Employee Spotlight: Sarah Hillman
One-on-One with Sarah Hillman, Senior Account Executive
As Sarah celebrates her one-year anniversary with Andrews & Cole next month, we thought it would be great to sit down with her to hear more about her career before Andrews & Cole, why she made the jump to recruiting, and what motivates her towards success.
Prior to joining Andrews & Cole, Sarah spent over 6 years in finance and strategy roles at Walmart, CoStar, and most recently at FTI Consulting. Her experience as a candidate with Andrews & Cole led her to explore new opportunities with the firm when she was considering her next career move.
You’ve been with Andrews & Cole for almost a year. How did you end up making the move to recruiting?
I have had the opportunity to work in different finance and strategy roles in my career. After completing my undergraduate degree, I participated in an accounting and finance development program at Walmart corporate headquarters, which helped me get out of my comfort zone from a professional standpoint but also a personal standpoint. From there, I ended up moving to DC, where Andrews & Cole helped me land an FP&A role. I then moved into a corporate strategy role, which pushed me to think about finance, accounting, and business more broadly. I’m always thinking ahead to what’s next for me, and I wanted to take my skills to the next level and apply them in a different setting. The idea of joining a boutique, woman-owned firm was exciting, and I loved the idea of using my finance and accounting background in a more entrepreneurial and operational way.
Looking back at your career so far, what are some things you’ve learned?
You never know what something can lead to, including the next step in your career. Be willing to volunteer and explore new opportunities, even if they push you out of your comfort zone. I have learned that when I make mistakes, it’s an opportunity to learn and do better in the future. It’s also important to proactively have conversations with other professionals about your career. Initially, I had a lot of questions about recruiting, and the team here at Andrews & Cole was able to answer them so I could make an informed decision about whether recruiting was a good fit for me and ultimately played a role in my decision to move forward.
What’s the most rewarding part about working in recruiting? Most challenging?
Working with people is very rewarding; I like to work hard for myself, but I also enjoy seeing how my work is impacting others. The harder I work, the more likely a candidate is to find the next step in their career or a client to find a great new hire, and it is amazing to see my efforts supporting others’ success. Working with people is also one of the most challenging things about recruiting; everyone has different timelines and expectations. Sometimes getting everything to align isn’t easy, but we work together to find a way to move forward to help both our clients and candidates achieve their goals.
Before you came to Andrews & Cole, you worked with the firm as a candidate. How does that impact the way you approach working with your candidates?
I really enjoyed the Andrews & Cole consultative approach when I worked with the firm as a candidate, so the experience I had working with the team in the past was what drew me here. I now use this same consultative approach, and given my finance background, I probably think more like my candidates than other recruiters. I understand more about a candidate’s preferences and motivations, but also the importance of timing when making a job change, especially corporate timelines and schedules. Candidates appreciate that I can empathize with and understand them, which allows me to develop relationships and trust. The relationships I build are not just about what I can get out of the conversations, but what I can give back to others.
What motivates you to come to work every day?
Well, I do have a competitive side, which means I am always growing and striving for success. I like to work hard and see results; in recruiting, that means I find success in contributing to a great new hire or a candidate’s career growth. It is so rewarding when a candidate is excited about their new role and can’t wait to update their LinkedIn profile! I also really appreciate the collaborative and supportive environment at Andrews & Cole; we want to help each other succeed, whether that’s helping place someone’s candidate or working jointly to support our clients. I really enjoy seeing my colleagues and the firm succeed; seeing our growth and potential is what drives me to come to work every day.
According to the team, you’ve unlocked Excel at the expert level. Are the rumors true?
I definitely am more than willing to help the team and have found many good ways to use Excel and other analytical tools in my day-to-day recruiting. From tracking my candidates to tracking outreach, Excel helps me stay organized which is something I take pride in. I probably get more enjoyment using analytical tools than most, and I love that it’s one of the many skills I was able to take from finance to recruiting. I also love being able to share my spreadsheets with the team; there’s nothing better than seeing my tools help my team members achieve their goals. And beyond work, I stay sharp with my skills at home – you could say I am the CFO of my household!
What’s been your greatest accomplishment at Andrews & Cole so far?
Just stepping out of my comfort zone, in terms of my career switch to recruiting, and even in my work daily. It’s both challenging and rewarding, and something I push to accomplish every day. As I grow both personally and professionally, I am consistently working to have more confidence in myself and my potential.
I’m also proud of how I was able to jump in at an early stage and help the firm partners with client services because of my experience in a variety of roles. I was able to seamlessly transition not only into working with candidates but also to supporting our many clients in understanding their team and hiring needs based on my experience in finance and strategy.
What’s on deck for you in the future?
I always see the potential of helping more people, and that potential grows as I have the opportunity to work with and place more candidates. As I grow my skills, I can continue to help more people, both candidates and clients. I love to learn and I am learning every day, so this is a great place for me; I look forward to continuing my learning with the firm and our incredible team. Andrews & Cole has a bright future ahead and I am excited to be a part of that!
