Employee Spotlight: Alicia Bond
One-on-One with Alicia Bond, Director, Client Services and Recruiting.
After over 25 years in public and corporate accounting, Alicia transitioned to recruiting and joined the Andrews & Cole team in early 2020. Alicia is responsible for managing our recruiting team in addition to supporting her own candidates and clients, leveraging her time at both Arthur Andersen and AOL to support recruiters, candidates, and clients alike with her expertise in a variety of areas.
We sat down with Alicia to learn more about her career, life at Andrews & Cole, and what makes her tick.
What brought you to Andrews & Cole?
I had previously worked with Nicole and Andrews & Cole as a hiring manager at AOL. I took a break from work to spend time with family but kept in touch with her throughout the years. Nicole sent me a description for a finance role in 2019, and I had some questions, so we met to discuss the role in more depth. I didn’t want to go back to working long hours with an intense schedule, so when Nicole brought up recruiting, I decided to take a chance on myself and learn something new.
What made you interested in pursuing a career in recruiting?
I knew I could have taken a job in a finance or accounting position, but it was important to me to branch out. My start to the job was difficult as the pandemic happened soon after I began, and I had to quickly adapt to working remotely in a role I knew nothing about. Although it was difficult at first, I promised myself and Nicole I would see it through a year; I relied on my confidence in my experience in the hiring and interviewing process at past companies to learn how to be a recruiter. I know a lot of other professionals had similar experiences during the pandemic, and ultimately, I wanted to show my kids that it was possible to do something challenging during a difficult time. It helped to find out that I could also develop my own clients through my existing network.
What accounting skills have contributed to your career in recruiting?
I can confidently explain to candidates what their jump from one job to the next might entail, as I have often either worked in those specific roles, with people in those roles, or managed people in those roles throughout my career. I have a unique understanding of what they can do, and want to do, which allows me to help guide them through the career transition. I also made the transition from public accounting to corporate myself, which is the same progression many of our clients are looking for. From the client perspective, I have managed and worked in large teams and enjoy working with people to assess needs and I understand how to form a better team. The insight I provide is based on experience, therefore both clients and candidates trust me with helping them both find the right fit.
Many of our candidates are interested in or actively pursuing the CPA exam. What motivated you to pass the CPA exam? Any advice for aspiring CPA candidates?
When I was taking the CPA exam, you had to sit for all four parts at once and achieve minimum scores for any to count. My path to passing the CPA exam was not very straightforward; after using the money I should have used for a CPA study class on a college trip to Jamaica and then leaving the actual exam early for a beach trip, I failed all four parts of the exam. My second attempt was not much better: after a sleepless night in a loud and crowded Richmond hotel, I failed the exam again. I was determined to pass on my third try. Although I was working full-time, I would often work from 8am until 10pm and then study from 10pm-12am, sacrificing sleep and many weekends. I finally passed on my third attempt, despite working long hours in public accounting.
I feel very strongly that candidates should get their CPA as soon as they can; our clients usually require it, public accounting firms expect it for manager promotions, and it can even make an impact in other areas of life. When I was doing board work, people were always impressed that I was a CPA and wanted me to participate on their audit committees. Even if you’re not actively licensed, no one can take the CPA away from you. It will help during a recession and throughout your career.
Thinking back on your career, what have you learned about working with others?
When I first started working, I thought accounting was what I loved because I was good at it. I thought that was what I loved about my job; however, looking back, I really found satisfaction in building relationships and helping people. I truly enjoy helping others succeed and I have always done that. Even in my first role, I loved networking with and mentoring other women. My personality is to give back, and helping others gives me the greatest satisfaction. What I love about my job in recruiting is that I help clients find great talent, I help candidates find the right next step, and I help our team achieve goals and support each other.
Working with people clearly gives you such joy. How would you describe the team here at Andrews & Cole?
I would describe our team as individual contributors who like to work together. The team and culture have developed over time, evolving into a team that enjoys collaborating with and supporting others. Often, recruiting firms are very competitive, but not our firm. I am just as happy helping someone else’s candidate land a role with someone else’s client as I am placing my own candidates; our team supports and encourages each other and doesn’t do something just for financial gain.
What motivates you to come to work every day?
Working with candidates and my team members. I enjoy collaborating with and learning from others. Working with people has always motivated me throughout my career, and it’s what I love most about this job.
On the flip side, what’s the most challenging part of working in recruiting?
The most challenging thing is that there is a human being on the other end of the process. When candidates or clients and recruiters have different goals, it might create a disconnect. Humans can be frustrating and aren’t predictable like numbers are. Sometimes, we might be hard on ourselves when things don’t go our way. Recruiters might do everything right but sometimes people aren’t honest, and goals or values don’t match up. People are a great perk of this job, but they can also be quite a challenge!
What advice would you give someone interested in a career in recruiting who has been working in accounting or finance?
The job is still very analytical, and it brings all the things that you currently do in accounting or finance into a new setting. When you understand the behind-the-scenes perspective, it allows you to better understand both the client needs and candidate skills. I often will pull financial statements for a client I’m working on so I can better understand the organization and discuss it extensively with a candidate. It’s not just interviews and matching; we are helping people understand compensation and benefits which is analytical as well.
