Student Spotlight: Beverly Brown, B.S., Psychology

By Beverly Brown

My favorite quote is “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” This quote gives me hope that if I need to start afresh and renew, I can. Every day is a new beginning. I don’t think about things in the natural sense, such as harping on things I didn’t do; rather, I focus on my next step.

I always wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. After my divorce, it was necessary that I entered back into the workforce. The recession was really bad and I took what jobs I could. For a while, I was a substitute teacher and I really enjoyed working with the children, even though it was not a daily endeavor. Then I became a child support agent, which allowed me to work from home. Next, I moved out into more permanent jobs. I really wanted to complete what I had previously started, my degree. I enrolled at CSU and earned my B.S. in psychology in July 2012. There was a huge sense of satisfaction in completing this previously unfinished task. As a result, my confidence level increased and I thought I would then be able to advance in my career.

Initially, a great opportunity presented itself where my son attended school, but things did not work out. I never felt as though I had control over my work life. Pretty soon, I began to feel trapped. I would call a good friend each week and we would speak on the phone about my predicament. More often than not, the conversation would focus on how unhappy I was in this job role.

I had always dreamed of owning my own business. I went on vacation during the summer of 2014 and I prayed every night of finding a way out of this organization. When I returned from vacation, I was offered a lateral move inside the organization and I knew deep down that this was my time to part ways. I wanted to leave the organization but also maintain my integrity and leave without any repercussions for my child. When I refused to accept the lateral move, the director was shocked. Most likely, he looked at my situation as a single mom and thought that I would not have much choice in the matter; however, we always have choices. Those choices may not be easy ones to make and we may not always see the big picture clearly, but somewhere in a difficult situation, we have a choice.

I wanted to do something that was going to make myself happy and serve other people. My church put me in touch with a recruiter working for a virtual platform that can be done from home. I researched and asked questions, but didn’t have anyone I trusted to invest in professional training.

I connected with folks on LinkedIn. There was some moving forward and some definite setbacks. This was totally unfamiliar and foreign, but I wanted to make a go of it and be successful. It was very disheartening and frustrating at times. Some of the people you reach out to for support or advice are not always generous in providing that, but you just have to continue moving forward because the next individual you ask may be happy to provide the guidance that you need.

I’ve never been the type of person who’s content with “no means no.” In my mind, no simply means, “what’s next?”

In May 2015, I was offered an opportunity to sell travel packages. Multiple streams of income is great, but I was unsure and a little out of my element. My tenacity kicked in and I thought, “I’m going to figure this thing out and not let it get the best of me. With proper training and the right tools, I can do this on my own.”

Today, I recruit for health care professionals. What is most rewarding for me is to build networks and find talent. I have been blessed to form so many great relationships with candidates and hiring managers. They are now my friends. The journey has not been smooth, but it has definitely worth it.

Now, I am in a good place to give back. While there were people who once told me no when it came to recruitment, I now choose to take a certain amount of new recruiters under my wing, sharing information and guidance to them. I want to serve as a resource for them. I want to be that service leader who contributes to someone.

So often, talent and the opportunity are in two different locations. This is why another service I offer is travel assistance, taking the burden off of clients and helping them reach their destinations for an important interview or meeting.

My heart goes out to those who feel that they have no choice regarding their career and therefore work at a job that they are unhappy with. I know how overwhelming that can be to go to a job that you dread, one where you feel like you don’t belong. I would never tell someone to just quit their job, but it’s still very important that you find the thing that makes you happy. My advice is to work on your plan B while you have a current job. If you feel stuck, look around and create new opportunities for yourself. Go to your support system in these times of transition.

Another quote I love is “Choose freedom over foolishness and you will win every time.”