Hey Yuri, tell us a little bit about yourself!
My name is Yuri and have been in the HR/Talent Acquisition field for the past 8+ years. My experience started off in the military and transitioned to the civilian sector shortly after. I am still with the Army Reserves today but had the opportunity to work with incredible companies in diverse industries such as CBS Television, Chipotle and now Nike. I love to travel for fun, I try to visit at least one new country every year. I also love to work out, I run about 3 miles a day!
Can you tell us what you do as Talent Acquisition Recruiter at Nike for those who are unfamiliar?
As a Talent Acquisition Recruiter for Nike I am primarily responsible for sourcing and full cycle recruitment for individual contributor, people manager, and executive level roles throughout Nike North America. I help hire incredible talent to help solve business problems and elevate the business overall. Aside from just recruiting, I also am involved with a lot of diversity and inclusion projects and streamlining processes/systems within Talent Acquisition. This past year I was also on the project to revamp the Nike Career website to make it more disability and accommodations friendly.
How did you decide to pursue your specific career?
I started my career in HR but fell in love with the Talent Acquisition side of HR. You get the opportunity to engage with really talented individuals and vise versa have these incredible people elevate the company. It becomes a symbiotic partnership and that is what I love the most about my job.
I still remember the first offer I presented to the candidate and she cried over the phone because it was her dream opportunity graduating from college, it has been incredible to see how much she has grown with the company and is a Sr. Engineering Manager for one of the biggest Fortune 500 companies today. Most recently I received a note from her thanking me for giving her a chance years ago because she wouldn't be where she is today if it wasn't for that opportunity.
What made you interested in your field? What do you like about it?
People! I learn something new everyday with the talent and skill sets people bring and vise versa I get to also learn something new about the company and how much innovation and creativity is involved in accelerating the business.
Any advice on how to stand out and get hired for those starting off?
Talent Acquisition and HR is a very large field. First try to dial in on what kind of Recruiting or HR functions you want to do. For example in Recruiting there is fields within Technology, Sales, Supply Chain etc. and in HR there is Employee Relations, Compensation, Benefits, etc. Try to see what field you are the most passionate about and try to gain experiences or knowledge within those particular areas. It is easy to be a Recruiter but it is hard to be a good one. It takes a lot of passion, problem solving, and relationship building.
What are 3 character traits that would make someone excel in your field?
Attention to detail, Communication, Relationship Building
What fuels you to continue to do what you do?
Being able to continue being an inspiration for females and Asian Americans. I was told at a young age that it was impossible for me to serve in the Army because I was a female. I was also told that I was too young and didn't have the best education to succeed in the corporate world.
Most difficult thing about your job?
Rejecting really great candidates. I wish I can extend offers to everyone! But often times we receive hundreds and thousands of applicants for one job posting and it becomes very competitive.
What would you like to say to your younger self?
I wish I stopped caring about what people thought at an earlier age. I know that sounds cliche but especially growing up with social media, I often did things to please others rather than doing things to make myself happy.
Best advice you've received/heard?
Challenges and obstacles are great resume builders! Every obstacle I went through at work ended up being a great resume builder and interview talking point. Those challenges helped me become a better problem solver and creative thinker.
Any last thoughts, advice, or recommendations?
Although education is important, a fancy education isn't everything. Don't be intimated and pressured to go to the most expensive or elite school. Work on perfecting your craft, skill sets and technical acumen on the field you want to get into. A lot of companies are going away from focusing primarily only on your education and are focusing on what innovative skill sets you can bring or what problems you can help solve! I hope this helps.
