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When some of the top voices in the talent world were starting out in their careers, the internet was on the rise, the Cold War was on pause, and everyone was dancing the Macarena. They were embarking on their first “real” jobs and like everyone else, they were trying to figure out how the world of work works and how they could become really good at finding — and hiring — the best talent. 

They lived through hiring frenzies. They made it through rounds of layoffs. They acquired more than their share of wisdom along the way. So, in the spirit of passing that knowledge along, we asked five industry leaders: What advice would you give to someone who’s just starting their career in talent acquisition? 

Below you’ll find their thoughtful — and very helpful — words of wisdom. 

Hung Lee: Do good work, but make sure it’s visible to others  

“The best piece of career advice I’ve ever received,” says Hung Lee, curator of the Recruiting Brainfood newsletter, “was from my first manager, who told me that success is a combination of performance and profile. You have to be able to deliver, but that delivery also has to be visible to others. 

“The biggest mistake early career professionals make is to assume that performance alone will secure career rewards. The reality is that companies are messy institutions where important information is often lost in the noise. You have to show and tell people what you’re doing.

“This aligns well with the modern ethos of transparency and authenticity, so it’s not a matter of being a foghorn or loudly claiming credit for what you didn’t do. It’s about being open with your career journey, to both internal stakeholders and external connections.”  

J.T. O’Donnell: Remember that your network is your biggest asset

“For anyone considering a new career in talent acquisition,” says J.T. O’Donnell, founder and CEO of Work It Daily, “imagine you’re picking players for a sports team. You wouldn’t just grab the first people you see — you’d learn about their skills, see how they work with others, and make sure they’re the right fit. That’s what recruiters do, but for jobs.

“Technology has changed how this works. AI can help recruiters find great candidates faster, sort through applications, and even predict who might be a good fit. Learning how to use AI will make you a stronger recruiter, but it’s not enough on its own.

“Your network — who you know and how well you build relationships — will always be your biggest advantage. Hiring is about people, and the recruiters who take the time to connect, listen, and understand others will always have more opportunities. Study AI, keep learning, and focus on building real relationships. That combination will help you succeed, no matter how much the industry changes.”

Stacey Gordon: Stay true to your integrity and values 

“There are a few essential skills needed in the recruiting industry,” says Stacey Gordon, executive advisor at Rework Work and instructor for the LinkedIn Learning course Recruiting Foundations, “and I wish I had known sooner in my career how to manage the balance between the need to conform in order to get along and maintain employment with the need to adhere to my own integrity and values.

“When we are early in our career, we get told that we don’t know anything because we are new to the industry. We get told to keep quiet. But that can diminish our confidence and stop us from listening to our inner voice. 

“We are always going to have challenges that limit our budgets, challenge our integrity, and push our technological capacities — and your skill in influencing and communicating might be the difference between keeping your job or not, as we go through economic uncertainty.  

“Soft skills aside, functional proficiency also matters.That’s one reason we created my course on recruiting foundations, to support new recruiters and provide a tool for more experienced recruiters to brush up on their functional skills. The combination of proficiency in both technical and soft skills is truly what will give you an advantage in your career.”

Tim Sackett: Try to keep your beginner’s mind 

“What’s great about being new in talent acquisition,” says Tim Sackett, president of HRU Technical Resources, “is that you don’t know if people might not want to come to work for your company or the job you’re trying to hire for. Experience will beat you down soon enough, but for right now, when you’re new, everyone wants to work for your company and the job for which you’re hiring. 

“We see this happen every single time with new recruiters. We give them a job no one else wants or could fill, and ‘magically’ they find someone great for the job. Why? Because they don’t have the experience to tell them, ‘Oh, this person from this college or this company won’t want to come to work with us.’ 

“Stay new. Stay naive to the realities of TA. You’ll find more people who want to work for you!”

Lars Schmidt: Become fluent in generative AI

“Want to break into recruiting?” asks Lars Schmidt, head of talent at Agrovision. “There’s a cheat code that can make you indispensable — generative AI fluency.

“The 10x recruiters of the future will have a deep understanding of the capabilities and limitations of tools like ChatGPT and use them daily to enhance their impact on the business. 

“AI is already shaping every aspect of recruiting including automation, sourcing, candidate outreach, strategy, market intelligence and research, benchmarking, and writing. Develop a point of view on how recruiters can use these tools as copilots across different functions and you’ll demonstrate a value that will deliver results most new recruiters aren’t capable of achieving. 

“As these consumer-grade AI tools are relatively new, many recruiting teams haven’t embraced their full potential and are falling behind. That’s where you can make your mark.”

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