Some may say that being the eldest of a large family sets you up to be a leader by default. That may be true, however, it also afforded me the tools to identify talent. Whether it was washing the dishes, cleaning the car, making the dinner, or folding clothes, I noticed that each and every one of my siblings brought a particular talent to the table. I quickly realized that not everyone shares the same talents and therefore, not every job is a perfect fit.

As a young teenager from Scotland who was propelled into the deep south of Huntsville, Alabama, I soon learned firsthand what it felt to not “fit” in. I think it’s fair to say that most of us have had experiences in life where the fit has not been a good one. So I guess it is of no surprise that I find myself applying skills I learned from my own experiences growing up in talent acquisition and fit, to my working life.

Upon graduating from the school of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, I returned home to Scotland. Not knowing the local job market, I joined a temporary staffing agency (Renfield Recruitment) to help me in my job search. I secured a position at IBM through that agency within two weeks of hitting Scottish soil, converted to a IBM full time contractor within 6 months, and then fast-tracked through the IBM career system. I am indebted to Renfield recruitment for opening the door for me, and offering me an opportunity with IBM. My recruitment manager had not only assisted in helping me into a career spanning over a decade, moreover, she had found me a perfect job fit!