Prior to joining Andrews & Cole, Sarah spent over 6 years in finance and strategy roles at Walmart, CoStar, and most recently at FTI Consulting. Her experience as a candidate with Andrews & Cole led her to explore new opportunities with the firm when she was considering her next career move.
You’ve been with Andrews & Cole for almost a year. How did you end up making the move to recruiting?
I have had the opportunity to work in different finance and strategy roles in my career. After completing my undergraduate degree, I participated in an accounting and finance development program at Walmart corporate headquarters, which helped me get out of my comfort zone from a professional standpoint but also a personal standpoint. From there, I ended up moving to DC, where Andrews & Cole helped me land an FP&A role. I then moved into a corporate strategy role, which pushed me to think about finance, accounting, and business more broadly. I’m always thinking ahead to what’s next for me, and I wanted to take my skills to the next level and apply them in a different setting. The idea of joining a boutique, woman-owned firm was exciting, and I loved the idea of using my finance and accounting background in a more entrepreneurial and operational way.
Looking back at your career so far, what are some things you’ve learned?
You never know what something can lead to, including the next step in your career. Be willing to volunteer and explore new opportunities, even if they push you out of your comfort zone. I have learned that when I make mistakes, it’s an opportunity to learn and do better in the future. It’s also important to proactively have conversations with other professionals about your career. Initially, I had a lot of questions about recruiting, and the team here at Andrews & Cole was able to answer them so I could make an informed decision about whether recruiting was a good fit for me and ultimately played a role in my decision to move forward.
What’s the most rewarding part about working in recruiting? Most challenging?
Working with people is very rewarding; I like to work hard for myself, but I also enjoy seeing how my work is impacting others. The harder I work, the more likely a candidate is to find the next step in their career or a client to find a great new hire, and it is amazing to see my efforts supporting others’ success. Working with people is also one of the most challenging things about recruiting; everyone has different timelines and expectations. Sometimes getting everything to align isn’t easy, but we work together to find a way to move forward to help both our clients and candidates achieve their goals.
Before you came to Andrews & Cole, you worked with the firm as a candidate. How does that impact the way you approach working with your candidates?
I really enjoyed the Andrews & Cole consultative approach when I worked with the firm as a candidate, so the experience I had working with the team in the past was what drew me here. I now use this same consultative approach, and given my finance background, I probably think more like my candidates than other recruiters. I understand more about a candidate’s preferences and motivations, but also the importance of timing when making a job change, especially corporate timelines and schedules. Candidates appreciate that I can empathize with and understand them, which allows me to develop relationships and trust. The relationships I build are not just about what I can get out of the conversations, but what I can give back to others.
What motivates you to come to work every day?
Well, I do have a competitive side, which means I am always growing and striving for success. I like to work hard and see results; in recruiting, that means I find success in contributing to a great new hire or a candidate’s career growth. It is so rewarding when a candidate is excited about their new role and can’t wait to update their LinkedIn profile! I also really appreciate the collaborative and supportive environment at Andrews & Cole; we want to help each other succeed, whether that’s helping place someone’s candidate or working jointly to support our clients. I really enjoy seeing my colleagues and the firm succeed; seeing our growth and potential is what drives me to come to work every day.
According to the team, you’ve unlocked Excel at the expert level. Are the rumors true?
I definitely am more than willing to help the team and have found many good ways to use Excel and other analytical tools in my day-to-day recruiting. From tracking my candidates to tracking outreach, Excel helps me stay organized which is something I take pride in. I probably get more enjoyment using analytical tools than most, and I love that it’s one of the many skills I was able to take from finance to recruiting. I also love being able to share my spreadsheets with the team; there’s nothing better than seeing my tools help my team members achieve their goals. And beyond work, I stay sharp with my skills at home – you could say I am the CFO of my household!
What’s been your greatest accomplishment at Andrews & Cole so far?
Just stepping out of my comfort zone, in terms of my career switch to recruiting, and even in my work daily. It’s both challenging and rewarding, and something I push to accomplish every day. As I grow both personally and professionally, I am consistently working to have more confidence in myself and my potential.
I’m also proud of how I was able to jump in at an early stage and help the firm partners with client services because of my experience in a variety of roles. I was able to seamlessly transition not only into working with candidates but also to supporting our many clients in understanding their team and hiring needs based on my experience in finance and strategy.
What’s on deck for you in the future?
I always see the potential of helping more people, and that potential grows as I have the opportunity to work with and place more candidates. As I grow my skills, I can continue to help more people, both candidates and clients. I love to learn and I am learning every day, so this is a great place for me; I look forward to continuing my learning with the firm and our incredible team. Andrews & Cole has a bright future ahead and I am excited to be a part of that!
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.