I Thought I’d Landed My Dream Job, Only to Discover It Wasn’t For Me — Here’s What I Did Next
Lisa Jacks knows what it’s like to land a dream job — only to discover it isn’t exactly what she had in mind.
“I was convinced that being a Big Law corporate attorney was the perfect job for me,” she recalled. “Fast forward a few years, and my dream job wasn’t everything I imagined. I felt trapped by the money, I was professionally unfulfilled and I had forgotten everything I loved about law school.”
Ultimately, Jacks decided to transition away from practicing law, and what initially felt like a failure became the groundwork for some important self-discovery. She realized that recruiting was where her passions were better spoken to, and in her role as a senior recruiter for The Hanover Insurance Group, she gets to feed those passions every day.
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“I discovered a new career that fit like a glove,” she said. “Recruiting allows me to leverage not only my education, but also my personal skills, personality and creativity.”
For Jacks, the professional has decidedly become the personal. And given the culture at The Hanover, that’s hardly a surprising shift. Although she works 100% remotely, Jacks says she still feels super connected to her colleagues and to the company mission.
“The Hanover has a culture and community of employees that maintain open lines of communication, partnership and collaboration, from up, down and across the organization,” she said. “I feel as connected to my talent acquisition team and clients as I would if I were sitting in the office.”
Recently, Jacks shared with us some of the insider intel that women should know about careers at The Hanover, as well as her No. 1 piece of advice to female job seekers more generally.
How long have you been in your current role, and what were you doing previously?
I joined The Hanover on April 22, so I am just shy of seven (very) happy months! Previously, I spent almost three years as a VP in talent acquisition for TD Bank, supporting executive talent acquisition as well as corporate, regulatory and shared services on the non-executive side.
What’s the first and/or last thing you do at work every day?
I check my Outlook calendar, email and Dayforce first and last thing every day. For me, it is critical that I know exactly what I have scheduled, as well as ensuring I’ve responded to and actioned any emails and that I’m up to date on all recruiting activity.
As a recruiter, what are three things about your company that you always make sure to highlight when talking to a candidate?
1. The Hanover culture, which is centered on our CARE values: collaboration, accountability, respect and empowerment. These values are displayed from the top down and are a huge part of what makes The Hanover a great place to work.
2. All of the career opportunities and professional development we offer.
3. Our emphasis on inclusion & diversity.
What’s one thing your company offers — whether a formal policy or program or its office culture — that you think is particularly unique or unexpected?
This is an interesting question, as I am a 100% remote employee. I cannot speak to “office” culture in the traditional manner. As a remote employee, you learn to work with a certain amount of autonomy that in some organizations can feel like isolation. But The Hanover has a culture and community of employees that maintain open lines of communication, partnership and collaboration, from up, down and across the organization. I feel as connected to my talent acquisition team and clients as I would if I were sitting in the office.
Tell me a bit about your company’s D&I efforts and/or employee resource groups.
The fact that it starts at the top and trickles down into every aspect of who we are as an organization is unique and special. Most recently, our CEO Jack Roche joined a growing coalition of more than 750 CEOs in signing the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. Additionally, the organization provides ongoing inclusion and diversity education, offering employees a better understanding of what inclusion and diversity means. The education and consistent messaging on I&D embraces and reinforces inclusive behavior at work and in our lives outside the 9-to-5. It’s a changing world that requires us to understand that diversity isn’t just what we see; it’s all the things that make us unique and different. At The Hanover, we understand that what makes you unique, make us better.
What’s your favorite career mistake?
Oh my! LOL! Landing my “dream job” as a corporate associate at a big firm. I was convinced that being a BigLaw corporate attorney was the perfect job for me. Fast forward a few years, and my dream job wasn’t everything I imagined. I felt trapped by the money, I was professionally unfulfilled and I had forgotten everything I loved about law school. I quickly realized that for me money does not equate to professional satisfaction or success.
What’s the one career move you’ve made that you’re most proud of?
I would have to say stepping away from practicing law. In 2003, during the dot-com bust, I transitioned to legal recruiting on the agency side. After an extended period of mourning for my law degree and the shame I felt for what I saw as a failure, I discovered a new career that fit like a glove. Recruiting allowed me to leverage not only my education, but also my personal skills, personality and creativity.
What’s your #1 piece of advice for women who are looking for jobs right now?
Stop undercutting your abilities, skill and drive. While (some) men will boast about their accomplishments, I have found that women refrain from highlighting their skills, accomplishments and ambition.
What’s something you think most people don’t know about your company that you think they should?
The Hanover genuinely cares about our employees, our customers and the impact we have on the community. No one loves buying insurance, but it is a necessity. Insurance is what we buy in case “bad stuff” happens. The Hanover understands that life sometimes puts our customers in vulnerable or challenging situations, and we take a great deal of CARE to ensure we are here when you need us the most.
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