By Julie Ruggiero
An
assistant to celebrities like Joan Lunden and Ronald Perlman, Jennifer Lenkowsky knew that in the future, when she
was married and had children, she would need a career that offered her more
flexibility and work-life balance. So she parlayed her experience into a
successful recruiting career, and ultimately opened her own boutique firm, The
Corporate Ladder. Specializing in placing administrative and domestic support
staff for high-profile corporate executives and celebrities, Jennifer has made
her business work for her.
Quick stats:
Married
for over three years to Aron, Jennifer has a 2 1/2-year-old daughter,
Gari.
Quick stats:
What was your background
before you started The Corporate Ladder?
After graduating
from Binghamton University with an English degree and Boston University with a
Master’s degree in marketing and advertising, I took the first job I was
offered, which was in event planning. Seven months later, I got a job with Rolling Stone handling their
promotions and it was the best job I ever had. At the time, my best friend got
married, and after I gave the speech at her wedding, a woman came up to me and
said, “You’re so crea
tive and you write so beautifully. My daughter is pregnant
and works for Joan Lunden. Would you ever consider taking that job?” I said of
course, and three months later, I interviewed, got the job, and worked for Joan
for a year. After my contract ended, I worked for Ronald Perlman as an
assistant, and later, as his scheduler.
How did you get into
recruiting?
I had a very good
friend who had always said that I would be a great recruiter. I had been interviewing
with David Tutera and Rand Associates for an event planner position. The
ultimate reason why I decided to become a recruiter was because David did 50
events a year and they were all on the weekends. I wasn’t ready to give up my
weekends. So I said to Rand, “By any chance, are you hiring?” Recruiting
offered me the flexibility and the lucrative salary.
What made you decide to open
your own firm?
There was no
reason for me to work for a big agency because with a contingency agency, you
only get paid if you make a placement. The overhead is minimal, too, so it made
sense. It was also important to me that I found a niche that allowed me to be a
mom.
Before I started
The Corporate Ladder, I had a boss who said, “You’ll never be successful until
you’re thinking about this job 24/7.” I disagreed with her because I thought
that recruiting would give me the quality of life that I wanted. But she was
right. I work on the weekends and at night, but I have a Blackberry so I’m
always available. It has to go from being your profession to being your passion
because if you’re not passionate about something, I don’t know if you can get
to that next level.
So if you’re working all the
time, how do you find work-life balance?
Work is a
subjective term. When I say I work all the time, it’s not 9 to 5. I have a
nanny 20 hours a week and I work when she is caring for my daughter. When I get
home, I handle dinner, bath time, etc. My daughter is also in school three days
a week so as she’s grown older, I’ve been able to work more. When she goes to
bed, I’m emailing clients and candidates.
What do you wish you had
known before starting your own firm?
That it would be
so 24/7 — because if you don’t make money, you can’t put the lights on.
Sometimes it’s nice to know that someone else pays the phone bill.
What was the biggest key to
your success?
Personal
relationships. My reputation is everything to me, and when I get a referral I
know I have succeeded. I’m honest with my candidates and I let them know that
I’m not just here to find a job for them. If they’re interviewing on their own
and they need tips or they want me to tweak their resumes, I’m here for that. I
like to think it’s “pay it forward” and it will come back to me, because it
always has.
What’s the best part of your
job?
I love the people
and closing the deal. It’s scary in this economy but I think helping people is
what gives me the drive to go on. There are incredible highs when I place a job
and the person is crying and the flowers show up.
What’s one piece of advice
you have for someone looking to open their own recruiting firm?
I think what it
takes to be successful is perseverance because it doesn’t happen overnight. You
never know which candidate will turn around and help you, so you do everything
you can to help them. And don’t be afraid. Being a mom is the hardest — and
most rewarding — job you’ll ever have, so when you throw in your business on
top of that, you have to want it.
What’s next?
I have given
seminars and would like to give more. I also would like to focus on college
students and give them the guidance they really need.
For more
information about Jennifer Lenkowsky and The Corporate Ladder, visit www.thecorporateladder.net.
