Welcome to the Personal Series (: Words that start with P have been deeply resonating with me and describing all aspects of my life lately, so that’s the inspiration for this series.
ICYMI, Part 1 was all about Planning – the move to Miami. Check it out here.
As I sit on my balcony overlooking the port and cruise ships in Miami, I’m so grateful for this current chapter in my life and have been thinking about how I got here. Presence & Pivot were the two words that came to mind.
One of my favorite Talent Acquisition Pros to follow on LinkedIn, Jaylyn Jones, shared a post a few months back giving advice to those in the job market. She shared something along the lines of, “don’t just announce your presence, BE present.” Her point was that a lot of people are posting on LinkedIn, “hire me!” “I’m open to work!” etc which is announcing their presence, but the candidates who end up getting hired at her company, are usually those who are being present in the communities in which they want to be hired to! Some examples are – leaving thoughtful comments on the posts by recruiters/companies you’d like to work for (not just saying you are looking for work – but adding to the conversation/topic showcasing your knowledge), attending hiring and networking events (online or offline) and participating in professional development groups, mentoring groups, etc. These experiences also help you learn so much and give you more to talk about in your upcoming interviews or networking conversations. Plus they aid in forming meaningful connections. Posting on LinkedIn that you’re open to work can only do so much. People can’t always get a true sense of your knowledge, experience, personality or voice from those posts.
This sentiment of being present is exactly how I ended up in my current role at ERE Media. In the beginning of 2026 (when I had finished Year Compass, one of my favorite year end reflection and planning tools) one of my goals was to speak at one new conference, and attend one new conference. The new conference I spoke at was Mile High SHRM in Denver in February and funny enough, I was initially “rejected” if you will from that event. I responded graciously and kept in touch with the event organizer. In January, she emailed me saying another speaker dropped out and asked if I was still free and wanted the spot. So cool. I was in! I had such a great couple of days in Denver with the HR Community and presented one of my signature presentations – Recruiting Best Practices: Play the Long Game!
So now onto the goal of attending one new conference. I decided I wanted to attend the ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit in Atlanta in May. I had been connected with the CEO David (now my boss!) on LinkedIn for years, and we had interacted periodically through comments and messages on various industry news and articles. I sent David a message and said (not exactly these words) I would love to attend your conference. I have strengths and skills in running a registration table, mic-running during sessions, emceeing, being a greeter/hype person, etc. I also shared I was interested in speaking, but I understand that the agenda looked finalized. I asked if there was a spot for me to help out at the conference. About a week or so later, he introduced me to someone on the team and said yes, we have a speaker lounge that we need a host for, and we think it would be a great role for you. They provided me a free conference in exchange for running the speaker lounge, and I paid my own travel and hotel. I knew that some investment would come with having a goal of attending a new conference this year, so I planned ahead and saved money.
The Recruiting Innovation Summit May 5-6 in Atlanta was a blast. The speakers and content, put together by my now colleague Josh were incredible. High-level TA Practitioners and Leaders from big companies, sharing what’s working for them and what isn’t. I saw some old friends, made plenty of new ones, and really enjoyed meeting all the speakers, hosting them in the lounge, and ensuring small group Q&As took place between our attendees and speakers. I also knew the conference was offering HRCI and SHRM recertification credits which is a huge plus to keep my certs active! I checked in with the team throughout the 2 days to see if there was anything else I could help them with. Being part of the volunteer team also meant I was invited to the post event dinner, which I really enjoyed and made even more connections and had great conversations. I was so grateful for the experience and had so much fun.
I’m a firm believer that getting out of your usual routine, environment, etc is where magic and new opportunities happen. June 10th I was in DC at SHRM HQ presenting a professional development day for their intern cohort. (My fourth year in a row doing this – a full day 9-3 with their college interns on resumes, networking, LinkedIn, behaviors that help set them apart and advance their careers, etc – one of my favorite trips each year!) After I wrapped up a long day of training, David called me around 4 PM and said there was a full-time opportunity on the ERE team and he thought of me. We briefly discussed it further and I reiterated my interest in hearing more, and over the coming weeks we worked out my offer to join the team as Director of Events and Partnerships.
Most of you know I’ve been doing career coaching through Claire is Coaching LLC since 2018, and it’s always been important to me to be a product of my product. Everything I work with my coachees on I have tried myself whether it be networking strategies, connecting/posting/engaging on LinkedIn and putting yourself in situations to attract the opportunities you want. My boss at my last recruiting role had left in April, and the company wasn’t the same to me anymore so I had started to take more action towards attracting my next full-time, remote opportunity. Reconnecting with my networking through LinkedIn, email and virtual Zoom calls. I’ve experienced it time and time again where if you’re taking action towards what you want to attract, the universe rewards you. It can see the signals that you’re working towards something new and can send opportunities your way. Taking action vs. waiting has always proven to be a successful strategy. And just before I moved to Miami, I started at ERE. This role will allow me to live and work from anywhere in the US, which is a huge step for me as I work towards my goal of being more location independent and not having to go into an office.
So my message for you – BE PRESENT. If there’s something you want, or maybe you just know you’re open to something new and you don’t know exactly what you want, go and be present in your community. I always say that opportunities come from people, they don’t just fall out of the sky. Someone has to know you well enough (even just through an interview) to offer you an opportunity. I feel like going to the ERE Recruiting Innovation Summit and hosting the speaker lounge ended up being part of my interview for my current role, and the coolest part is that I was just in my element, being myself. Helping people connect and have a great time together lights me up. Plus – in this crazy job market – how cool is it to have an opportunity come your way that you didn’t have to formally apply or interview for? Go to the conference, networking event, community event, workout class, whatever it is. People have to know you to share opportunities with you.
I’ll end this post with briefly touching on the word Pivot. I’ve been an HR and Recruiting Pro since 2012 – that is crazy to say. All of my education, certifications and work experience has been tied to HR and it’s a huge part of my identity. Being an HR practitioner can be draining, and I’m grateful for the opportunity in my new role to still support my HR/Recruiting peers by hosting conferences, professional development and networking opportunities that will support them in their work. Never did I think I would make such a big career pivot, but sometimes great opportunities come your way and you have to say yes! Some days I am wrapped up in SOV, H2, MQL, F&B, CAM Service, etc (event planning and venue terms – quite a change from HR lingo I’m used to) and my nervous system goes WTF is going on, what world are you living in?! But my top 5 strength on the Clifton Strengths Finder is Learner, so I knew I would figure out anything new and enjoy the process of learning new things. Some days I still grapple with my identity not being an HR Pro anymore, but actually, I am and always will be an HR Pro. It’s part of who I am even if I’m not working in it every day. Though it’s only been a couple months, working in events and sponsor partnerships within the recruiting space has been so much fun and I know seeing it all come together at our next conference in November is going to be a rewarding experience. I will probably cry from seeing hundreds of my HR/TA peers learning together, smiling and having a great time.
So, 2026 – you’ve been the year of presence and pivot. New home location, new career path, and there are only more good things to come. As always, let me know if you have any questions at all! You can always book a coaching call with me here to discuss your career or career advancement strategy.
Part 1 of the Personal Series was Planning, Part 2 was Presence and Pivot. What will my next P be? (:
