Kate Perez

All-In at Acara: How Kate Perez Has Left Her Mark in the Recruiting Industry

Kate Perez never imagined entering into a career in recruiting. After receiving her undergraduate degree in Sociology and her Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs, Kate thought she was destined to mentor young college students by helping them to attain their academic goals. But after spending years working at several different colleges and universities across the country, Kate longed to make an impact in a different field: recruiting.

In the latest edition of our “All-In at Acara” series, learn how Kate has leveraged her previous professional experiences to develop into a proven full-cycle recruitment specialist with Acara.

Buffalo roots, Cali dreams

I was born and raised in Buffalo, New York—and I even stuck around the Queen City during my college years, too. But a few years after I finished school, I visited a family member in Santa Barbara, California, and immediately fell in love with the West coast. So one day, my best friend and I decided to pack up a moving truck and begin a new life out West. At the time, we were happy to ditch the cold winters of Buffalo for the warm sunshine of the Golden State!

Aspirations in higher academia

For years, I had always dreamed of helping college students pursue their educational goals in graduate and doctoral programs. I worked at a few colleges in the Buffalo area before moving out West. I first began my tenure at Fielding Graduate University before transitioning to the University of Southern California. I served as a Graduate Program Advisor for civil and environmental engineering students. While I loved forming close relationships with the students that I advised, I was ultimately looking to make a career transition.

Right place, right time

After working for a few different staffing and recruiting firms on the west coast, I knew that I’d found my professional calling. But after getting married and dealing with the effects of the pandemic, I decided to seriously consider heading back home. After putting some feelers out about moving back to Buffalo, I attended a Be In Buffalo Zoom call one afternoon, which was geared toward attracting ex-pats back to the Western New York community. After the call, I reached out to Jenna Kavanaugh and told her my story. She immediately connected me with the Acara team. A few virtual interviews later, and I knew that the recruiting opportunity that was presented to me was meant to be. The company was exactly what I was looking for.

A passion for recruiting

In my role as a Recruitment Specialist for Acara, I’m responsible for all aspects of the full-cycle recruitment process. From conducting an intake call with our client to presenting a final offer to a candidate, I’m involved in all aspects of the recruiting cycle. While my focus is geared toward accounting and finance roles, I’ve grown comfortable in handling all types of professional positions. Each job that I handle is like its own puzzle—once you do the work and put the pieces together, everything should fall into place. I’m always excited when an Account Executive claims that a job is going to be a “doozy” to fill—comments like those get me psyched about the challenge!

A love for Acara

Joining the team at Acara was a no-brainer for me. I was fond of the company’s nationwide presence that continues to expand—all while maintaining its headquarters in Buffalo. Our CEO, Scott Stenclik, is heavily involved in the Western New York community—and encourages all of us to do so, as well. Beyond Acara’s strong local and national footprint, the company sets its recruiters up for success. We all have access to leading recruiting tools like LinkedIn Recruiter that help to maximize our results. If you have a great work ethic and internal motivation, our leadership teams will provide you with the autonomy you need to achieve success.

Out-of-office fun

When I’m not working, I love working out. I’ve used the Peloton app for almost two years. I started as a runner but have since moved onto spinning and strength training. I’ve often felt that being disciplined and focused on my personal fitness has directly translated to my recruiting success. But most of all, staying active has helped to boost my energy levels, improve my task prioritization, and keep my mindset positive.

To learn more about Kate Perez, connect with her on LinkedIn.

Interested in finding out more about the rest of our Acara team? Check out other editions of our “All-In at Acara” series here.