We sat down with Alicia to learn more about her career, life at Andrews & Cole, and what makes her tick.
What brought you to Andrews & Cole?
I had previously worked with Nicole and Andrews & Cole as a hiring manager at AOL. I took a break from work to spend time with family but kept in touch with her throughout the years. Nicole sent me a description for a finance role in 2019, and I had some questions, so we met to discuss the role in more depth. I didn’t want to go back to working long hours with an intense schedule, so when Nicole brought up recruiting, I decided to take a chance on myself and learn something new.
What made you interested in pursuing a career in recruiting?
I knew I could have taken a job in a finance or accounting position, but it was important to me to branch out. My start to the job was difficult as the pandemic happened soon after I began, and I had to quickly adapt to working remotely in a role I knew nothing about. Although it was difficult at first, I promised myself and Nicole I would see it through a year; I relied on my confidence in my experience in the hiring and interviewing process at past companies to learn how to be a recruiter. I know a lot of other professionals had similar experiences during the pandemic, and ultimately, I wanted to show my kids that it was possible to do something challenging during a difficult time. It helped to find out that I could also develop my own clients through my existing network.
What accounting skills have contributed to your career in recruiting?
I can confidently explain to candidates what their jump from one job to the next might entail, as I have often either worked in those specific roles, with people in those roles, or managed people in those roles throughout my career. I have a unique understanding of what they can do, and want to do, which allows me to help guide them through the career transition. I also made the transition from public accounting to corporate myself, which is the same progression many of our clients are looking for. From the client perspective, I have managed and worked in large teams and enjoy working with people to assess needs and I understand how to form a better team. The insight I provide is based on experience, therefore both clients and candidates trust me with helping them both find the right fit.
Many of our candidates are interested in or actively pursuing the CPA exam. What motivated you to pass the CPA exam? Any advice for aspiring CPA candidates?
When I was taking the CPA exam, you had to sit for all four parts at once and achieve minimum scores for any to count. My path to passing the CPA exam was not very straightforward; after using the money I should have used for a CPA study class on a college trip to Jamaica and then leaving the actual exam early for a beach trip, I failed all four parts of the exam. My second attempt was not much better: after a sleepless night in a loud and crowded Richmond hotel, I failed the exam again. I was determined to pass on my third try. Although I was working full-time, I would often work from 8am until 10pm and then study from 10pm-12am, sacrificing sleep and many weekends. I finally passed on my third attempt, despite working long hours in public accounting.
I feel very strongly that candidates should get their CPA as soon as they can; our clients usually require it, public accounting firms expect it for manager promotions, and it can even make an impact in other areas of life. When I was doing board work, people were always impressed that I was a CPA and wanted me to participate on their audit committees. Even if you’re not actively licensed, no one can take the CPA away from you. It will help during a recession and throughout your career.
Thinking back on your career, what have you learned about working with others?
When I first started working, I thought accounting was what I loved because I was good at it. I thought that was what I loved about my job; however, looking back, I really found satisfaction in building relationships and helping people. I truly enjoy helping others succeed and I have always done that. Even in my first role, I loved networking with and mentoring other women. My personality is to give back, and helping others gives me the greatest satisfaction. What I love about my job in recruiting is that I help clients find great talent, I help candidates find the right next step, and I help our team achieve goals and support each other.
Working with people clearly gives you such joy. How would you describe the team here at Andrews & Cole?
I would describe our team as individual contributors who like to work together. The team and culture have developed over time, evolving into a team that enjoys collaborating with and supporting others. Often, recruiting firms are very competitive, but not our firm. I am just as happy helping someone else’s candidate land a role with someone else’s client as I am placing my own candidates; our team supports and encourages each other and doesn’t do something just for financial gain.
What motivates you to come to work every day?
Working with candidates and my team members. I enjoy collaborating with and learning from others. Working with people has always motivated me throughout my career, and it’s what I love most about this job.
On the flip side, what’s the most challenging part of working in recruiting?
The most challenging thing is that there is a human being on the other end of the process. When candidates or clients and recruiters have different goals, it might create a disconnect. Humans can be frustrating and aren’t predictable like numbers are. Sometimes, we might be hard on ourselves when things don’t go our way. Recruiters might do everything right but sometimes people aren’t honest, and goals or values don’t match up. People are a great perk of this job, but they can also be quite a challenge!
What advice would you give someone interested in a career in recruiting who has been working in accounting or finance?
The job is still very analytical, and it brings all the things that you currently do in accounting or finance into a new setting. When you understand the behind-the-scenes perspective, it allows you to better understand both the client needs and candidate skills. I often will pull financial statements for a client I’m working on so I can better understand the organization and discuss it extensively with a candidate. It’s not just interviews and matching; we are helping people understand compensation and benefits which is analytical as well.
Andrews & Cole is a certified woman-owned boutique executive search and consulting firm with a focus on accounting and finance professionals. Clients range from start ups to Fortune 100 in nearly every industry.
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ANDREWS & COLE
7315 Wisconsin Avenue, 1225W Bethesda, MD 20814 301-327-1774 |