Today we’d like to introduce you to Chenae Erkerd.
Hi Chenae, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Chenae Erkerd. I am originally from Camden, NJ. I moved to North Carolina to attend Saint Augustine’s University (then College). While there, I majored in political science, minored in english, became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., president of the poetry club, and named Miss Sophomore, Miss Junior, and Miss Pre-Alumni. I graduated with a degree in Political Science and went on to obtained my law degree from North Carolina Central University School of Law. I took the NC bar 3 times and didn’t pass.
Since I didn’t pass the bar, I pivoted into recruiting starting in higher education and matriculating through healthcare and tech. When I entered my recruiting career, I started a brand called RecruiterCousin. The stereotype around recruiting is recruiters are hard to get in contact with and we ghost candidates. I didn’t want that stereotype to follow me so I created RecruiterCousin because I wanted people to feel like family when they approached me for professional opportunities.
I’ve successfully built RecruiterCousin to touch 150K+ people across social media platforms, helping 200+ people get offers and interviews at 100+ companies in this market. Amongst these testimonials are candidates who negotiated salary increases between $3K-$141K. I’ve had the honor and pleasure of speaking at conferences such as Diversitech, Blacks In Technology, National Society for Black Engineers (NSBE), Deloitte University’s CORE Program for Veterans, Dreamin In Color Conference, and many more. I’ve also had the privilege of speaking on podcasts such as Tech Is The New Black, Techniche, The Techtual Talk, Thee Millenial Management, Sit With Lexi B, The Friday Live with Lauren Show, and many more. I’m a TEDx Speaker and Curator, an accomplished spoken word artist, motivational speaker, and author. My motto is I want everyone to win.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I’ve experienced a lot in my career. Being black in Corporate America can be a challenge because we walk into spaces that people don’t think we deserve to be in based on our skin color. We often have to prove we know just as much as our counterparts by delivering measureable and lasting impact. I’ve had to bounce back from company separations and teaching others how to find jobs in this market while not losing faith in their skills. It’s been a challenge to encourage people to believe they can overcome being let go from a job, but it’s been rewarding to help them bounce back and find better opportunities.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’m a recruiter who has experience in higher education, healthcare, and technology. I am also an author, spoken word artist, and motivational speaker.
What’s next?
I want to learn more about the technology industry and possibly contribute to training new recruiters about the candidate and hiring manager experience. I also want to continue to speak at conferences and share my expertise with the world.
Pricing:
- RecruiterCousin Coffee Chat: $210.00
- RecruiterCousin Mock Interview: $540.00
- Corporate Booking: $10,000.00
- Small Business Booking: $5,000.00
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.recruitercous.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/recruitercousin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CB6RiNVJk/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chenae-erkerd-j-d-racr-798b2389/
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@recruitercousin
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@recruitercousin
- Calendy: https://calendly.com/chenaeerkerd
- Other: https://www.threads.com/@recruitercousin
