Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in business development but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Chenae Erkerd, Founder of Recruiter Cousin Consulting, located in Durham, NC, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My business is motivating job seekers and teaching them never to give up on their job search. I provide mock interviewing services, salary negotiation sessions, LinkedIn profile reviews, recruiter cousin coffee chats, and jobseeker templates.
Tell us about yourself
I went to law school to be an attorney. I took the North Carolina bar 3xs, but I didn’t pass. I decided I wanted to pivot into another field. I eventually got a job with Duke Temporary Service (DTS) as a temp with Duke Law School. After that assignment was over, I landed another temp role as a compliance officer with Duke Talent Identification Program (Duke TIP). There, the recruiting manager took me under her wing and taught me how to be a recruiter. The meat of her training was teaching me about the candidate experience. After graduating from law school, it took me four years to land my first full-time role. The recruiting manager knew that, so she knew I would know what it felt like to need the type of advocate she was training me to be. The recruiting manager, my mentor, ripped my resume up, we rebuilt it, and within two months, I had my first full-time role as a recruiter in healthcare. I recruited in healthcare for about two years and then transitioned into big tech.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I created recruiter cousin jobseeker templates and helped more than 40 people (so far) get interviews or offers using my templates within four months of my creating them. I also built an amazing social media community by spending my personal time giving tips and tricks from a recruiter’s perspective on how to job search, how to prep for interviews, and how to stay motivated when you get more rejection letters than interview requests.
What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a business owner?
Delegating duties. I like things done a certain way. Because this is my baby, I have a hard time trusting others to help me and do things how I would want them to be done. I’ve gotten better, but I am working hard to get out of that mindset because I understand that I can’t do everything on my own.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
Start with your passion. You can’t think about money at the beginning. While you definitely want to make money, if money is your foundation and your passion isn’t, you’ll lose the essence of why you want to help people.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://bit.ly/3Iyoc92
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recruitercousin/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@recruitercousinconsulting
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenae-erkerd-j-d-racr-798b2389/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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