Why You Sometimes Need to Take a Step Back to Move Forward: Tips From a Talent Acquisition Head

Career journeys are not straightforward paths — you often won’t know where you’ll end up. This is certainly true for Angela Gambaro, who started her professional career in retail at Nordstrom after graduating from college.

“Working at Nordstrom and growing through their management program was a wonderful foundation for my future career pursuits,” she recalls. “I learned the importance of delivering exceptional customer service to my customers, teammates, and employees; the importance of using your best judgment and trusting others to do the same; and the importance of being respected, welcomed, and appreciated for being yourself.”

All of these core values served as a foundation for Gambaro’s future career, even as her journey took her to different industries and roles of increasing responsibility. Today, Gambaro has grown to become the Head of Talent Acquisition at Invitation Homes.

Looking back at her journey, Gambaro has this top piece of advice for other women who are considering career pivots:

“Don’t let the fear of change get in your way; it takes courage to progress your career in new ways. Lean on your trusted circle (e.g., mentors and family) — they can support you in your decision making.”

Here, Gambaro took the time to tell us more about her career journey, the key ingredients for her successful pivot, and what her current role looks like.

Exploring my career pivot journey.

After starting her career in retail, Gambaro transitioned to a role in a staffing agency office and spent the next decade leading recruitment teams in the staffing industry. Then, one day, she was laid off from her role in the staffing industry. “I was devastated to say the least, but I knew I was at an important intersection in my career,” says Gambaro. 

She faced this development with courage and a strong support system, including a few amazing mentors. Gambaro is quick to emphasize how important mentorship is when making a career change. “With the help of mentors, not only have I been able to talk through my career direction, but I found the courage I needed to stretch my career in different ways,” she tells us. “I have found opportunities to grow and strengthen my resolve to deliver unbelievable results, all while learning many new lessons along the way.”

Thanks, in part, to this support as well as her own drive to excel, “I made the decision in 2013 to move to the corporate side of recruitment,” Gambaro shares. “I took a step back to take a step forward.” This involved pivoting to a technical recruiter role — a transition that Gambaro reveals felt like taking a huge leap of faith and left her wondering if she would succeed in a very different work environment.

However, looking back on this today, Gambaro says that “making that shift was a milestone in my career and something I am so proud that I did.” In fact, she views her transition from staffing industry to corporate recruiting as a natural progression in her journey. And it’s no wonder she feels this way — Gambaro flourished in her new role, quickly growing into a technical recruitment team manager. 

“Since then, I have led talent acquisitions teams responsible for hiring thousands of new hires a year,” she states. “I’ve had some amazing opportunities to stretch in new ways I never imagined.”

And Gambaro hasn’t only benefitted professionally. “My family has benefitted from my success as I am able to contribute more to our household,” she states. “I am not talking about financial contributions; I mean contributing because of my mental state. There is no question that taking on new experiences contributes to my mental wellbeing, which is so important. Each time I take on a new challenge (big or small) and let my journey continue in new ways, I am appreciative of the new ways I find myself fulfilled professionally.” There are many advantages to taking on a career pivot!

What it’s like being the Head of Talent Acquisition at Invitation Homes.

Today, as the Head of Talent Acquisition at Invitation Homes, Gambaro spends her days working with some of the best talent acquisition professionals in the business and is involved in all of Invitation Homes’ executive recruiting efforts. Her work is highly collaborative, and she works closely with other Human Resources leaders, business leaders, technology vendors, and her own team, which is made up of Recruiters, Recruiting Managers, Talent Acquisition Operations, and the Onboarding teams.

But what’s her favorite part of her role? Well, it’s “supporting my team,” answers Gambaro. “I have been fortunate to find so much trust and camaraderie with my team. I also love to problem solve and spend time with my peers on the HR Leadership team.”

Ready to pivot to a role at Invitation Homes? Apply to a job today via the following link.

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