meet with you it’s usually because they aren’t happy in their current job or they are just intrigued by seeing what else is out there. When you are able to help them find a new job you are helping them accomplish not only professional success but personal success as well. You are also changing the companies as well by finding them someone who really cares about the success of the company. It’s a very personal industry, and making that connection with the client/company and the candidates is incredibly fulfilling because you are making a positive difference on both sides.
What is the best piece of advice you can give candidates?
I have seen this happen a lot and often advise candidates about this. Don’t make leaving your last company the reason why you don’t get the new job. When you are in an interview, don’t spend all of your time explaining and justifying why you left or want to leave your current job and speaking negatively of the company. Everyone has their reasons for leaving whether they are good or bad. Don’t belabor it and over-explain it. When they ask, own your answer, be clear and then move on. Be confident in your decisions and then go forward.
It’s like going on a first date and spending the whole night talking about an ex-boyfriend you had a really bad experience with it. You probably won’t get a second date and if you do the same in an interview, you likely won’t be asked back or offered the job.
What is the biggest difference for you between living in LA and NYC?
Aside from the weather, obviously, surprisingly, I have found that people are earlier risers on the West Coast but are also early to finish the day. On the East Coast, people are later to rise, but are out much later. No one is down for yoga at 6 am but I can’t even get into an 8 pm yoga class!
What is your favorite thing about living in NYC?
I feel like I’m home because I grew up here. I have and always will love accessibility. I can have anything I want, whenever I want and how I want it. It’s New York!
Three words that describe you best?
Honest/direct, fitness-forward and balanced
What is your go to Happy Hour drink?
Vodka Martini (Ketel One), and not too dirty!
What are you looking forward to in 2014?
Professional and personal success. I really just want to be happy and live a good life. I have spent so much time trying to achieve certain things and getting to new levels but now I just want to enjoy life and spend time with family and friends. Of course I still want to have professional success but I view things differently now.
We all want to be remembered and leave a legacy behind, right? Well, good news… you can start practicing by preparing a set of questions to ask at the end of an interview. I’m not saying you need recite a song or preform a dance routine, as this is real life and not a pageant after all. However, you’ll soon realize that preparing to ask questions at the end of an interview can be as important as preparing to answer questions themselves. It gives you a powerful competitive advantage against other candidates and at the same time a chance at being the memorable star we all know you are.
