Have you met Executive Recruiter Jessica Cataneo, one of CyberCoders' Rockstar Recruiters?
Cataneo, who was born and raised in New Jersey, moved west to work for CyberCoders a year ago. "I stumbled upon recruiting about four years ago when I was looking for a new career and have been hooked ever since. I have experience recruiting throughout North America and I have a passion for people, recruiting and for helping candidates advance in their career!"
1. Tell us about an exciting job match you made recently?
At the beginning of this year, I placed a Senior Data Scientist at a well-known tech company in LA. I had never worked a role like that before and I was excited to talk to candidates with such impressive backgrounds. I learned very quickly that the Data Scientist market in LA is SUPER Competitive and I needed to bring my A-Game to get my client the best talent.
I started working with a candidate who had just come onto the market because his startup went under. I knew this candidate was perfect for my client and if I wanted to get him an offer, I would have to move quickly. Long story short, at the time of the final interview with my client, the candidate had four other offers. He came out of the interview knowing that my client was his top choice. When they finally made an offer, he accepted on the spot! There is so much that goes into being a good recruiter but the best part is knowing that you have found the best candidate for your client and vice versa! Hard work pays off!
2. What drives you to go above and beyond?
For me, this isn’t just a job. It’s a career. Whether I am placing a candidate at their dream job or I am staffing an engineering team at a startup, I am making a tangible impact on someone’s life or a positive contribution to the future of my client’s business. That’s an exciting thing to be a part of. I treat my desk like my own business and I think what drives me to go above and beyond is that the possibilities are endless – the sky is the limit.
3. What do you think separates CyberCoders from the average recruiting firm?
I moved to SoCal from NYC a year ago to work for CyberCoders. I took the job here not knowing anyone or what to expect but after a year, I’ve never felt more at home. The people at CyberCoders are what makes this company different from any other recruiting firm. Of course CyberCoders has all the tools and resources anyone can ask for – not to mention our proprietary recruiting platform, Cyrus. But at the end of the day, the people and the culture are what sets us apart from competition. Whether you have been working here ten years or ten days, everyone at CyberCoders has a genuine interest in making sure you have everything you need to succeed.
4. What is your favorite part about being a recruiter?
I love networking and relationship building. Recruiting is more than just setting up interviews and making an offer to a candidate. There is a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes when you are a recruiter. And a big part of that is relationship building – getting to know the candidate, understanding my clients likes and dislikes, the challenge of building trust and rapport on both the client and candidate side. I also enjoy learning from my candidates. Learning about a new industry, what’s the newest technology or what’s the buzz in the industry. Being a recruiter is being able to think quickly and make sure you stay on top of your game! And to me, that’s exciting.
5. What are your favorite hobbies or activities outside of the office?
Outside of work, I enjoy going to the beach, working out – Pilates, spin class, dance. I spend a lot of my time playing with my adorable 5 month old French bulldog named “Leo” and hanging out with friends. I LOVE to travel, volunteer at the local animal shelter and I am an avid “foodie."
